Empathy is the Most Important Currency in Marketing Right Now

How to keep B2B customers in uncertain times

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

“One of the values that I think men in particular have to pass on is the value of empathy. And what that means is standing in somebody else’s shoes, being able to look through their eyes.” Barack Obama

Many B2B companies are pivoting their brands and products in a contactless environment to better serve their customers. Some have done so more successfully than others because they’ve incorporated the most important element in their strategy — empathy.

Empathy is by no means a new concept in business. Harvard Business Review did a research in 2016 and found that the top 10 companies in the Global Empathy Index increased in value more than twice as much as the bottom 10. It’s a proven value that will result in growth and financial rewards.

Focus on your customers’ well-being

In uncertain times, while marketers have to reprioritize what’s strategically important, the tactics should solely be focused on adding value to the customers in all ways possible. It means helping them navigate how to keep their business moving forward and how to keep their customers happy. It also means helping them find effective ways to work from home while kids are in the background screaming and looking for their working parents. Empathy is the new type of currency. If you can understand customers’ stressors and empathize with them, it shows that your company cares about them as human beings. The relationship built during difficult times will go a long way.

At the end of the day, we all have emotional times. It’s not just about business. It’s about people’s livelihoods as well. Companies are often focused on generating value on the business side — how they can help their customers solve business pain points, which is still extremely important. But frankly this is not the most important priority at the moment, at least not during a crisis, not during these stressful times. Nearly 50% of adults in the U.S. reported that their mental health has been impacted due to the stress over the pandemic, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. If companies can humanize themselves and treat customers like how they treat their friends, it’ll strengthen the relationships in the long run. In short, focus on your customers’ well-being first.

Graphic created by Emily Gothmann

When in crisis mode, people are more focused on the basic needs. If we look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (see graphic above), we’re now focusing on levels 4–5 on a daily basis. While you may not be able to help with your customers’ basic needs in marketing, you can certainly help fulfill their psychological needs (levels 2–3) by standing in their shoes. I created a simple graphic below to map out people’s mental, physical and psychological state during crisis.

Graphic created by Emily Gothmann

How to incorporate empathy in what you do

Many companies have slashed their marketing budgets. Even Google is cutting up to 50% of their budgets. That means marketers will need to be more creative when it comes to supporting customers. Here are some ways to provide support with empathy while being budget conscious.

1. Provide free and valuable resources online

Although marketing is not a function providing tangible financial help, you can offer intrinsically valuable free resources to help them get through the crisis. Most Americans were forced to start working remotely about a month and a half ago. This has shifted work to a new paradigm. Some universal challenges everyone is experiencing include working remotely as a team, staying productive and creative at home and staying connected with friends and families. People are trying to survive the crisis, not necessarily thrive, so they’re looking for help to get them through it.

Free resources like webinars, videos, blog posts and templates that help your customers adapt to the new norm will prove that you empathize with their struggles. You can even repurpose what you’ve created and include the assets in your crisis resource packet. Adobe has repurposed some of their previously curated content and created some new assets to provide timely support to their customers. They offer tips and guidance on how creative professionals can pivot the way they work through videos and blog posts. Other available services include extended free trials and free access to Adobe Team Projects for remote collaboration. Resources that bring practical support to customers can ease their stress at work and home.

2. Check on your loyal customers

Research has shown that crisis triggers people’s physical and psychological reactions, such as fear, anxiety and grief, as illustrated in the graphic above. These are all normal reactions to this unprecedented crisis. People need time to get used to the swift change at work, in addition to the fear of getting sick. To empathize with their feelings, you can check in with your customers and offer available free resources or any support they may need from your company.

The marketing team should tighten alignment with the sales team when reaching out to customers. It may make sense to send out mass emails to all customers but you also want to work closely with the sales counterparts to make sure the loyal and valuable customers are speaking to a human being, not just an automated system. Personal outreach may be more effective in some cases.

3. Create a community to support each other

Organizing in-person events is no longer a viable way to connect with your customers. However, you can still build a community of support for them. As much as we should all stay at home, human interactions are critically important to good health and longevity. Building a support system in the midst of a pandemic can remind them that you are with them in the journey, share with their struggles and can be of help as a partner.

Instead of waiting for the pandemic to be over, you can be proactive in building a close-knit community through creating valuable virtual experiences. For instance, having an invitation only virtual roundtable, followed by a happy hour with your customers, provides a platform for your customers to share their latest challenges, thoughts and best practices with their peers. These virtual events don’t have to be big and can be done repeatedly with customers that share a lot of similarities. You can simply use whatever video conference tools you have to host the events. These experiences can help them build a sense of belonging through the community and are great for you to develop closer ties with them as well.

We’re all in this together. Business is not as usual. It may take months for the economy to re-emerge. Showing empathy reframes customer relationships, brings purpose to your brand and connects everyone in the midst of uncertainty.