To truly motivate a business customer to act and make decisions, rational arguments alone are not enough.
We also need to create an emotional connection.
But how do we do that?
Empathy is key; understanding the customer’s emotional state.
Brent Adamson (co-author of the book “Challenger Sales”) suggests “hypothesis-driven empathy.”
Instead of asking “How do you feel?”, test specific emotions:
➡️ “I imagine it’s a bit scary, isn’t it?”
➡️ “I assume it’s really frustrating.”
➡️ “Wow, you must be super excited!”
The goal is not to always guess right, but to get a reaction. A confirmation or correction provides valuable information to you as a salesperson.
By testing different hypotheses, you learn what emotions are swirling in your customers’ minds.
When the customer feels understood, you have not only created a rational connection, but also a stronger emotional bond.
Sometimes we are wrong, it’s human.
But with humility and curiosity, we can learn to truly understand our customers.
