EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:
A DIAGNOSTIC SCALE OPTIMIZED FOR
SALES FORCE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT

Robert Cascio, Ph.D.
Chad Milewicz, Ph.D.
Department of Marketing
College of Business Administration
University of Central Florida

Keywords: responsiveness aptitude, perceptive quotient, responsiveness ability,
sensitivity capacity, emotional intelligence, sales force, hiring, selection, sales
development, sales training

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present evidence for the use of a diagnostic scale for the selection and training of professional sales representatives. While most psychologists and marketers express support for value of emotional intelligence in personal-selling activities, marketing lacks a valid, reliable, and cost-effective measurement for this
dimension that hiring managers and trainers can utilize for selection and development. A twenty-item scale is presented to assess emotional intelligence ability at a rudimentary level for prospective and existing sales people. A comprehensive manual is presented for proper use, scoring, and interpretation of the measurement.