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.

--

About the Author

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.