Mark sits at his desk with his eyes closed, pen in hand, apparently deep in thought. Or is he dozing? Actually, he’s about to take a crucial first step in winning a new account.

Holly is on her way to see a potential client when a flash of insight radically changes her strategy for the meeting. An hour later she has a contract for a six-figure account plus a substantial signing bonus.

Mark ponders and Holly has an ah-hah moment. Yet they’re both doing the same thing - they’re checking in with their intuition before making a sales call. Why? They’ve discovered that the insights and promptings they get from their “inner voices” can help them score more sales more easily than when they go it alone.

Make Intuition Your Ally - Intuition is the secret weapon of many successful sales leaders. Ask them about it, though, and they’re likely to describe it as “gut instinct.” Sound familiar? Of course it does, because whether you admit it or not, you’re highly likely to have experienced it yourself, and just as likely to have ignored its messages.

The fact is, everyone receives intuitive information. It’s both a gift and a skill, and the more you practice it the better you get at it. How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a flash of insight, a gut reaction? Do you simply just know? Roy Rowan, author of a study on intuition, said, “This feeling, this little whisper from deep inside your brain, may contain far more information - both facts and impressions - than you’re likely to obtain from hours of analyzing data.”

Ask Your Intuition Questions - My friend Mark, who you met at the beginning of this article, is a national sales leader in his industry. When I asked him how he explains his success he told me that before he meets with a client he asks his intuition a series of questions such as, “What do I need to know about this company?” “What is the best way to approach the decision maker?” “What should I know about who I’m competing against for this sale?” “What can I do to win this account?” He sits with pen in hand and quiets his thoughts. The answers come to him as he writes. Mark’s competition scratches their heads.

Keep Your “Inner Sales Person” Positive - Pay attention to what you tell yourself about your sales prospects and your life. If your “self-talk” is positive and optimistic your personal and business life will reflect that. Try a simple experiment. Close your eyes and say the following to yourself for about 30 seconds: “I’ll never get ahead. I’m not good at sales. I won’t make my quota this month.” How do you feel? Depressed? Demoralized? Hopeless?

Now do the same experiment and focus on these statements: “Things have a way of working out.” “I’m learning some new skills and things are beginning to change for me.” “Today I’ll take steps that will open up opportunities for more income.” Now how do you feel? Hopeful? Optimistic? More confident? When you’re in this state it’s much easier for you to be open to intuitive messages pointing you to avenues of increased prosperity.

Know Your Gut, Know Your Client - Successfully making the sale requires that you process hundreds of pieces of information subconsciously. You must develop and trust your ability to use your intuition to read between the lines. Do you press a client for the sale, or do you back off and wait? Are they motivated by the lowest price you can offer or is the quality of your product or service the prime impetus for buying from you? Many times, logic and analysis will provide that information. On other occasions, your gut feelings or instincts - your intuition - will provide the answers.

Use the Power of Silence - As any good salesperson will tell you, “Sometimes the best thing to do is ’shut up.’” But there are times when you also need to silence your mind to receive valuable intuitive insight. When you need help making a decision - pause - take a deep breath, reflect on the question and allow the intuitive impressions to come to you. Intuition is often described as “still and quiet.” It doesn’t usually answer in a big, booming voice. It is much subtler. Pay attention to any images you receive, words you hear, physical sensations you experience or emotions you feel. These are all ways that intuition will communicate with you. Write down any impressions you receive. Some people find that intuitive insights will pop into their mind immediately. For others, it may come later in the day when they least expect it.

Make Your Enthusiasm Work for You - Intuition often communicates its message through passion and excitement. The root of the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek, entheos. It literally means, “God within.” If a sales strategy or decision leaves you feeling drained or bored, that’s a clear message from your “inner guidance” saying, “Don’t go there.” Conversely, if you feel energized and enthusiastic, your intuition is giving you the green light to continue with your plan of action.

Envision Your Success - Spend time each day imagining your ideal life. Envision the details of that life. Imagine you are living it now. What are you wearing? What are you feeling? Who are the people around you? We are often quite clear about what we don’t want. The path to success comes from spending time thinking about what you do want. What does an ideal day, month or year look like to you? Being clear about what you want is often the first step in being able to create it. Successful people visualize their goals and dreams. Your intuition can help you achieve success when you know what you want to achieve.

Write it Down - Many people have great success receiving intuitive information through writing. This technique is similar to brainstorming. Write a series of questions about your choices. Suppose you have to make a decision to fill a position in your company. You might write, “If I hire Mary will the company’s sales increase?” “If I hire her will this be a positive choice? “What are her strengths?” “What are her weaknesses?” When you’ve completed your questions, write the answers quickly just as they come to you. Repeat your intuitive Q&A about each potential employee and then assess the results.

Take the time, make the sale - Be sure to set aside time to routinely check in with your intuition. It won’t be long before you’ll be experiencing faster, stronger and more accurate insights. Though intuition can be described as a secret weapon, there’s no big secret about how to use it. Follow the suggestions I’ve outlined above, and begin now to enjoy the rewards of this powerful competitive advantage.

2003 Lynn Robinson, M.Ed. All rights reserved in all media.
–

Lynn Robinson is one of the nation’s leading experts on intuition. As a business advisor, she provides vital insights on goals, strategies and critical decisions. She is a best-selling author of three books, including Compass of the Soul. Lynn has appeared on Fox Cable News and in The New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal. Contact: 1-800-925-4002 or www.LynnRobinson.com.

You have permission to publish this article in your ezine or on your website, free of charge, as long as the resource box is included. Please send a courtesy copy of your publication to claudette@metavoice.org.

Word Count: 499 words

Thanks,
Claudette Rowley
============

Trust the Power of Your Intuition Claudette Rowley
Copyright 2004

Trust the Power of Your Intuition

“Every time you don’t follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.” - Shakti Gawain

You have an important decision to make…your intuition is telling you one thing and your mind is advising another direction. You may have read about intuition or, heard people talk about the importance of following it, but still you hedge at taking the leap. What’s missing can be summed up in one word: TRUST.

What stops you from trusting your intuition?

- The Logical Mind - It’s not uncommon for logic to say “If it can’t be proven, seen, felt or heard, it’s hogwash. Give me facts, give me proof.”

- Social conditioning - Most of us aren’t raised in environments where our caretakers say, “Use that intuition! Really listen to it.”

- Doubt - Until we become attuned to the voice of our own intuition, we may harbor doubt. People often say to me, “I’m not sure if it’s my intuition or something else.”

- Inner critic/self-sabotage - Whenever you hear your inner wisdom, the inner critic is bound to pop up and offer its sabotaging opinion.

- You don’t like what your intuition tells you - Sometimes our intuition rings clear as a bell, and we don’t like what it says. For example: “You need to leave this job NOW.” Unless you have another job lined up or money in the bank, most of us would feel fear upon hearing that statement.

You might be thinking “I know I need to trust my intuition. But how do I do that?” Try out the steps below, in the order that intuitively feels right to you.

T - Talk to your intuition. Ask your intuition a question. Get in touch with it.
R - Rest your mind. Your mind can get in the way of hearing an intuitive insight. Give your self the space to clear your mind and listen to your inner messages. Spend time in nature, meditate, do yoga or something with a rhythm to it, like taking a shower, going for a walk, or listening to peaceful music.
U - Un-know. Let go of the need to know. You may understand your intuitive message, or it may ask you to leap into the unknown. It’s not important to understand the “why” or the result you’ll gain by taking action on your intuition. S - Suspend judgment. Intuition isn’t good or bad. It’s purely a message from your own inner wisdom. T - Take action. Until you take action on the messages you receive, your intuition can’t work its magic in your life.

Using your intuition will lead you in new directions and open a door that you might not have otherwise opened. Trusting your intuition is the key that unlocks the door, and acting on it allows you to walk through the doorway to a new opportunity. Trust your intuition and watch its power unfold.

Claudette Rowley, coach and author, helps professionals identify and pursue their true purpose and calling in life.
Contact her today for a complimentary consultation at 781-676-5633 or claudette@metavoice.org. Sign up for her free newsletter “Insights for the Savvy” at http://www.metavoice.org.

Tags: Tuition Research

Mark sits at his desk with his eyes closed, pen in hand, apparently deep in thought. Or is he dozing? Actually, he’s about to take a crucial first step in winning a new account.

Holly is on her way to see a potential client when a flash of insight radically changes her strategy for the meeting. An hour later she has a contract for a six-figure account plus a substantial signing bonus.

Mark ponders and Holly has an ah-hah moment. Yet they’re both doing the same thing - they’re checking in with their intuition before making a sales call. Why? They’ve discovered that the insights and promptings they get from their “inner voices” can help them score more sales more easily than when they go it alone.

Make Intuition Your Ally - Intuition is the secret weapon of many successful sales leaders. Ask them about it, though, and they’re likely to describe it as “gut instinct.” Sound familiar? Of course it does, because whether you admit it or not, you’re highly likely to have experienced it yourself, and just as likely to have ignored its messages.

The fact is, everyone receives intuitive information. It’s both a gift and a skill, and the more you practice it the better you get at it. How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a flash of insight, a gut reaction? Do you simply just know? Roy Rowan, author of a study on intuition, said, “This feeling, this little whisper from deep inside your brain, may contain far more information - both facts and impressions - than you’re likely to obtain from hours of analyzing data.”

Ask Your Intuition Questions - My friend Mark, who you met at the beginning of this article, is a national sales leader in his industry. When I asked him how he explains his success he told me that before he meets with a client he asks his intuition a series of questions such as, “What do I need to know about this company?” “What is the best way to approach the decision maker?” “What should I know about who I’m competing against for this sale?” “What can I do to win this account?” He sits with pen in hand and quiets his thoughts. The answers come to him as he writes. Mark’s competition scratches their heads.

Keep Your “Inner Sales Person” Positive - Pay attention to what you tell yourself about your sales prospects and your life. If your “self-talk” is positive and optimistic your personal and business life will reflect that. Try a simple experiment. Close your eyes and say the following to yourself for about 30 seconds: “I’ll never get ahead. I’m not good at sales. I won’t make my quota this month.” How do you feel? Depressed? Demoralized? Hopeless?

Now do the same experiment and focus on these statements: “Things have a way of working out.” “I’m learning some new skills and things are beginning to change for me.” “Today I’ll take steps that will open up opportunities for more income.” Now how do you feel? Hopeful? Optimistic? More confident? When you’re in this state it’s much easier for you to be open to intuitive messages pointing you to avenues of increased prosperity.

Know Your Gut, Know Your Client - Successfully making the sale requires that you process hundreds of pieces of information subconsciously. You must develop and trust your ability to use your intuition to read between the lines. Do you press a client for the sale, or do you back off and wait? Are they motivated by the lowest price you can offer or is the quality of your product or service the prime impetus for buying from you? Many times, logic and analysis will provide that information. On other occasions, your gut feelings or instincts - your intuition - will provide the answers.

Use the Power of Silence - As any good salesperson will tell you, “Sometimes the best thing to do is ’shut up.’” But there are times when you also need to silence your mind to receive valuable intuitive insight. When you need help making a decision - pause - take a deep breath, reflect on the question and allow the intuitive impressions to come to you. Intuition is often described as “still and quiet.” It doesn’t usually answer in a big, booming voice. It is much subtler. Pay attention to any images you receive, words you hear, physical sensations you experience or emotions you feel. These are all ways that intuition will communicate with you. Write down any impressions you receive. Some people find that intuitive insights will pop into their mind immediately. For others, it may come later in the day when they least expect it.

Make Your Enthusiasm Work for You - Intuition often communicates its message through passion and excitement. The root of the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek, entheos. It literally means, “God within.” If a sales strategy or decision leaves you feeling drained or bored, that’s a clear message from your “inner guidance” saying, “Don’t go there.” Conversely, if you feel energized and enthusiastic, your intuition is giving you the green light to continue with your plan of action.

Envision Your Success - Spend time each day imagining your ideal life. Envision the details of that life. Imagine you are living it now. What are you wearing? What are you feeling? Who are the people around you? We are often quite clear about what we don’t want. The path to success comes from spending time thinking about what you do want. What does an ideal day, month or year look like to you? Being clear about what you want is often the first step in being able to create it. Successful people visualize their goals and dreams. Your intuition can help you achieve success when you know what you want to achieve.

Write it Down - Many people have great success receiving intuitive information through writing. This technique is similar to brainstorming. Write a series of questions about your choices. Suppose you have to make a decision to fill a position in your company. You might write, “If I hire Mary will the company’s sales increase?” “If I hire her will this be a positive choice? “What are her strengths?” “What are her weaknesses?” When you’ve completed your questions, write the answers quickly just as they come to you. Repeat your intuitive Q&A about each potential employee and then assess the results.

Take the time, make the sale - Be sure to set aside time to routinely check in with your intuition. It won’t be long before you’ll be experiencing faster, stronger and more accurate insights. Though intuition can be described as a secret weapon, there’s no big secret about how to use it. Follow the suggestions I’ve outlined above, and begin now to enjoy the rewards of this powerful competitive advantage.

2003 Lynn Robinson, M.Ed. All rights reserved in all media.
–

Lynn Robinson is one of the nation’s leading experts on intuition. As a business advisor, she provides vital insights on goals, strategies and critical decisions. She is a best-selling author of three books, including Compass of the Soul. Lynn has appeared on Fox Cable News and in The New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal. Contact: 1-800-925-4002 or www.LynnRobinson.com.

You have permission to publish this article in your ezine or on your website, free of charge, as long as the resource box is included. Please send a courtesy copy of your publication to claudette@metavoice.org.

Word Count: 499 words

Thanks,
Claudette Rowley
============

Trust the Power of Your Intuition Claudette Rowley
Copyright 2004

Trust the Power of Your Intuition

“Every time you don’t follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness.” - Shakti Gawain

You have an important decision to make…your intuition is telling you one thing and your mind is advising another direction. You may have read about intuition or, heard people talk about the importance of following it, but still you hedge at taking the leap. What’s missing can be summed up in one word: TRUST.

What stops you from trusting your intuition?

- The Logical Mind - It’s not uncommon for logic to say “If it can’t be proven, seen, felt or heard, it’s hogwash. Give me facts, give me proof.”

- Social conditioning - Most of us aren’t raised in environments where our caretakers say, “Use that intuition! Really listen to it.”

- Doubt - Until we become attuned to the voice of our own intuition, we may harbor doubt. People often say to me, “I’m not sure if it’s my intuition or something else.”

- Inner critic/self-sabotage - Whenever you hear your inner wisdom, the inner critic is bound to pop up and offer its sabotaging opinion.

- You don’t like what your intuition tells you - Sometimes our intuition rings clear as a bell, and we don’t like what it says. For example: “You need to leave this job NOW.” Unless you have another job lined up or money in the bank, most of us would feel fear upon hearing that statement.

You might be thinking “I know I need to trust my intuition. But how do I do that?” Try out the steps below, in the order that intuitively feels right to you.

T - Talk to your intuition. Ask your intuition a question. Get in touch with it.
R - Rest your mind. Your mind can get in the way of hearing an intuitive insight. Give your self the space to clear your mind and listen to your inner messages. Spend time in nature, meditate, do yoga or something with a rhythm to it, like taking a shower, going for a walk, or listening to peaceful music.
U - Un-know. Let go of the need to know. You may understand your intuitive message, or it may ask you to leap into the unknown. It’s not important to understand the “why” or the result you’ll gain by taking action on your intuition. S - Suspend judgment. Intuition isn’t good or bad. It’s purely a message from your own inner wisdom. T - Take action. Until you take action on the messages you receive, your intuition can’t work its magic in your life.

Using your intuition will lead you in new directions and open a door that you might not have otherwise opened. Trusting your intuition is the key that unlocks the door, and acting on it allows you to walk through the doorway to a new opportunity. Trust your intuition and watch its power unfold.

Claudette Rowley, coach and author, helps professionals identify and pursue their true purpose and calling in life.
Contact her today for a complimentary consultation at 781-676-5633 or claudette@metavoice.org. Sign up for her free newsletter “Insights for the Savvy” at http://www.metavoice.org.

Tags: Tuition Research