Show Notes
Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, says empathy is the hardest skill to learn, and the one that matters most. In this clip, Jack and Zac break down why empathy is the single most underrated sales skill in B2B, and how it changes everything about the way you cold call, handle objections and close deals.
Most salespeople think empathy is soft. It isn't. It's the difference between a prospect hanging up in four seconds and a prospect actually telling you the truth about their situation. Empathy is what turns a cold call into a conversation, a pitch into a diagnosis, and a "not interested" into a real objection you can actually work with.
If you're learning how to sell, how to cold call, or how to build a sales career that doesn't rely on being pushy, this is the skill to start with.
Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: The One Skill Every Salesperson Needs 00:00:36 The Microsoft CEO Quote: Why Empathy is the Hardest Skill 00:01:48 Can Empathy Be Taught: Nature vs Nurture 00:02:42 The Home Test: When Problem Solving Kills Connection 00:04:01 Beyond the Transcript: Reading Tone and Body Language 00:04:47 The Ten Out of Ten Problem: Testing Real Empathy 00:05:49 The Summary Technique: Your First Empathy Skill 00:07:49 Nooks Ad: Stop Cold Calling on Your Mobile 00:08:21 Labeling and Mirroring Masterclass: The Theory 00:10:21 Live Role Play: Empathy Skills in Action 00:13:41 Common Mistakes: Mirroring the Wrong Phrases 00:15:03 The Low Stakes Practice Game: Try This at Home 00:15:47 Active Listening: The Foundation of Empathy 00:16:44 Secret Mission: The Wham Challenge for 850 Pounds
What you'll learn in this clip:
Why Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calls empathy the hardest skill to learn
How empathy actually works on a cold call, and what fake empathy sounds like to a prospect
The difference between empathy and being "nice" in sales, and why nice salespeople lose deals
How to use empathy to handle objections instead of fighting them
Why empathy is the fastest way to build trust with a stranger on the phone
How to train empathy as a sales skill, not a personality trait
Whether you're in cold calling, SDR work, account executive sales, recruitment, or you're a founder doing your own outbound, this is the skill that compounds.
#Sales #ColdCalling #Empathy #SalesTraining #B2BSales #SalesTips #SatyaNadella #Microsoft #HowToSell #SalesSkills #ObjectionHandling #SDR #Prospecting #WeHaveAMeeting
Hear more from the hosts: Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b
Brought to you by Nooks: the AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting
Subscribe to We Have a Meeting: new episodes every week with founders, sales leaders and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.
More from We Have A Meeting
James Smith knows a lot of people think he’s a prick. He’s fine with that.
Spencer Matthews has run 30 marathons in 30 days in the desert. He’s done an Ironman on every continent in 21 days, Antarctica included.
How do you win new clients when every competitor is shouting the same thing? Three founders who have built businesses from nothing give you their best sales and marketing advice in one room. No theory. Just what actually brings in new business.
Madonna changed the lights, the seating and her outfit before the cameras rolled. Ben Shephard won her over with one question. That’s the skill behind 26 years in broadcasting. He’s presented This Morning and Tipping Point and done film junkets where he had four minutes to get a Hollywood star to open up. He calls himself a frustrated professional sportsman who never made the Ryder Cup, so he became a communicator instead. Now, at 51, he’s a founder. He co-founded For Skin, a men’s skincare brand, with Joel Dommett. He also helped set up Sweetspot, a venture studio that builds businesses celebrities actually own. Ben joins hosts Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson at Ideas Fest. They talk about purpose, gratitude and why being interested beats being interesting every time. He explains why a quiz show still matters, and why he gets his dad to text him every night with three things he’s looking forward to tomorrow. He also explains why 80% of men’s skincare is bought by women. He breaks down how Sweetspot works. Every celebrity goes through a questionnaire on their motivations and passions, and the audience helps build the product. For Skin’s community picked the name, the price point and the packaging. He also explains why he will always ask the stupid question in a meeting about burn rates. And why a skincare brand needs a name people argue about, but products good enough to outlive the famous faces behind it. Then comes the masterclass in connection: the Simon Cowell name trick he recommends to everyone, and why he forgets most of the pitches he hears unless someone finds a way to connect with him personally. Along the way you’ll hear about Zac talking to his moisturiser, a 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder with his two sons, a six-year-old called Greg who taught him a lesson in manners, why golf teaches you that the next shot matters most, and the best advice Tim Campbell ever gave him: if it ain’t broke, break it. Chapters
Your sales team has more AI tools and more data than ever. So why are they doing less with it? And what should you never, ever let an AI agent do for you? Mel Smith has a one-question test for that, and most teams fail it. She also has a rule for her SDRs: book a meeting on a cold call in under five minutes and you'll be getting a message from her.