Sales Hiring for Emotional Intelligence: Why It Beats IQ Every Time

How many sales jobs will AI replace? In our Voice of the Sales Manager survey, 20% of respondents reported that concern about AI-related job displacement is holding backing adoption of these tools. These tools are increasingly used by reps to handle routine tasks. But emotional intelligence and the human touch matter in sales. And managers should know that sales hiring for emotional intelligence is a necessity as AI adoption grows.

What characteristics does emotional intelligence include?

Industry experts point out that emotional intelligence includes multiple aspects such as motivation, empathy and social skills.

Motivation

In fact, around 50% of sales managers say the top characteristic of their successful team members is self-motivation. This means the reps use their emotions to push themselves to achieve goals. And 56% of sales reps in our Voice of the Sales Rep survey agree motivation is a must to succeed in the profession.

Empathy

What other facets of emotional intelligence lead to sales success? Many sales industry experts say empathy rules. However, only 16% of managers in our survey rated empathy as a key characteristic.  But around 28% of reps stated that being empathetic is a required characteristic to succeed. When hiring for emotion intelligence, managers can’t afford to overlook empathy.

Social skills

Sociability, or having good social skills, is another critical aspect of emotional intelligence. 31% of sales managers in our survey look for this aspect when hiring.

How does emotional intelligence impact customer service?

In a new study about pharmacy counter service, researchers probed how emotional intelligence versus product knowledge impacted sales. The researchers were particularly interested in the “customer orientation” approach at the pharmacy counter. Instead of simply trying to sell a specific product, these customer service workers focused on “identifying and meeting customer needs.”

The researchers found a strong association between emotional regulation and “behaving in more customer-focused ways.”  The other aspects of emotional intelligence included in the research were use of emotion and self-emotion appraisal.  Researchers reported that an employee’s “ability to regulate their emotions and read others” led to “better sales outcomes.”

How do emotionally intelligent reps impact buyers?

How does this research connect to the broader sales world? Around 37% of senior buyers at B2B companies reported that they are willing to pay a premium to companies that provide a superior customer experience. Some of that customer experience includes the seller perceiving and then delivering what the buyer needs and wants.

Buyers increasingly claim they don’t want any human interaction when they make purchases. However, 44% will deal with a salesperson who engages in two-way dialog. This data point suggests that salespeople who take the time to listen and understand a prospect’ situation, those with empathy, will have better outcomes.

As you hire new team members, don’t overlook the importance of sales hiring for emotional intelligence. Understanding a person’s motivation in the work environment matters. And when you find a candidate who desires to support and serve others, they’ll likely thrive in a customer service role.

Sales hiring for emotional intelligence

How can you reliably find candidates with these characteristics? In an interview, most managers will ask candidates if they are empathetic. This kind of question reveals what the manager is looking for. If the candidate is serious about the job, they’ll claim they have a high degree of empathy.

To get a detailed answer, ask the candidate to describe a situation where their empathy helped. Managers can also ask candidates to define empathy to get a sense of their understanding of the concept.

A better strategy, and one with more objective outcomes, is to use a behavioral assessment such as TeamTrait. The structured questions and answers make it easier for managers to compare candidates. And the scores show how the candidates display empathy under stress or pressure. The reports also show scores for emotional control and sociability.

Conclusion

Don’t leave the important human aspect of sales to chance as technology advances. Focus on sales hiring for emotional intelligence and your team will succeed.