Emotional intelligence in sales : ­self-management competency from the salesperson point of view

Abstract

The present Master´s thesis focused on the importance of self-management competency in sales from a salesperson's point of view. Self-management competency is an essential part of showing that a salesperson is a reliable person. Those without this competency may be unpredictable. Hence, the first step to success for a salesperson is to manage oneself. Based on Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence theory and his EI competency model (2000), the present study was carried out through documentary and library studies, electronic resources, and interview methods of data collection. Four sellers from different B2C and B2B companies with various positions and backgrounds within professional sales in Finland were interviewed to investigate the presumptions. The study aims to investigate the importance of self-management competency from the salesperson's point of view. It was carried out by highlighting the skills that constitute self-management competency. The main research questions of the study focused on how important self-management competency is for a salesperson, how do salespersons describe the role of self-management competency in sales success. and what is the role of the six skills subdivisions of self-management play. The results of the study confirmed that self-management competency is important for a salesperson and its constituent skills may have an impact on the salesperson's ability to establish successful relationships with customers.