Beyond research: empathy

I was recently talking to my friend and colleague Rob Volpe, CEO of Ignite 360 and author of the book Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time. We were discussing a recent presentation he gave about how empathy influences buyer behavior. Spoiler alert: empathy has always been required to conduct market research well and to create effective marketing. But with the pressures we all face, clients can sometimes forget that, and it can be worth reiterating the benefits of utilizing empathy in our work:

• Empathy allows marketers to deeply understand the needs, desires, and pain points of their target audience. This understanding helps in creating products, services, and marketing messages that truly resonate with customers.

• Empathetic marketing builds trust because it shows customers that brands genuinely care about their concerns and well-being. This trust leads to stronger customer relationships and loyalty over time.

• Empathy enables brands to create emotional connections with customers. They are more likely to choose a brand that makes them feel understood and valued.

• Empathy can influence purchase decisions by addressing emotional triggers and motivations effectively. Brands that connect on an emotional level through empathy are more likely to influence customers to choose their products or services. 

How can we infuse empathy in our market research and our marketing?

Start with overall mindset. When conducting research, we should go beyond seeing answers to questions such as “how do you choose which product to buy?” and strive to understand customers’ overall lives. This means:

• Taking the time to build rapport with participants.

• Asking open-ended questions that invite detailed responses.

• Reflecting back answers to show participants we understand.

Most of us would call the above “conducting research the right way!” But when time and cost pressures come to bear, it can be worth reminding our clients of the benefit of conducting truly empathetic research.

Let’s discuss how to infuse empathy into your research. Email me at info at bureauwest.com.

Sincerely,
Jay Zaltzman (he/him), President
Bureau West: Market Research ∙ Consulting ∙ Coaching
http://bureauwest.com/ [email protected]  +1-818-588-6050

Sources: Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time, Rob Volpe, 2022; Rob Volpe

Bureau West conducts in-person and online focus groups, one-on-one interviews, quantitative surveys, and website usability and effectiveness testing - in the U.S., and worldwide with ThinkGlobal Qualitative.  We encourage our clients to call us early when they’re considering research, so we can provide advice on the most appropriate research method or combination of methods.