So, what is empathy? It’s the ability to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings in a situation from their point of view, rather than your own. It differs from sympathy, where one is moved by the thoughts and feelings of another but maintains an emotional distance.

According to a motor theory of empathy, empathy results from the automatic activation of emotion triggered by the observation of someone else’s emotion. It has been found that the subjective experience of emotions and the observation of someone else experiencing the same emotion activate overlapping brain areas.

The term empath comes from empathy, which is the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of your own perspective. You actually sense and feel emotions as if they’re part of your own experience. In other words, someone else’s pain and happiness become your pain and happiness.

Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling. “Cognitive empathy,” sometimes called “perspective taking,” refers to our ability to identify and understand other people’s emotions.

Below are five behaviors you can practice and perfect to demonstrate empathy with your clients:

1. Listen actively. Effective listening must be active.
2. Recognize their emotions. Emotions are important signs along the way to solving problems.
3. Accept their interpretations.
4. Restate the problem.
5. Ask permission to move forward.

Guest Post: What to Say to an Angry Customer

• I hear you. Many experts recommend saying “I understand” but this is wrong.
• Thanks for being straight with me.
• Sometimes we fail.
• You have the right to be angry.
• You’re right .
• That must have been frustrating .
• If I were in your shoes, I’d feel the same way .
• I’m going to do my best to help you .