Intuition. What is it exactly and how can you apply it to your sales career? The dictionary.com definition of intuition is

–noun
1. direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension.
2. a fact, truth, etc., perceived in this way.
3. a keen and quick insight.

I define it as an inner “knowing”. In other words it’s not a head knowledge, but a “heart knowledge“.

Selling By Intuition

Have you ever been working with a customer and they were saying all the right things, agreeing that what you have to offer is perfect for them and you’re thinking to yourself ka-ching…payday!! But, something deep inside you is saying that something’s “out”, something’s not quite right. Intuition…

You keep going, you proceed with your best close. They follow through and make the purchase only to call you the next day and cancel. Rats!! So close…but were you really?

Were you listening to them with your head or listening with your heart during the sales process? There is a difference.

Even if you tell yourself you don’t have a good intuition, you really do. Everyone does, some folks have just developed it more than others; that’s all.

So how do you develop your “sales intuition”? First, you have to acknowledge that you have it (you do).

Second, think of a time when there was something you “just knew”…

Maybe you were driving on the way to an appointment and all of a sudden you got the urge to turn left instead of turning right like you always do. At first you’re curious why the urge to make a detour was so strong, then you may get aggravated that now your trip is going to take longer. Later you find out there was a traffic accident on the route you were planning to take and traffic was backed up for hours.  Taking the detour meant you made it to your appointment on time. Hmmm…

Maybe it’s a phone call you know you need to make. You’ve been thinking of the person you had to call and then, brrrringgg.

The phone rings and it’s that person you were thinking of on the other end. Spooky? No. Intuition? Yes.

So how do you apply intuition in your sales career?

When you’re asking your customer what their wants and needs are, listen for the answers with your heart and not your head.

What I mean by that is, do the answers they’re giving you “feel” right? Do the words they’re saying, the tone of their voice and their body language all match up? Is there a real connection and flow to the interaction?

If so, great. Keep moving forward to the close.

If not, relax. Be patient, ask more questions, trust your intuition (your inner voice) and really listen. You know if what you have to offer is right for them and if it is, they do too. When you’re being your authentic self and letting your intuition guide you, you’ll always do what’s in the best interest of your customer (and you).

Develop your sales intuition muscle and sales success will naturally follow.