In today’s buyer‑driven marketplace, products and pricing matter—but your sales team’s ability to influence matters more. Building a high‑performing team isn’t about hiring charismatic closers or throwing more scripts at reps. It’s about cultivating influence at every level: selecting people with emotional intelligence, creating a culture that values trust and providing the tools to measure and develop soft skills. Here’s how to build an influence‑first sales team from the ground up.
Start with the Right People
Assess for Emotional Intelligence
When The Bridger Group examined why many sales teams struggle, they found the issue wasn’t a talent one, but a placement one. To build a strong foundation, the best performing teams high for emotional intelligence just as much as experience. Hire individuals who possess traits like intelligence, emotional resilience and creativity. Leading companies use EQ tests called core values evaluations to predict job performance. Emotional intelligence is especially crucial; studies show high‑EQ reps produce twice the revenue of their peers.
Budget for Turnover and Fit
The Bridger Group also concluded that sales has an average turnover rate of 35%, and because of this, it is crucial that buyers accept that not every hire will work out, and plan accordingly. They should look to continuously recruit and develop their bench so they don’t compromise culture for a quick fix by lowering standards just to fill seats. Protecting company culture pays off more than a rushed hire. What do we mean by company culture?
Build a Culture of Influence
Align Compensation and Trust
Compensation isn’t just about money — it signals what you value. Reward behaviors that reflect influence: listening, empathy and consultative selling. Recognize reps who build relationships, not just those who close deals.
Invest in Continuous Training
Top‑performing teams provide ongoing development, not just onboarding. Incorporate workshops on active listening, objection handling and empathy. Provide access to conversation intelligence tools that identify influence gaps and deliver personalized coaching.
Celebrate Soft‑Skill Wins
Recognition fuels performance. The Bridger Group notes that successful companies celebrate not only revenue but also activities like new customer acquisition and high win rates. Take it further by celebrating influence improvements—like increased buyer engagement scores or improved talk ratios.
Equip Your Team with AI‑Powered Coaching
Why AI Matters
AI isn’t here to replace coaching – it’s here to make it precise. Tools like Dextego analyze calls to reveal patterns in empathy, listening, and question depth, then deliver personalized micro-lessons that turn soft skills into a competitive advantage.
Implement an Influence Framework
Provide your team with a structure that encourages adaptability. Drawing from best practices:
- Discovery first. Encourage reps to ask open‑ended questions and seek to understand the buyer’s “why.”
- Empathize and paraphrase. Teach reps to restate what they heard to show understanding. This builds trust and uncovers hidden concerns.
- Co‑create solutions. Involve the buyer in crafting the solution, aligning your product to their goals.
- Agree on next steps. Summarize decisions and set clear expectations to keep momentum.
Monitor and Iterate
Use Dextego’s analytics to correlate influence metrics with performance. If empathy scores rise and close rates follow, replicate that behavior across the team.
Micro‑CTA → Start building your influence engine today
Conclusion
A successful influence‑first sales team doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of intentional hiring, a culture rewards authentic connection and the technology that measures what used to be unmeasurable. By investing in EQ and in the continuous training of leveraging AI‑powered coaching to develop EQ, you’ll create a team that connects authentically and closes more deals. This way, influence isn’t a buzzword — it’s becomes your new competitive advantage.
