April Hot Take: How to Engage Your Dream Customers With Empathy

Porsche and Honda both make cars. They do NOT have the same brand story. They are not selling to the same people. Customers buy from them for very different reasons - not simply "because I need a car." Your business, no matter what industry you are in, needs to understand this.People often ask me, "How the heck did you, as a brand strategist, come to now be an empathy advocate, author, and speaker?" And I tell them the truth: Empathy has been the success secret of my marketing career.Marketers get this. You can't influence or persuade someone - or build right-fit offerings for them - if you don't understand them. You must peek into their lives, see things how they see them, and ensure your solutions meet those needs, address those goals, and fulfill those aspirations. Or quite frankly, they should not be doing business with you. To access the episode transcript, please click on the episode title at www.TheEmpathyEdge.comKey Takeaways:Your messaging needs to be about more than just the product. Your brand story should connect and engage with your audience. Research proves we often make decisions with subconscious emotion, then justify them with logic. Good marketing is not sleazy - when done right and genuinely with offering value as the intention, it’s a way to let people who need you the most find you. "Empathy in marketing is understanding the goals, desires, fears, values, and needs of your ideal audience and creating products and services that speak to them." —  Maria Ross  Episode References: My new course! Brand Story BreakthroughBranding Basics for Small Business, 2nd Edition (2014)Nike If You Let Me Play AdJust one of many Subaru ads I love!The Empathy Edge with Melina Palmer: Why Your Customers Can't Tell You What They Want Don’t forget to download your free guide! Discover The 5 Business Benefits of Empathy: http://red-slice.com/business-benefits-empathy Connect with Maria: Get the podcast and book: TheEmpathyEdge.comLearn more about Maria and her work: Red-Slice.comHire Maria to speak at your next event: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake my LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with EmpathyLinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaTwitter: @redsliceFacebook: Red Slice Book your free seat to Maria's masterclass here- https://bit.ly/4StepBrandStory

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Failed product launches. Furious customers. Dysfunctional teams. Many of the problems we face in the business world (and frankly, society) stem from the same root cause: Lack of empathy. Speaker, author, strategist, and empathy advocate Maria Ross shares keen insights and inspiring interviews that prove empathy and compassion are the new paths to market-winning performance. Leveraging both inspiring stories and hard data, Ross connects empathetic leadership, cultures and brands to innovation, engagement, and bottom-line results. You’ll walk away with actionable strategies to amplify your impact, and learn how compassionate business tactics can transform your organization from the inside out. The Empathy Edge podcast provides a quick dose of motivation, wisdom, and practical actions that executive leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers can use right now. Ready to infuse YOUR organization with more empathy? Tune in to learn why cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive.