Author Dan Pink participated in a really cool thing called Pecha-Kucha, where presenters get 20 slides and 20 seconds each to talk about them. In Dan's presentation, he discussed situations where empathy in communication helped people on a number of levels: reinforcing confidence, sustaining understanding, and creating direction. He shows how, in some instances, these were accomplished in one simple sentence. I've posted his presentation below. It's a great lesson in how to engage with your readers beyond simply telling them what they should do.
And, if you've got a Pecha-Kucha chapter in your city, definitely check it out. You'll learn about things going on in your community that you had no idea of, and it's really fun to boot.