Marketing automation is definitely one of those buzzwords that you often get to hear. 

However, we can’t deny how it has become a powerful marketing tool to nurture leads through highly targeted and personalized messages within the respective buyer’s journey. 

Even though marketing automation has earned its significance, it isn’t the only thing that keeps businesses stay ahead of the curve. There’s more to what meets the eye & emotional intelligence is that secret. 

Don’t just take my word for it! 

According to a 2023 study conducted by Salesforce, businesses that leverage marketing automation with emotionally intelligent strategies see a 27% higher customer retention compared to companies that don’t!

Do you want to influence your consumer’s behavior? Do you want to take them on an emotional journey? EQ is what lies at the heart of traditional or digital marketing! 

It’s the only way you can achieve maximum benefit of marketing automation. 

What’s Emotional Intelligence? 

EI is a person’s ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions.

Emotional Intelligence, includes a few skills such as emotional awareness, problem solving, managing emotions, regulating and assisting others overcome whatever they are going through. 

Emotional Intelligence depends on two things; 

• Recognize Customer Emotions: By identifying the emotional states and triggers of customers, marketers can tailor their approaches to address these emotions effectively.
• Understand Customer Needs and Desires: EI helps in discerning not just the overt needs of customers but also their underlying desires and motivations, which might not be immediately apparent.

Empathy allows marketers to put themselves in their customer’s shoes creating a genuine connection. It leads to a better understanding and provides greater and more effective results overall. 

How Self-Aware is an Emotionally Intelligent Person? 

An emotionally intelligent person is someone who is highly conscious of their own emotional states. Whether you’re dealing with happiness, sadness or frustration, or something else which is kind of more subtle, an emotionally intelligent person can understand what they are feeling and designate their emotion so they can better manage them. In this way, they are more self-aware and intelligent about the state they are in. Yet, at the same time, they are more self-confident & realistic about their persona. 

Do the Emotionally Intelligent Have a Better Handle on Self-Regulation?  

A person with a high EQ quotient is someone who is less impulsive with their respective actions. They think before they make any decision and change their feelings through self-aware states. Let’s say if someone with a high EQ is dealing with anger or anxiety, they can easily turn it a notch down. This is called down-regulation of the disturbing emotion. Imagine like shifting gears in a vehicle, you can tune it down to a more lighter mood, whether you do it internally or externally. In this way, they are more self-regulated and can take care of their emotional states in a much better way. 

Can an Emotionally Intelligent Person Tune into Other Persons’ Emotions?  

Yes, certain types of emotionally intelligent people can tune into other people’s emotions and experience what they experience. They are more sensitive in nature, and can send out powerful emotional signals both from within oneself and from the social setting. This particular way of attuning oneself is what makes them a better friend, parent, leader, romantic partner, colleague, business leader, and much more. 

Is Emotional Intelligence a Valid Trait? 

It’s a subject of debate. Most individuals who are highly charismatic, for instance, someone who can quickly observe a room and read the emotional states, it’s a clear indication that they possess a personality type that psychologically approves of them as someone with a high quotient of emotional intelligence. They are best defined by traits such as agreeableness showing a strong charisma. 

Fun Fact – Unlike IQ your EQ is not fixed and can be developed over time. It’s a commercial skill where hundreds of people have developed their EQ to raise their commercial game exponentially. 

Here’s how you can boost your EQ to achieve maximum marketing success. 

Putting Yourself in the Customer’s Shoes! 

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about drawing up empathy? 

It’s important to understand what it is that really makes your customers tick. 

Your empathy will help you interpret the data automation gives you. This data will eventually help avoid any such trap of falling into automation to monitor customer’s past & current preferences. 

The data will also give you insight on what influences your customer’s buying behavior moving forward. 

At times as such, I often get revisited by Henry Ford’s infamous quote:

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”

If you’re in the role of a marketer, always make sure that you understand what your customers are truly passionate about. Learn the best possible way you can win & influence their hearts & minds. 

Convert them to a lifetime of loyalty. 

Building Strong Relationship with Customers

This is where social skills come into play. 

Let’s say, you’re a marketing specialist looking to automate your existing marketing operations; however, if you want to deliver highly targeted content, one that speaks volume to customers in real-time, it’s important that you introduce the element of EQ and customize your message in a way that you can easily connect with your customers on an emotional level. 

It’s always great to use knowledge which you’ve gathered about your customers and then use it to create a story. Make sure to write in a way that it inspires them so they feel inclined to purchase your product or service. Always remember, your goal should be to utilize EQ to deliver personalized messages to customers. It will enable them to better decide on how to make a purchase. 

Perpetually Uplifting the Bar! 

It’s always best to make use of your self-management skills. 

They surely give you more control on the marketing automation; often then not, with automation tools working at the backend, it often becomes difficult to decide who is controlling who. 

Therefore, you always need to raise the bar by constantly checking what initiatives are working optimally. 

Try to understand what didn’t work earlier. Make improvements in the current process and reshape your marketing strategy throughout your entire customer journey; it will always keep your finger on the pulse! 

You may also end up creating impactful campaigns that help in driving business performance. 

Change Your Stride 

Whether it’s marketing automation or not, the secret behind becoming a successful marketer is to draw on adaptability and optimism. Both of these aspects focus on driving positive change. 

Automation is best viewed in the positive light as a compliment, following a more “traditional” approach. It’s always best to use it as a tool to proactively execute successful marketing in a streamlined manner. 

When you take up a solution-oriented approach and you’re resilient, you are far more likely to keep your eyes focused. The whole customer journey gives you a much clearer understanding. 

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence (EI) is an essential aspect of marketing that complements marketing automation. EI involves recognizing and understanding customer emotions and needs. By leveraging EI, marketers can create targeted and personalized messages that resonate with their audience. Emotionally intelligent individuals possess self-awareness, the ability to recognize and manage their own emotions. They are also empathetic, putting themselves in their customers’ shoes to build genuine connections. 

This understanding helps marketers interpret data and avoid relying solely on automation to monitor customer preferences. Are you looking to boost your marketing efforts by introducing emotional intelligence in your marketing practices? Let Branex take the lead and design your next digital product. We build solutions and follow marketing practices keeping empathy and emotional intelligence at the center of everything. Let our professionals take care of the marketing and produce long-lasting results.