EQ Across the Sales Process
- Prospecting: Personalised, relevant messages land better because they speak to actual pain, not product features.
- Discovery: High EQ helps reps dig into sensitive issues — things buyers won’t say if they don’t feel safe.
- Negotiation: Empathy and awareness turn confrontations into collaboration.
- Post-sale: Relationship management becomes easier when EQ is part of how you engage.
Why Most Sales Orgs Struggle With EQ
- It’s not in the metrics. Pipelines track meetings, not human signals.
- It’s rarely coached. EQ is assumed to be innate, but it can be taught.
- It’s undervalued. Many leaders over-index on activity and under-index on connection.
But high-performing sellers consistently rate higher on EQ. It’s what helps them build champions, navigate blockers, and earn trust in tough rooms.
How to Coach EQ on Your Team
- Model it in leadership. How you give feedback, run meetings, and show up in the room sets the tone.
- Debrief deals with an EQ lens. Ask: Did we build enough trust? Did we miss emotional cues? Did we understand the internal politics?
- Train reps to ask better questions. EQ starts with curiosity. Questions that go beyond surface pain unlock real insight.
- Reward behaviours, not just outcomes. Celebrate reps who win through relationship-building, not just hustle.
Final Word: People Buy From People
In B2B, your product might be great. Your deck might be tight. But if your buyer doesn’t feel understood, they won’t move forward.
Emotional intelligence is what helps reps:
- Build fast trust
- Handle objections without defensiveness
- Win support inside the buyer’s org
At ASA, we help sales leaders embed EQ into how their teams sell, not as a nice extra, but as a core part of how deals get done.