Why Sales Leaders Need More Empathy

Considering most sales managers have been salespeople at some point in their careers, you’d think they’d have a deep understanding of the challenges salespeople face every day.

Perhaps there’s a switch that causes leaders to forget what it means to sell in today’s environment. Perhaps it’s sitting behind a screen, poring over endless amounts of data, trying to find the magic bullet for driving sales performance (the answers aren’t there, by the way—data can only provide clues).

Perhaps it’s the seduction of endless “important” internal meetings about strategy and performance. Perhaps it’s the managerial title and the presumption of power or authority over your people, or perhaps it’s plain and simple distance from the daily act of selling.

Poor leaders too easily forget the challenges a salesperson faces in finding and engaging customers. Great leaders, by contrast, are tremendously empathetic. They’re able to understand the feelings and challenges faced by the people they lead. They relate to them at their level, and they’re not afraid to share their own feelings.

Great leaders demonstrate their empathy by actively engaging, constantly learning about their people’s goals and ambitions. They know the only way to achieve the goals of their organization is through their people, and by employing empathy, they’re better equipped to help remove the barriers their people face.

There are always times when we have to just suck it up, but a great leader is there in the trenches with their people when those times come. The ability to empathize with your salespeople is what enables you to, collectively, figure out how to overcome that which may seem insurmountable.

Empathy doesn’t demand any special skills or training. It starts with caring, and it continues with active listening and learning. It’s accompanied by high expectations and a commitment to helping people achieve those standards. Empathy demands accountability.

Would your people recognize your ability to empathize? Would they do whatever it takes to succeed, because they know you’ll always support them?

Dave Brock has worked in sales, marketing and executive management capacities with IBM, Tektronix and Keithley Instruments, and has consulted with a wide range of clients including HP, Nokia, AT&T, Microsoft and more.