Budding entrepreneurs are often asked to try and emulate business leaders such as Steve Jobs, Larry Page or Richard Branson in order to be successful. This is an ambiguous statement generally as it is difficult to grasp where exactly to start. However, there is one trait the three and many others of that level possess and that is empathy. The capacity to be able to relate others’ thoughts or feelings is termed as empathy. It can be of three types. Affective empathy is where one person is able to connect to the emotional state of the other. Compassionate empathy is what induces action to benefit others. Cognitive empathy is the third type which combines the first two. It involves connecting with the other, but also being able to think strategically for that person. For business leaders, it is most essential to master cognitive empathy. It is important to listen and learn from others’ point of view. Digital marketing provides us ideal platform to listen to customer viewpoints so that we can strategize marketing plans accordingly. Company policies and value systems must be built around customer experiences. Social media must be tapped to establish valuable one-to-one interactions. The customer must not feel alienated from the company and the latter must invoke the personal touch using phone calls, emails and social media. Source: http://www.business.com/sales-and-marketing/how-cognitive-empathy-in-marketing-revolutionizes-your-brand-relationships/