Empathy in Sales - Why it matters

As consumers continue to spend more time online and our retail landscape continues to transform digitally, brands are prioritizing the need for the human touch to define the customer experience. According to Salesforce’s State of Sales 2020 report, high-performing sales professionals recognize the importance of empathy and trust in building strong customer relationships. 88% of sales reps place a strong value on building long-term relationships with customers.

Digital acceleration and increased customer demands have made sales a much more complex process. Brands should adopt marketing and retail strategies that leverage their sales associates to build strong customer relationships on the foundation of trust. The sales associate can connect with customers in ways other technology applications like chatbots and AI cannot. According to a Gartner study, the customers' perceptions of sales representatives are critical in their purchase decision journey and customers are more likely to make purchases when they see the sales rep as a trusted advisor who increases their confidence during their shopping journey.

“When customers overcome their inherent skepticism of sellers and feel more confident in the information they encounter, they are more likely to make the deal all sellers aspire – a high-quality, low-regret deal,” says Adamson.

Sales associates need a new strategy to engage with customers that increases their confidence when making a purchasing decision. They should think about the customer’s buying situation, determine the right questions to ask and identify which information matters most to them.

Today in our digital world, customers are inundated with information.

“The sheer volume of high-quality information presents a problem for customers: First, there is too much of it and second, customers find that information from different suppliers is often trustworthy but contradictory,” says Neha Ahuja, Senior Principal, Research & Advisory, Gartner.

Successful sales associates build empathy into their sales processes in order to understand and relate to their customers' needs better and respond appropriately with the right information. In a world where information is so easily accessible, sales associates need to engage with customers that make them feel important and valued.

As our retail landscape continues to change, brands should think about how to serve customers in personalized and relevant ways through all store touchpoints.

To learn how to create personalized customer experiences that inject empathy into the sales processes, contact BSPK today.

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