Emotion Wins in B2B Sales with James Woodfall, Founder of Raise Your EI
November 4, 2025
B2B sales often focus on metrics, ROI calculations, and product features. But what if the key to closing more deals lies not in our logical arguments, but in our ability to understand and respond to emotions? In this episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience, host Cory Cotten-Potter is joined by James Woodfall, the Founder of Raise Your EI, to share why emotional intelligence is a competitive advantage for financial planners and salespeople alike.
B2B sales often focus on metrics, ROI calculations, and product features. But what if the key to closing more deals lies not in our logical arguments, but in our ability to understand and respond to emotions? In this episode of The B2B Revenue Executive Experience, host Cory Cotten-Potter is joined by James Woodfall, the Founder of Raise Your EI, to share why emotional intelligence is a competitive advantage for financial planners and salespeople alike.
What You'll Learn:
- How to establish meaningful rapport by finding authentic common ground
- Why emotional intelligence training requires a 6-month commitment to create lasting behavioral change
- The critical difference between emotional frames and logical frames in sales conversations
- How to read and interpret micro-expressions and behavioral baseline changes during client interactions
- Why emotional intelligence correlates directly with increased sales performance, client retention, and referrals
- The role AI will play in analyzing emotional cues while maintaining human empathy
James Woodfall is a former financial planner who now specializes in emotional intelligence (EI) and behavioral coaching within the financial services industry. He is the founder of Raise Your EI, a company focused on providing science-based training in emotional intelligence to help financial professionals and firms improve communication, client relationships, and performance. In addition to training and consulting, James is an author; his book, co-authored with Cliff Lansley, "The Heart of Finance," is a practical guide for finance professionals to develop emotional intelligence for building strong client relationships.
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Previous guests include: Eric Shaver, Managing Partner at Kensei Partners, Harry Spaight, Founder of the Selling with Dignity, Jeroen Corthout, Co-Founder at Salesfare
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
- Episode 189: 5 Things CRM Software Should Help You Do w/ Jeroen Corthout
- Episode 299: How to Break the Used Car Salesperson Stereotype with Harry Spaight
- Episode 301: From Tech Sales to Business Conversation with Eric Shaver
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