Trust your Business Intuition, it’s Based on Fact

Here’s a story about business intuition, a first-hand account from Cherish PR. “I had my worst business experience ever when I was 22. Six months into my first job in PR and I was let loose on a client case study. I had my script, my questions, I’d arranged a time to call the client and was ready with pen (yes, a pen) in hand.

I called, he answered and I began. Question 1 went OK but I got the feeling he was under pressure, that he didn’t want to be on the call and was distracted. His answers weren’t making sense and I was struggling. I should have had the courage to call a halt and arrange another time, but I was too scared. I thought he may think I was rude, unprofessional, that he may spot how green I was. The interview carried on, it got worse. I became more muddled and he became more frustrated. By 10 minutes in, his attention had refocused on the call but unfortunately it was because he thought me incompetent. In the end, he put the phone down on me with the words, “are you taking the p*ss?”

I was far from incompetent but I did lack the confidence in my own intuition. I should have trusted my instincts and called time on that interview.

I have realised since then that intuition is vital for business success, and more importantly for career satisfaction. We’re individuals and the ability to gather information and life experience, good and bad, and apply them, that’s a business skill and it’s called intuition. A recent UCLA study revealed that we process over 174 newspapers worth of information daily. So don’t be fooled, intuition is never just “a hunch”, it’s the constant learning from life that guides and shapes our business decision making.

Using your own intuition to guide you is more fulfilling. You made that decision and its success is down to you. If you are more fulfilled, you perform better, if you perform better, you’re more productive for your business. There’s not so much risk when you know that what you’re actually doing is applying what you’ve learned.

#IfIWere22 again, I’d tell that client that he needed to make time and give attention to his interview, that his published story would attract new customers and open new doors for his business, but if I had, well then maybe I never would have had that experience to apply, would I?”

So there it is, an insight into business intuition from a real-life story. Do you have any examples of business intuition? Feel free to leave us a message to share yours!

By Rebecca Oatley, Managing Director at Cherish PR