Rating: +0
I have seen sales people who have high empathy... while others have no empathy at all. What do you think... Is it an advantage or a disadvantage for a sales person to have a high level of empathy?
Doyle,
Great question. Show's that "sales" is not as simple as many people tend to think. I think that the majority of the answers are in the positive, regarding empathy. I would agree, but with a number of qualifications. I'm not sure that I want my sales person to empathize to the point of "Stockholm Syndrome", which can very easily happen. I've seen this happen to many sales people and sales engineers especially post sales and during a customers implementations - to the point that you wonder who is signing this sales persons commission checks. Also, I want my sales person to "get the deal", and I need it last quarter, "to much" empathy may conflict with that "get the deal" goal. Empathy, as in being a good listener is an essential requriement, to understanding the prospects pains, developing a good relationship (people still buy from whom they like), understanding the procurement cycle, etc. However, keep in mind that unless you (the sales-person) actually walked a mile in your buyers shoes, in other words you were him or her in a previous life, your empathy may be just that "yours".
Good Luck,
Peter
January 2009
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome