As a marketer and a leader, empathy is one of the most important traits you can possess.

As a marketer it helps you understand your customer and how you can provide a product or a service that alleviates a problem, soothes a fear or enables a dream.

Empathy allows us to identify with the customer, to shape our content and our message to their needs.

It allows us to build and present a value proposition that doesn’t just tick a box, but resonates with the customer.  

It allows us to show that we know the customer – that they have been heard and their needs understood.

It allows us to engage with them rather push a message or advertising at them.

As a leader it helps us understand where each member of our team comes from – their values, their actions, their fears and their motivators.

When confronted with a difficult situation it means we don’t work from our fear, frustrations or feelings, it means we can position ourselves for someone else to generate a better outcome.

As marketers if we don’t have or use our empathy we are simply empty vessels shouting meaningless words into a void full of the same.

As leaders if we don’t practice empathy we can’t empower our teams to deliver on their potential and dreams.

What legacy do you want to leave?