Emotional Intelligence – Translated to Online Business

Although the idea of emotional intelligence is slowly gaining traction, it is still not well known or taught in business. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and control your own emotions and the emotions of others. This ability translates well into business, but how does emotional intelligence translate to online business? Here are five ways that being emotionally intelligent can build your online business:

Controlled Reactions

A big part of emotional intelligence is being aware of and controlling your own emotions. When it comes to the online community, there is not a lot that goes unsaid. People are much more comfortable saying whatever they want from the safety of home. This means that no matter what your product, you will always have some people who will provide negative feedback. The best way to deal with negative feedback is to control your own rash reaction and deal with the situation in a calm and reassuring manner.

Controlling your reactions and the way that you may come off to your critics is the best way to win them over to your business. This may seem very simple, but you would be surprised at the number of online businesses that struggle with this.

Connect and Build Relationships

Business owners love employees with high emotional intelligence because they work well with a lot of different people. This translates well to the online world because there are millions of different people on social media every day. A big part of online business is being able to form lasting relationships with your customers and followers. Being able to understand the emotions of others is invaluable when it comes to addressing concerns and interacting with your followers.

Those individuals who take the time to comment on your posts really appreciate the effort you take to reply to them. Reaching out to your followers is the best way to grow your business and build good relationships with your customers. When you are emotionally intelligent, you are better able to form good relationships because you can emotionally connect with individuals.

Resolve Conflicts

Every business will encounter conflicts at some point. When you can read the emotions of others and understand them as individuals, it is easier to find a solution that will benefit both parties. Online businesses receive a lot of feedback from their customers every day. Some of it is positive and some of it is negative. You may even have loyal customers who have a problem. Whether it be your product, your customer service, your posts etc., you want to find a solution to their problem so that you can retain them as a loyal customer. Individuals who have a high emotional intelligence are better able to do this because they can empathize with others.

Being able to put yourself in your customers; shoes will make it easier for you to determine what is bothering them and how it is making them feel. Once you figure this out, it will be much easier for you to find a solution to the problem. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to fix every problem for every customer, but by being emotionally intelligent, you can alleviate frustrations and still form good relationships.

Build Trust

There is more to emotional intelligence than just being able to tell which emotion others are feeling. You have to be able to react appropriately to those emotions and connect with others on a personal level.

Individuals with emotional intelligence enjoy talking to and getting to know people in a way that builds trust. Take the time to get to know and understand your followers. The more your customers can trust you, the more they are going to buy from you.

Build a Following

The key to keeping your online business alive is to continue building your social media following. The best way to do this is to be approachable and likeable. Being emotionally intelligent does just that. Potential followers are drawn to businesses that care about and interact with their customers. Use your ability to understand and read emotions to cater to the wants and needs of your potential customers. Draw them into your business by showing your human side. People like businesses that are in the business of people, not just profit. If you can’t do this, new customers will not be drawn to your business.

Conclusion

Emotional Intelligence is rarely discussed or taught because it can be difficult to understand and implement if you are not already naturally emotionally aware. However, you can learn to be emotionally aware of yourself and others. The key is to be patient. Your patience will pay off and your online business will soar.

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