Empathic advisors are superb at building deep personal connections with prospects, clients and team members. Their ability to ask others just the right questions differentiates them from competitors. As a result they are always communicating empathically.

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Asking just the right questions comes down to approach.

Questions for the sake of asking questions

This approach can backfire when you’re attempting to communicate empathically. The other person is likely to perceive you as lacking a sincere desire to get to know him/her better. Consequently, it may become difficult to generate positive emotions and a motivating environment required to inspire action.

or

Questions based on genuine interest

This is the preferred method. It entails asking questions intended to help you know your subject better. When you ask questions out of sincerity, the prospect, client or team member will likely perceive you as a wonderful listener and someone who truly cares about them.

Select each area to understand the difference between asking questions out of curiosity versus genuine interest.

Instead of:

"When do you want to retire?"

Instead of:

"When do you want to retire?"

Ask:

"As you approach retirement, is there anything that scares you?"

Instead of:

"How's the new job?"

Instead of:

"How's the new job?"

Ask:

"What has been one of your biggest surprises in your new job?"

Instead of:

"Is your estate plan up to date?"

Instead of:

"Is your estate plan up to date?"

Ask:

"How, if at all, have your thoughts about your legacy changed over the past few years?"

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Bottom Line

Communicating empathically comes down to authenticity. Intentionally asking questions out of genuine interest when getting to know someone will help you master this dynamic.

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What's next?

If you're interested in digging deeper into this topic, you can go to the next resource. If not, we recommend continuing to the next subtopic.

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