The Importance of Empathy

My entire job at Jacht revolves around giving our clients a voice. Whether that voice is through actual written copy or in just in a concept form, I’m supposed to understand them and create something that can embody them and capture their target market’s attention.

I was nervous at first when I started at Jacht, as I had never written for a client before. My portfolio was full of news reports and feature stories, not radio ads and taglines. I felt like I was in over my head.

Through the past few months, I’ve come to realize that one of my greatest strengths in copywriting comes from the years I’ve spent writing news. All the interviews I’ve done and all the stories I’ve heard through the course of my reporting classes have taught me the importance of listening and empathy.

I’ve learned that when it comes to clients and copywriting, the more you keep yourself in the dark, the more you will struggle to create something that reaches their end goal. Be empathetic to your clients. Hear them out for what they want and try to understand why they want it that way. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what it is they want, either. The more clear a situation is, the better.

Be empathetic even when you’re frustrated. If you’re in the midst of brainstorming but have hit a wall, don’t blame the client. Think about it from their perspective and work through your brain block. Do additional research as well. Find out more about them, their cause and what makes them unique. Don’t solely rely on the research document, though that should always be your first step.

If you take a little time to listen and be understanding of your clients, the more you can do for them and the better you can capture their message. Knowing them goes deeper than just knowing what they’re about. Without using empathy or understanding, you’ll never break past the surface level of what they want, and your work will show it.

So next time you’re feeling frustrated, take a step back and just listen. You’ll be all the better of a writer for it.