The impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the B2B exchange processes: Increasing salespeople’s adaptive selling behaviour (ASB)

Abstract

In today’s globalised markets, the business-to-business (B2B) exchange processes have become much more complex, as a result adaptive selling behaviour (ASB) has become essential to sales success within B2B organisations. This study has explored the phenomenon by examining whether emotional intelligence (EQ) has an impact on salespeople’s adaptive selling behaviour. Scholars have suggested that individuals possessing high EQ traits are more likely to be successful in adaptive selling, however there are limited studies available to address the gap in research. The research question is as follows, RQ1: To what extent does EQ have an impact on salespeople’s ASB? An exploratory qualitative approach, which consisted of a semi-structured interview, complemented with the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and a case study performance assessment, was conducted on 8 salespeople, employed in a B2B telemarketing company. The results of the thematic analysis have identified consistent themes within the interview, indicating that higher EQ scores could potentially enhance sales behaviour adaptability. 6 themes were identified as being reflective of the ‘Analytical’ adaptation criteria, 6 themes were identified for ‘Driver’ adaptation, 6 themes were identified for ‘Amiable’ adaptation and 8 themes were identified for ‘Expressive’ adaptation. These results highlight practical implications of incorporating EQ into employee selection, performance management and leadership training policies, within the current workforce.