Is there a link between personality, emotions and sales performance?
(R2020-83588)

AUTHORS

Ilona Pezenka, FHWien der WKW University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication; David Bourdin, FHWien der WKW

KEYWORDS

personality; emotions; sales

ABSTRACT

This research examines how a salesperson’s personality and the emotions he/she displays during a sales conversation are related, how both are related to buyers’ evaluations of the seller, and whether there is an interaction between personality and emotions. Based on data from 63 role-played sales conversations that were analyzed using automated facial recognition, as well as pre- and post-questionnaires, our findings indicate that openness and agreeableness seem to be particularly relevant personality traits with regards to subjective sales performance. Furthermore, overall engagement, expressions of joy, and surprisingly also anger, are positively related to buyer evaluations of the seller. Finally, we found that the emotion of joy positively interacts with agreeableness, but negatively interacts with openness, in influencing buyers’ perceptions of the seller.