Compassion as a Sales Skill
- Oki Tåg
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Personal benefit: Compassion in sales can create a happier you.
Work benefit: In a competitive market, compassion sets a sales professional apart from the rest.

While navigating complex decision-making processes, some sales skills have the potential to truly elevate a sales professional and one of them is compassion. As Wikipedia defines it, compassion is the "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." In B2B sales, this means understanding and addressing the unique challenges and needs of your clients. And ultimately, this translates into fostering connections that are meaningful.
Why Compassion Makes You Stand Out as a Sales Professional
In the B2B landscape, compassion is a standout trait because it shows that you truly care. You build trust and nurture long-lasting relationships. When sales professionals show genuine empathy and concern for a client, they create loyalty and satisfaction that go beyond a single transaction. People who feel understood and valued are more inclined to form long-term partnerships and advocate for your services within their networks. In a competitive market, these type of sales skills set a sales professional apart from the rest.
How to Utilise Compassion as a Skill in Sales
Putting compassion into practice in B2B sales involves active listening and a sincere approach to client interactions. It means setting aside your own agendas to focus on the client's needs and challenges. By asking good questions and truly listening to the responses, sales professionals can show they really care and thus uncover deeper needs and offer solutions that are truly valued. Compassionate salespeople see each interaction as a chance to help the client.
Example questions that utilise compassion (excerpted from the fantastic list by Mike Fishbein)
Do you find it hard to [process/problem]?
How important is [value you’re delivering] to you?
Tell me about the last time you [process you’re improving] – listen for complaints
How motivated are you to solve/improve [problem/process]?
If you had a solution to this problem, what would it mean to you/how would it affect you?
In What Ways Can You Train Compassion in Sales?
Training compassion begins with self-awareness. Reflecting on past interactions can reveal where compassion was effectively applied or where it could have been improved. And on a more concrete level, you can check your own sales toolbox
Check your list of questions you usually ask from your clients, check some examples, edit as per needed
Go through your introductory pitch, does it convey compassion?
Practice active listening in everyday conversations. How? Read this Lifehack.org article
Scientific research shows that practicing compassion boosts personal happiness. Compassionate acts release oxytocin, enhancing well-being and reducing stress. For sales professionals, this means that a compassionate approach not only benefits clients, but also helps with personal fulfillment and happiness. This can lead to increased motivation, simply put: a happier you, and most probably a happier customer too.
Want to get better on this?
This is one of the angles we look at sales from. If you found this perspective interesting, do consider joining PurposeFuel, an incubation program that guides entrepreneurs in creating impact.
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