The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Job Performance of the Salespeople, the Role of Cognitive Intelligence

Emotional intelligence plays a vital role in shaping human behaviour, especially within society. Individuals with high levels of emotional intelligence demonstrate superior abilities in managing their own emotions and those of others, leading to improved communication, conflict resolution, and the maintenance of positive attitudes. These competencies are essential for salespeople, who constantly engage with others and must build trusting relationships to persuade individuals to make purchases. This study aims to investigate the impact of emotional intelligence on salespeople's performance while also considering the influence of cognitive intelligence on this relationship. The research is based on questionnaires of salespeople working in cosmetic stores to assess their emotional and cognitive intelligence levels and includes a collection of data on their average monthly sales revenue. To assess intelligence, we employed validated tests and scales, namely the Emotional Intelligence in Marketing Exchanges test to assess emotional intelligence, and the Culture Fair Intelligence Test to assess cognitive intelligence. The Ordinary Least Squares method will be employed to analyse the relationships between these variables. Our findings revealed a significant positive impact of emotional intelligence on salespeople's performance, with cognitive intelligence reinforcing this association. Furthermore, we conducted additional research, which revealed that each facet of emotional intelligence is indispensable for the complete functioning of this type of intelligence. Our study is also significant because it contributes to the existing literature on emotional intelligence by examining its impact on job performance specifically within the retail sector, while also focusing on cognitive intelligence as a moderator of this relationship. Furthermore, we emphasise the significant role of corporate training programs in fostering both types of intelligence and their assessment during recruitment processes.