5 Reasons Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in Sales

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is the capacity to express and control one’s emotions, read others’ emotions, and respond empathetically. Emotional intelligence has five components: 

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Social skills
• Empathy
• Motivation

“The key benefit of emotional intelligence is empathy. You develop empathy for your customers by communicating, caring, and understanding,” said Anthony Miyazaki, professor of marketing at Florida International University. “You use open communication to learn about your customer needs, desires, fears, and problems. When you truly care about customer successes, you tend to seek more thoroughly for solutions and thus create more understanding. From this point, sales and marketing actions are almost effortless.”

People with a high level of emotional intelligence are often referred to as having a high emotional quotient (EQ). People with high EQs are increasingly valuable in the workplace as managers and business owners become better educated about the importance of managing workplace stress and creating an environment that supports employee mental health at work.

Why does emotional intelligence matter in sales?

Emotional intelligence is a valuable soft skill in any career, but especially in the sales industry. In a job that requires breaking down barriers with total strangers, overcoming objections, building relationships and making connections, the ability to control emotions and respond appropriately is essential. 

In a case study by healthcare organization Sanofi Aventis, the company found that salespeople trained in emotional intelligence sold 12 percent more than a control group that didn’t undergo the EQ training. 

There’s some evidence that high-EQ salespeople land more valuable deals, too. A Hay Group study of 44 Fortune 500 companies found that salespeople with high emotional intelligence produced twice as much revenue as those with average or below-average EQ scores. 

Here are a few ways emotional intelligence matters in the sales industry. 

1. Emotional intelligence helps you overcome objections.

Emotional intelligence can be a true asset when handling objections. Each potential customer has a unique set of needs and concerns in the early stages of the sales funnel. Empathizing with customers about their concerns and understanding their points of view can make it easier to address their issues. 

People with poor self-regulation may see sales objections as negative and get frustrated, discouraged or disappointed. A person with a strong ability to self-regulate understands that sales objections are opportunities. A question or objection provides clear insight into a pain point you can solve. 

Smart, positive salespeople can turn objections into sales by preparing a proactive plan to overcome the most common sales objections.

2. Emotional intelligence helps you handle rejection.

Rejection is an inevitable part of working in sales, but that doesn’t make it easy. Salespeople with a high EQ understand that a “no” isn’t a rejection of them personally. They’re less likely to become stressed or upset by repeated rejections. Instead, they’ll see rejection as an opportunity to improve their technique. 

Additionally, since emotionally intelligent people are highly motivated, they have the persistence to hang in there and keep trying to make sales instead of giving up. If they struggle with something, they’ll be proactive and seek employee training or mentorship to improve.

3. Emotional intelligence helps you build a rapport with leads. 

In sales, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building rapport with potential new leads and customers. Salespeople with strong social skills are better at prompting prospects to discuss their needs and growing customer relationships based on trust and caring. 

“[High EQ employees] can empathize with clients more and develop a deeper understanding of specific pain points,” said Rusan Halilov, chief marketing officer and co-founder of BluedotHQ. “Based on this emotional understanding, they are better able to find an individualized approach and communication style that clients will resonate with on an emotional level. Additionally, being emotionally intelligent helps build more meaningful relationships with customers, which contributes to growing trust and long-term commitment.”

Self-aware salespeople know when they’re coming on too strong and can adjust their approach if necessary. Someone with empathy is better at reading a prospect’s signals and can adapt their pitch accordingly. For example, if the lead seems open and chatty, the salesperson can go with a more informal approach. If the customer prefers to be addressed by their title, the salesperson can adopt a more respectful and formal tone. 

4. Emotionally intelligent salespeople come across as professional.

A self-aware and self-regulating salesperson can identify and control feelings of fear, anxiety and irritation while talking or presenting to prospects and customers. The high-EQ salesperson can remain calm, confident and competent, able to project a professional demeanor no matter what. 

Excellent social skills help high-EQ salespeople defuse tense situations with empathy or humor and put prospects at ease.

5. Emotionally intelligent salespeople understand delayed gratification.

Most people working in sales chase the buzz that comes from closing a sale. Sales reps sometimes focus most of their energy on closing deals in pursuit of the instant gratification that comes with it. This approach can be detrimental to your sales funnel, as it means you’re not generating sales leads at an appropriate pace. 

Emotionally intelligent people are more willing to do the work that leads to the reward. This is known as delayed gratification, and it’s a crucial element of self-regulation and motivation.

Do people with high EQs make better managers?

Emotionally intelligent people often make excellent leaders who can help carry their teams through rough times. Working in sales can take a toll mentally and emotionally. While there are adrenaline-pumping highs when your team feels like celebrating, there are also low points where every path leads to a dead end.

An emotionally intelligent team leader can keep reps feeling positive during tough times by boosting the morale of the entire sales team. Their natural ability to read emotions means they’re supportive and empathetic when team members are stressed or under pressure. Additionally, they know how to help people struggling with stress, workplace burnout or mental health issues. 

A high-EQ manager can also identify their own feelings of overwhelm and seek help, take time off, or proactively address the issue.

Can you develop emotional intelligence skills?

Emotional intelligence is a popular skill in the business world that allows you to control and understand your emotions. While some people are naturally inclined toward emotional intelligence, everyone can improve their EQ. 

“Employers first need to develop their own emotional intelligence so that they can better recognize it during employment interviews,” Miyazaki said. “In addition, when conducting interviews, employers should be purposeful in assessing aspects of emotional intelligence, such as whether the job candidate actively listens, is accurately reading nonverbal cues, shows empathy for others, is self-aware, and appears to show an understanding of the emotions of others.”

Here are a few easy and effective tips for becoming more emotionally intelligent:

• Respond instead of reacting: It’s common for feelings of anger and emotional outbursts to occur during conflict situations. Individuals with a higher EQ remain calm during stressful situations; they don’t make impulsive decisions that may lead to even bigger issues. In times of conflict, developing emotional intelligence means you respond instead of reacting; in other words, make good decisions and ensure that your words and actions are aligned with those good decisions.
• Actively listen: There’s a difference between hearing and listening. An individual with a high EQ listens for clarity instead of waiting for their turn to talk. In other words, they understand what’s being said before they respond and take notice of nonverbal cues during a conversation. This helps to prevent misunderstandings, shows respect for the person talking, and allows the listener to respond appropriately.
• Be sociable and approachable: Smile and positively acknowledge your employees and co-workers. Radiate a positive presence. Use appropriate social skills based on your relationships with people around you. As an emotionally intelligent person, you must have excellent interpersonal skills and know how to communicate clearly with others.

Jacob Bierer-Nielsen contributed to this article.