“Empathy is trying on someone else’s shoes, Sympathy, wearing them.” Unknown
Empathy is an emotional skill and is necessary both to understand and to practice if you are going to be one of the greats.
The best way to understand empathy is to recognize it. The following are some examples of empathy in motion.
1. “Would it be possible to get a new pair, because it is a manufacturing fault and I need to go out for a run tonight?” asked the customer quite unhappy. “I’m sorry sir, but our company policy is to ship the shoes to the supplier and they will let us know what to do regarding replacement, in approximately 7-10 days,” the assistant store manager replied with an apology. Tone “You know, that really doesn’t suit me” replied the customer with a mixture of frustration and anger, “If I return these faulty shoes to you, what am I supposed to wear?” The assistant store manager responded as politely as he could: “Sorry sir, but that’s our company policy, it says on the back of your receipt. Sending the shoes to the supplier is the best I can do! scared! “” Well that sucks “said the client, not being able to hide is irritation.
“I’ll speak to your managing director!” He continued and stormed off. Although there probably wasn’t much the Assistant Store Manager could do to change company policy, and let’s also assume, for the purposes of history, that ABSOLUTELY had no other open alternative. What could you have done to help alleviate the situation? I could have used empathy. The assistant store manager might have recognized the feelings of the customers. Had he responded with a “I see how frustrated you are. We really disappointed you, haven’t we?” This reflection of the client’s emotion, this empathy would have alleviated the client’s disappointment and frustration, even if everything else remained the same. Without empathy, all the assistant store manager heard was the content of what the customer was saying. He never listened to her feelings of frustration and disappointment.
2. “I can tell you really love them. They really look fabulous.” Rita sincerely replied to the customer. “Yeah! They look great and feel great too; I’m just worried about the price. Is there anything you can do for me to lower the price a bit?” the customer replied. “I understand you’re frustrated, especially since they fit together so well,” Rita said. “Is it hard enough trying to find something you like, and something that fits, and then discovering that it is out of your price range?” He continued, “Look, I can’t promise you a discount, but what if I go to my manager quickly and see what he says? If I can fix something, would you want to take them?” The customer smiled slightly and nodded appreciatively.
3. “So that’s the story,” my best friend said as he finished his sad story of grief and tried to downplay his emotions. “But these things always happen for the better, don’t they?” “Do you sound pretty sad about all of this?” I replied. “You’re actually right,” he continued, “I really feel sad, how can you tell?”
4. “It is ridiculous to pay these prices when he would have exceeded them at the end of the season,” he complained. “I agree,” Eric replied, buckling his football boot on the youths’ left foot. “It seems crazy to spend that much when, as you say, you will only get one season with them. Would you rather I show you something less expensive?” “However, what would the quality be like?” the anxious mother asked. “I can appreciate your concern.” Eric replied, “The quality is fine, my concern would be more about the width,” he continued. “This young man has, as you know, a very wide foot and the least expensive boots will probably be too narrow, which could create blisters.” “Well, I guess then we’ll have to bite the bullet, right?” Said the customer, patting her son on the shoulder.
5. “Good morning John, how are you this morning?” I asked. “Yeah … okay …” John replied with a sigh. “You sound a little out of place this morning, what’s up?” I questioned. “I’m fine,” John replied, “I had a really rough night with the kids last night. They were all sick and Sammy is sick too, so I was a mom, dad, doctor, nurse, and housekeeper until around 1 this morning. “” Sounds harsh, is there anything I can do to help? “
Did you find empathy in the previous scenarios? Read the quotes and written explanations below. Then re-read the previous bullets. Then you will better understand empathy and its power as a communication and persuasion tool.
Empathy is:
“The ability to imagine oneself in the place of another and to understand the feelings, desires, ideas and actions of the other. The most obvious example, perhaps, is that of the actor or singer who genuinely feels the role he is playing.” Sam vaknin
“Empathy depends not only on one’s ability to identify another person’s emotions, but also on one’s ability to put oneself in the other person’s shoes and experience an appropriate emotional response” Charles G. Morris
“Empathy is like giving someone a psychological hug” Lawrence J.
Bookbinder, PhD