How To: Adjustments

Empathy is conveyed by both tone and choice of words. This means preparation. Most empathy selling is unique to the situation. That means it requires constant ADJUSTMENTS.

In tennis, if someone plays to your backhand and you miss, they should continue to pepper your backhand until you make an adjustment to your game. In all selling situations you must immediately receive information and adjust your next interaction based on the new situation. Once again, you must make your next interaction entirely based around your buyer's needs, wants and desires. Make an immediate adjustment, use empathy to determine if your presentation of new info is compelling to their 'win'.

Empathy selling also builds clarity. If you view every situation through your buyer's eyes, you immediately see the situation more clearly than if you're only focused on your win. Big mistake.

When to make adjustments. You seek adjustments immediately upon receiving new information. Sometimes, no adjustment is necessary. Rarely. Typically, upon receiving new info, you must reinforce the most positive and UNDERSTAND clearly, any perceived negative information. Don't respond to the negative in the present interaction. Review it and make an adjustment.

Often you can turn the perceived negative into the primary reason for the 'win'. This is contrary logic. Often we can turn complex emotional issues on their backs and, through logic, show people that the opposite of their belief is nearly as viable as their strongest convictions. But, only when you see the situation clearly, have pinpointed this person's 'win' and can restate the information in such a way that it puts them back in the game with their 'win' firmly in sight.

What is an adjustment? In tennis terms, an adjustment can be as simple as moving one half-step to the left to receive a serve in time. In selling, an adjustment can be softening a perceived benefit; simply restating a concern in less pessimistic tones; or it can be to lift the conversation to another level to help your prospect get into another mental rolodex. An adjustment is the next logical step to move the transaction forward, to level the playing field or to wipe away a concern that has arisen due to the interaction.


1. Introduction, Empathy Selling
2. Adjustments
3. Break down the transaction
4. Focus Power, Daniel-san!
5. Sell an Asteroid to Captain Kirk
6. Can’t build a bridge? Build a pipeline--Can’t tear down a wall? Build a ramp.
7. Employ Empathy Marketing for Biz Dev
8. Empathy Selling, Mastery is Transparency
9. Empathy Selling, Stir of Echoes
10. Empathy Selling – Why Empathy Works
11. Empathy Selling: How Do The Other Guy’s Shoes Fit?