How to Use Emotional Intelligence to Sell More
Emotional Intelligence: One of the market’s most valued — and challenging — skills to develop
Emotional Intelligence is one of the most valued soft skills in the market — and also one of the hardest to develop.
That’s because it combines experience, adaptability, self-control, empathy…
And it requires turning all these abilities into action to overcome everyday challenges.
Since it is a skill directly linked to interpersonal relationships, emotional intelligence is widely used by successful salespeople and professionals in leadership and management positions.
Want to understand the benefits of developing this emotional skill and how to put emotional intelligence into practice?
Then keep reading this complete article on the topic!
What Is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions and impulses — as well as those of others.
The term “emotional intelligence” became popular through the work of Daniel Goleman, a writer, psychologist, and Harvard PhD.
In 1995, Goleman released a book titled Emotional Intelligence, which explored the dual nature of our minds: emotional and rational.
He also argued that awareness of our emotions gives us greater control and leads to better intellectual development.
What Is Emotional Intelligence in Sales?
As we’ve mentioned, emotional intelligence can be applied by sales professionals because it is a skill closely tied to building and maintaining human relationships.
But that’s not the only reason it’s useful in sales: emotional intelligence is also connected to situation management, overcoming objections, and closing deals.
What Are the Benefits of Developing Emotional Intelligence in Sales?
Referring back to Goleman’s studies, emotional intelligence is built on five core pillars:
Emotional Self-Awareness
The starting point is emotional self-awareness — recognizing your own skills, frustrations, triggers, reactions, strengths, and weaknesses.
Only through this awareness can you move forward in developing the other pillars.
Emotional Control
After identifying your emotions, the next step is learning to deal with them.
Emotional control doesn’t mean repressing what you feel, but rather understanding your limits, anticipating reactions, and adapting them to suit each situation.
Self-Motivation
Emotional intelligence also helps you handle positive emotions.
It allows you to identify what motivates and satisfies you — supporting the pursuit of personal and professional goals.
Recognizing Others’ Emotions
Once you’ve learned to manage your own emotions and motivations, emotional intelligence teaches you to do the same with others.
This includes skills like empathy, connection, and respect for others’ boundaries and reactions.
In sales, this helps you understand your prospect’s needs, concerns, doubts, and point of view.
Interpersonal Relationships
All of these elements affect the final pillar: interpersonal relationships.
In sales, this pillar is directly linked to interacting and building healthy relationships with clients and teams — which strongly impacts performance.
How to Develop Emotional Intelligence in Sales Teams
There’s no single path or formula for improving emotional intelligence.
One effective approach, especially for sales professionals, is described in the book Sales EQ by Jeb Blount.
In the book, Blount describes four types of intelligence that influence business outcomes:
Innate Intelligence (IQ)
This refers to the intelligence we’re born with — our natural cognitive abilities.
According to the author, people with high IQs may often be less empathetic, so regardless of one’s IQ, everyone should work on developing the other types of intelligence.
Acquired Intelligence (AQ)
This is the intelligence we gain over time through experiences and learning.
It can be enhanced with courses, training, feedback, reading, mentorship, and so on.
Technological Intelligence (TQ)
This relates to our familiarity and fluency with technology and tools.
For sales professionals, this includes knowledge of CRM systems, automation solutions, and digital workflows.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
And finally, the core focus of this article — Emotional Intelligence, which boosts sales performance.
If you work in sales, developing this type of intelligence is essential.
6 Emotional Intelligence Tips for High-Performing Salespeople
Want to start developing this crucial interpersonal skill right now?
Check out the following tips:
Know Yourself
As we said earlier in this article, self-awareness is the first step.
Know your strengths to enhance them — and your weaknesses not to avoid them, but to learn how to manage them.
Observe how you behave, feel, and react in different situations.
For salespeople, identifying your stress triggers is key to staying balanced and avoiding burnout.
Learn to Manage Your Emotions
With self-awareness — which is an ongoing process — comes the ability to manage emotions.
If you react inappropriately, take time to reflect on the situation and identify what could have been done differently.
This is a valuable, personal learning experience.
Know Your Clients
Truly listen to what your clients are saying — both verbally and nonverbally.
Recognize different personality types and study how to approach each one.
That way, you’ll know what solutions to offer and how to communicate them effectively.
Be Empathetic
Practice empathy by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes — whether it’s a customer or team member.
This helps you understand different perspectives, resolve conflicts, and build healthy relationships.
Also, work on your communication: be patient, open to dialogue, and aim for clarity and objectivity.
Find Your Motivation
Discover what motivates you and stay connected to it.
Your true motivations are tied to what matters to you — and they’re what will keep you moving forward.
Always Keep Learning
Emotional intelligence development is an ongoing journey.
Constantly work on your self-awareness, and welcome the insights of those around you — feedback and constructive criticism help us grow and show us things we might miss on our own.
Conclusion
Start by observing and thinking critically about your own behavior — how you react to adversity and negative emotions.
Express yourself clearly, and always consider others’ points of view as you work to develop your best version of Emotional Intelligence.
Enjoyed the article? Check out our post: Marketing and Sales: How to Align Strategies and Hit Your Goals.
