Reaching your Audience with Empathy

Empathy: "ability to understand someone else's feelings as if they were one's own." Collins English Dictionary

Remember the last time you cried on someone's shoulder? They listened as you poured your heart out. They said: "I know" at just the right moments and you knew that they knew. You knew that they understood. Then, when the tears were almost gone, this angel - with the damp shoulder - set before you the ultimate healing balm. Perhaps it was chocolate cake and coffee, maybe sweet tea and shortbread; whatever it was it was perfect and you became yourself again.

What qualities did this insightful friend possess that so effectively relieved your distress? Chocolate cake and shortbread aside, the most powerful tool anyone can use to really reach another human being is empathy.

Empathy is what makes us feel cared for. When we sense that someone truly understands our circumstances and is genuinely concerned for us, it is easier to trust them. We listen to them and value their advice.

In business, displaying empathy is a vital part of communication. Whether you're writing a sales letter, meeting with an employee or phoning a supplier, showing that you understand the other party and are concerned for their circumstances will always present you in a favourable light.

Think of your audience.

Who will you be writing or speaking to? What are their concerns, desires and struggles? How do those concerns, desires and struggles make them feel?

This is important. This is what you need to "get".

Empathy with your audience means understanding their feelings as though they were your own.

Take your time.

Spend a moment contemplating the circumstances of your audience. Think of them as your circumstances and how they make you feel.

Communicating from a position of true understanding allows people to trust you. It builds rapport and sets you apart from the rest as one to whom others can relate.

So before you write that next marketing piece or make that cold call, temper your message with the wisdom and insight of that angelic friend, Empathy.

It's chocolate cake and shortbread all round!

© Carol Dorman 2007

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Copywriter and editor, Carol Dorman owns Quill Writing Services and publishes 'Communicate', the ezine for business owners who want to harness the power of words for increased success. To sign up and receive her free report: 'How to Convince your Target Market to Buy from You', visit www.quillwritingservices.com.au