Empathy is a key concept in business today, especially in sales management. Some would say it has become a buzzword, but many experts agree that empathetic leadership enhances sales team motivation and performance in big ways. I suggest there is an element of truth in both views. The challenge is in the execution. Many sales managers have the wrong idea of what empathy really entails.

I surveyed 53 sales managers, asking them (among other things) what essential skills their top-performing salespeople possess. Okay, it wasn’t an actual survey.

However, our team at Sales Readiness Group (SRG) recently completed rolling out a sales training program from a large sales organization, and I was reviewing my notes from interviews with frontline sales managers as part of the customization process.