You know you need to use your intuition, but how to proceed?
If IQ, training, and technical skills were all it takes, wed make every sale, and hit the nail on the head every time. Intuitively we know we need more than that; we need to use our intuition. But just how does crucial emotional intelligence competency work?

I interviewed some experts in intuition for clarification.

IT STARTS BEFORE YOU GET THERE

According to Nancy Fenn, The Intuition Coach, whos been coaching over 15 years, its an ongoing process that starts even before you make the contact. Take a few minutes before you call or see the person to visualize them clearly in your mind, she says. Think of one thing about the person that distinguishes them from all others.

Nancy also advises that you use their name. Using someones name summons them to appear and stand at attention intuitively, she says.

MORE TIPS

Positive affirmations are important, Intuitionists agree. Affirm that everything youre going to say and do will prosper you and the other person and work together for your mutual good.

Let the conversation go where it goes. If you let the horse run, it will return to the stable on its own, says Nancy. Stay focuses within, but in the meantime, youll have indulged everyones love of talking about what matters to them, built rapport, and made some discoveries about the persons needs that will increase your ability to serve them.

Listen! Learn! Helping a client, or selling to them, is about finding out what their needs and problems are. You can only do this when you listen.

Promise yourself youll learn one new interesting thing about this person during the interaction.

LOOK AROUND BE ATTENTIVE

Be attentive to the person, but also to your surroundings. If youre in person, and kept waiting, for instance, or they have to take a phone call, look around.

Pick up on prominent colors, says Nancy, items that indicate personal interests, photographs, amount of neatness or clutter, plants or lack thereof, type and condition of the rug, kind of chair the person sits in, personal jewelry, etc.

WITHOUT JUDGEMENT

Do this utterly without judgment, the Intuition Coach adds. All these things trigger your intuition.

HOW YOU ARE

Mirror. Something else you can do that will aid the encounter is to mirror the other persons sitting or standing position. This builds instant rapport and top salespeople do this instinctively. They sit back, you sit back. They lean forward, you lean forward. Try this. They wont even notice, I promise you.

The message you convey when you do this is were working together for our mutual greater good.

Stay grounded. When youre not mirroring the other persons posture, keep both your feet on the ground. This will ground you and help you stay centered.

AFFIRM

Finally, affirm that everything that takes place during the interaction is leading to your desired goal and mutual benefit. Then youll relax, let go, and be amenable to intuition.

About the Author

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.

Even though I wrote about it in my book on Directed Dreaming, I’m really not sure you want to “access” your intuition at all! I think the better way to think about it is to “pay attention” to your intuition. After all, if intuition is really just a gut feeling about the right direction to take, it’s probably already available at the time you need it and all you need to do is pay more attention, and/or know how to prompt it.

One way to prompt it is to try Brainstorming. This is where you just sit down and ask yourself a question with the focus on the desired outcome (example: How can I get more traffic to my site, how can I resolve that conflict at work, etc.). You need to write down ALL the answers that come to you, no matter how silly or strange they may be. Then, later when you’re done writing you take a closer look at your list, and start crossing things out. You will probably find that you end up with about three good ideas that you could act on.

Then it’s time to take a deep breath, clear your mind by using some kind of relaxation method, and inevitably, one of your choices will appear, and your brain will start working out the answers further. It’s amazingly simple, but it works. You’ll want to quickly write down whatever comes to you; your mind works so fast, some things can get by without notice and easily forgotten. Then, take immediate action on your thoughts, before your conscious mind kicks in and starts asking all kinds of questions that you don’t need to worry about right now.

If you have problems getting into a relaxed state of mind, there are plenty of things on the market that can help you, including Hypnosis and Guided Imagery, and even computer “games” (since you’re probably in your office anyway).

So, don’t fret so much about “accessing” your intuition, just pay attention when it comes to you, and practice noticing it. I do it so often it’s second nature for me now, and it works every time!

About the Author

Evelyn Grazini is the Author of Directed Dreaming. Her specialties are Dreaming, Hypnosis and Intuition.

Her writings effectively condense volumes of professional research into one succinct resource. Free Reports on Dreaming, Hypnosis and Stress Relief are available. http://www.reawakener.com

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My weapon - my intuition

by: Bruce Hughbanks

Copyright 2005, Bruce Hughbanks, Founder / Director / CEO - The Employment Alternative Group

My weapon - my intuition!

You heard about it everywhere: the prince in the fairy tales mentions it, the characters in your favorite book, the Greek legends bring it up etc. All these situations make you wonder whether intuition is something writers have invented. Could it exist beyond the borders of human imagination? Or, in other words, does intuition exist in real life?
Strangely or not, intuition is a characteristic associated mainly with women. That happens probably because women are considered to be more sensitive and open minded. Modern studies, regarding the typology of the personalities, reveal that about a quarter of all women know how and frequently use this mental capacity called intuition.
If you still have doubts whether intuition truly exists in real life, think about your own experience. Remember how, all of a sudden a great idea occurred to you in the most unexpected moment, or you discovered, spontaneously, the answer to a question that had been bothered you for quite a while. It also happened to you to run into somebody you know and to guess exactly what the person was about to say; or, also remember that sometimes you think about someone and after a few minutes, that person rings you up. All these examples, which do not seem to follow any logical path, can be explained by using the term intuition.
However, we cannot always fallow what our visions or intuitions tell us, because we can’t always afford to be spontaneous and take the risk. Who hasn’t been wrong when following his or her intuition? Sometimes, it turns out exactly the opposite from what we expected it to happen and we discover that in fact, out intuition, was nothing but a fear, a thought that turned out not to be real. We feel very embarrassed at the moment and we don’t dare to trust our instincts anymore, which is precisely something that we should not do. Despite the occasions when you were wrong, you should never totally ignore your intuition, especially if you have a strong feeling about something or somebody.
But, what is intuition more exactly? How would specialists describe it? By using our intuition we can say that we let, in a way or another, our mind or soul transmit to the eye those things that cannot be correctly distinguished. Instinct or intuition requires, in the first place, an open mind, capable to receive and transform information. It is also true that intuition helps us perceive meanings beyond logic, read between the lines etc.
However, it is important to determine whether intuition has any effects on our everyday lives? Persons who use intuition frequently tend to analyze the possibilities and the effects certain actions might have, and they end up with a multitude of options, out of which they chose the most favorable one.
There are two types of intuition: the one based on reason, typical for the persons who try to dominate the capacity of understanding, controlling and predicting the reality; and the intuition based on affection, representative for the persons recognized by the others as energy sources, as they influence in a positive manner all the people around them.
Let’s not forget that intuition is, indeed, a real and positive characteristic, but nevertheless it must be combined with judgment and reason.

About The Author

Bruce Hughbanks is Dedicated to the Success of Business Minded Entrepreneurs World Wide. His In-Depth Views, Techniques and Dedication to helping others is second to none. Contributed to the Advancement of Internet Marketing Success, Copywriting and Joint Venture Affiliations. Find out how he can help you: http://www.ProfitZilla.com (Another TeagINC Network Production)

Friends and Family Should be Priority!
Experience True Freedom! The Employment Alternative Group
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Accurate predictions of the future are rare. Many examples exist where misguided intuition of the brightest and most qualified individuals prevented them from foreseeing the future. Consider examples from the arts (see part I), business (see part II), and science (see part III).

Misguided intuition in the arts
D. W. Griffith is regarded by many as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. More than anyone of the silent era, he recognized the potential of movies as an expressive medium. During that time, his achievements were momentous. In 1915 he finished the feature “Birth of a Nation,” regarded as the first masterpiece of cinema. In 1919 he finished the movie “Intolerance” (1919), which marked a new standard in filmmaking. His next two movies, “Broken Blossoms” (1919) and “Way Down East” (1920), sealed his reputation as America’s preeminent director. According to James Agee, “To watch his work is like being a witness to the beginning of melody, or the first conscious use of the lever or the wheel; the emergence, coordination, and first eloquence of language; the birth of an art: and to realize that this is all the work of one man.” The great silent movie actor Lillian Gish called him “the father of film” and Charlie Chaplin called him “the teacher of us all.” During the same time, D. W. Griffith also exhibited superb business instincts by founding the United Artist production company together with Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and Mary Pickford, the three greatest performers of the day.

However, from the mid to late 1920s things began to change. His intuitive powers started to wane. In 1924, at the age of 49, Griffith wrote in an article published by the Saturday Evening Post, “We do not want now and we shall never want the human voice with our films.” Only three years later, in 1927 the first talking movie, “The Jazz Singer” with Al Jolson was released. The reaction of the public to the movie was astounding. The picture was a sellout, one of the big box office hits of all time. In October 1930, the Fortune magazine wrote, “The advent of American talking movies is beyond comparison the fastest and most amazing revolution the whole history of industrial revolutions.” Griffith’s failed prediction was only an early sign of his now chronic misguided intuition. From the late 1920s, Griffith’s movies were slowly sinking into oblivion. In the glitter of the Jazz Age, his filmmaking was considered hopelessly old-fashioned. His last picture, “The Struggle,” was made in 1931 and played in theaters for merely a week before being withdrawn. On July 23, 1948, Griffith died in a small Los Angeles hotel virtually forgotten by the industry he helped build.

What was the cause of Griffith’s transition from great intuition to misguided intuition? One of the most common causes of misguided intuition, and therefore, the limited success of experts in predicting the future, is the “situation bias.” Experts, like all humans, tend to imagine future technologies as an extension of current technologies. The bias grows stronger when the individual has a vested interest in the current technology and is concerned that the new technology will diminish the popularity of his or her prized, older technology. Griffith was a master of the silent movie. His skill in eliciting powerful reactions from the audience without resorting to spoken dialogue was legendary. This unique skill was the reason for his downfall. It distorted his intuition and prevented him from foreseeing the potential of the human voice in movies.

How is this example related to misguided intuition in market research? The situation bias is especially strong in manual interpretation of qualitative data. During such interpretation, the analyst shows a strong tendency to look for the familiar. Pat Bentley from Apple emphasizes this point: “When you analyze the respondents’ answers manually you look for repeats, things that sound important either because you heard them before or you’re looking for them yourself; therefore, they make sense to you.”

Do you want to observe your own situational bias? Go to http://www.computerintuition.com/Question1.htm and follow the instructions.

About the Author

Mike T. Davis, Ph.D., SCI, Rochester NY
We are the inventors of Computer Intuition?, a psycholinguistics based program that analyzes the language that people use. The program calculates the psychological intensity, or psytensity, of every idea found in the input, and “converts what people say into what people do”?. SCI’s clients include many Fortune 500 and smaller companies.

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Even though I wrote about it in my book on Directed Dreaming, I’m really not sure you want to “access” your intuition at all! I think the better way to think about it is to “pay attention” to your intuition. After all, if intuition is really just a gut feeling about the right direction to take, it’s probably already available at the time you need it and all you need to do is pay more attention, and/or know how to prompt it.

One way to prompt it is to try Brainstorming. This is where you just sit down and ask yourself a question with the focus on the desired outcome (example: How can I get more traffic to my site, how can I resolve that conflict at work, etc.). You need to write down ALL the answers that come to you, no matter how silly or strange they may be. Then, later when you’re done writing you take a closer look at your list, and start crossing things out. You will probably find that you end up with about three good ideas that you could act on.

Then it’s time to take a deep breath, clear your mind by using some kind of relaxation method, and inevitably, one of your choices will appear, and your brain will start working out the answers further. It’s amazingly simple, but it works. You’ll want to quickly write down whatever comes to you; your mind works so fast, some things can get by without notice and easily forgotten. Then, take immediate action on your thoughts, before your conscious mind kicks in and starts asking all kinds of questions that you don’t need to worry about right now.

If you have problems getting into a relaxed state of mind, there are plenty of things on the market that can help you, including Hypnosis and Guided Imagery, and even computer “games” (since you’re probably in your office anyway).

So, don’t fret so much about “accessing” your intuition, just pay attention when it comes to you, and practice noticing it. I do it so often it’s second nature for me now, and it works every time!

About the Author

Evelyn Grazini is the Author of Directed Dreaming. Her specialties are Dreaming, Hypnosis and Intuition.

Her writings effectively condense volumes of professional research into one succinct resource. Free Reports on Dreaming, Hypnosis and Stress Relief are available. http://www.reawakener.com
(ARA) - The rising cost of tuition has put many families in a bind. A survey conducted by the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges found that tuition at public institutions increased in 37 of the states that responded. In Arizona, California and New York all surveyed schools reported in-state tuition increases of at least 20 percent. Tuition at the State University of New York has increased by 30 percent and at the University of California by as much as 40 percent over last falls levels.

While all parents want the best education for their children, financial constraints can be a burden on the long-term investment in their childs education. However, with diligent planning, families can work together to develop solutions to this problem and be able to afford the best education for their children. Ray Loewe, college planning expert and advisory board member for the GE Center for Financial Learning, offers the following tips on college planning and ways to make the transition back to school more affordable.

* While tuition costs are on the rise, interest rates for paying back college loans will drop to an all-time low. Its good news to those already paying off loans or who will start paying in the near future. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, someone with $25,000 in debt could save about $5,000 in 20 years if he or she consolidates at this rate.

* Students should try and find a part-time job. Jobs offered on a college campus are ideal because employers know from the outset that theyre hiring college students with their irregular schedules, tests and exams. They know that education is a priority and are usually more forgiving as a result.

* Many parents think that Saving for College will just disqualify a student from getting financial aid. The actual fact is that income most often keeps students from qualifying for financial aid, not their assets. At the same time saving for education is an investment.

* There are four types of financial aid: scholarships, grants, loans and work-study employment. Colleges are not created equal regarding financial aid. Become familiar with your colleges financial aid packages.

* Apply for a loan. Loans are financial aid available to both parents and students. They are subsidized by the federal or state government, financial institutions or the college and may have lower interest rates than regular loans. Generally, you do not start paying back these loans until after college graduation.

There are many ways to prevent future financial hardships that can arise from paying for education, but having a plan is crucial. Web sites such as the GE Center for Financial Learning (www.financiallearning.com) can help you and your family take action to ensure an easy and trouble-free return to school each semester.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Courtesy of ARA Content

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