Partner Article

5 Ways Business Owners Can Lead With Emotional Intelligence

Gemma Angharad is an award-winning Author, Chartered Marketer and Growth Advisor providing business owners, Managing Directors and Sales and Marketing Executives with strategies and mentoring to create competitive advantage and growth.

With over 20 years’ experience as a successful sales and marketing professional at board level, and having worked with global corporations such as, as well as having worked with hundreds of small businesses, Gemma believes that every business deserves superior marketing support, regardless of size, industry or budget.

Blending her Cognitive Behaviour Therapy training with Sales Psychology and Strategic Marketing Qualifications, Gemma’s insights into customer behaviours are multi-dimensional.

Gemma said; “Emotional intelligence is a critical skill that business owners need to succeed in today’s competitive market.

“Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise, understand and manage emotions, both your own and those of others. By being aware of your own and others’ emotions, means that you can use this information wisely when making decisions, meaning that you will better meet customer needs and foster collaboration among team members.

Emotional intelligence is important in the workplace because it can help improve interpersonal relationships, communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. I have witnessed this time and time again with the sales and marketing teams I have managed. True cohesion between team members only ever happens when there is a deeper understanding of what makes everyone ‘tick’ and function daily, as individuals AND as a team. When there is little emotional intelligence there is stubbornness, arrogance and distrust which leads to an unhealthy and challenging atmosphere which we all want to avoid!

From my experience, it allows individuals to navigate the social landscape of the workplace with ease, build strong relationships with co-workers, and excel in their careers.

The five components of emotional intelligence at work from my observations are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. The benefits of emotional intelligence in the workplace include being able to better understand nonverbal cues, properly adjust behaviour, make good decisions, and become a respected leader.

In addition to creating better relationships and promoting a positive work environment, I have seen emotional intelligence help business owners and their teams grow faster through better communication and problem solving. Both of these are key to sales and marketing success and job satisfaction which feeds into team culture.

Here are 5 ways that you can lead with emotional intelligence in order to succeed in today’s competitive market

• Understand your audience on a deeper level. We’re talking about emotional connection here, and the only way you can touch the hearts of your audience is when you understand them on a more personal level. What are their deepest fears, strongest desires, struggles, and motivations?

• Tell a story. People love stories because they can relate to them. Stories help people connect with your brand on an emotional level

• Pay attention to creative design. The design of your marketing materials should be visually appealing and emotionally engaging. Use colours, images, and fonts that evoke the emotions you want your audience to feel

• Be authentic. People can tell when you’re not being genuine. Be honest about your brand’s values and mission. This will help you build trust with your audience

• Use emotional hooks in your content. To tap into your audience’s desire to feel special, use your content to paint a specific picture of your product or service: it’s high-quality, distinctive, and a bit exclusive. Represent your current customers as people your audience can identify with or would like to imitate.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chocolate PR .