Earlier this week I found myself driving round a roundabout 5 times.
My sat nav was telling me to take one exit and yet my gut instinct was telling me to take the exit before. I was running late for a networking event that I was speaking at and rather than risk being even later, I decided to follow my sat nav’s advice and ignore my gut instinct.
I should have followed my gut!
My sat nav, like all good sat nav systems, took me the long route round, sticking to the bigger roads.
The good news I wasn’t too late but I did make me question why I decided to base a decision on an electronic device rather than my own instinct.
Our gut instinct is an incredibly powerful force. And especially so in our own businesses.
Our gut instinct can kick in when we meet someone for the first time at a networking event. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but there was something about the way they said your name, you didn’t like.
Our gut instinct can kick in when you speak to a prospective client for the first time. It may have been the way they answered the phone or the off-the-cuff comment about their business partner that just made you squirm in your seat slightly.
When you get these gut instincts it’s important to sit up and take notice.
You don’t need to act on it there and then. I certainly wouldn’t recommend you make your excuses and hide in the toilets for the remainder of that networking event. Or complain of static on the line and put the phone down on your prospective client.
But listen carefully to what your gut is telling you.
If the person you met at that networking event approaches you the next week with a business opportunity – think carefully and remember that initial reaction you had. Is this someone you can trust and do business with?
If the prospective client becomes a client – perhaps ensure you have a clear objective and agenda for working together so that there is no room for any misunderstanding to happen.
Just because you may be hungry for business and desperate to generate some cashflow, don’t just take what is offered to you there and then.
Trust your intuition.
You could just end up going round and round a roundabout, confused on which exit to take.
Got a comment to make?
What are your thoughts about acting on your gut instinct in business? Leave a comment here with your ideas.
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I also belive in my gut instinct, but as a Chiropractor, you have to be careful as new clients may be in pain, distressed or nervous and therefore not showing their true self. Often, after their first consultation they feel calmer and more relaxed and then can give me a better idea of who they are. Thismay also be true at networking events….
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I hate Sat nav, and always make sure i’ve looked at a map and printed out a page from streetmap before I set out, but I totally agree about the trusting your instincts bit with a new person. I met someone at a networking meeting last week, – seemed to have a good business idea, had a good chat until they asked me – do you give discount for people you meet at networking and will I do a one hour consultation for free, – nooooo!, why would I offer a discount to someone i’ve just met, – I give offers to those who are regular clients, returning clients or who recommend lots of new clients to me, – it immediately turned me off, and then when I got home, I got a sales email from them, – you know the kind that don’t give any helpful advice or information they just say “do this as i’m wonderful” and by the way i’ve added you to my email list! – yuk
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Yes I agree about trusting gut instinct too. Sometimes you just get that feeling that a supplier, networking contact or client is going to be trouble and isn’t in the same place as you on how you work and what you believe is right.
I have recently taken on a new client and it isn’t working out from my perspective due to one individual in the team’s behaviour. The dilema is always how to tackle the issue. Do you walk away, confront the individual or grin and bear it?
It’s all too easy to to be tempted into sticking with it because the project is a juicy one! My style is to discuss it with the person who engaged me on the project but it’s not always a pleasant or easy conversation to have!!
How have others experienced such an issue? Any advice or tips? How did you approach it?
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If I had followed my gut reactions on various clients, I certainly would have been both time and quids in. But as Karen said, your thirst for money and to gain experience overshadows your basic instincts, and you become a cropper. But sometimes following your gut reaction on certain projects can lead to failure, as I have signed up to various activities or programmes thinking they were good for me, only to find myself out of pocket and none the wiser. Consulting others before you take on the venture (looking before you leap) has certainly saved me from many a sticky situation, and I wish I had done so for the projects I hadn’t succeeded in (I would be a richer and wiser person now for doing so).
But signing up for any of Karen’s ventures is always a good bet, as my gut as proved many a time.
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In response to Sarah’s issue – if the client is bad news, you’re better off out. There are certainly some unscrupulous people out there who wouldn’t think twice for taking you for a ride, so just don’t become party to it. If all your senses are crying out “I’m not happy with this” then terminate the project. It may seem drastic, but it will certainly save you time, angst and money in the long run, and will probably raise your status as someone who is not to be messed with. And never make a split decision on a large venture – on the door salesmen get short shrift from me as I don’t agree with this NOW decision or you’ll lose out stuff. And terminating during a ‘cooling off period’ is more hassle than it’s worth and can lead to bad feelings for both parties.
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Sat Navs do have one benefit – they ensure you know where you are going before you embark on your journey – and you have to write it down!
I often ignore my sat nav when driving, but at the end of the day I know I have it there to help me reach my destination – just like a coach really!
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I don’t have a Sat nav and have resisted the urge to get one, because of the bad press they got in the early days, I don’t want to end up in a river somewhere..LOL
On a serious note though our gut feelings are incredible . I met someone at a networking event last year and his work is coffee processing.
I am a tea enthusiast so I aksed him about tea and told him Uganda my country of origin has superb tea. He dared me to get hold of this tea for him and send it to him.
I called Mummy dearest and a pack of tea arrived and I sent it to Mr coffee guy. He was so impressed that he started talking to me about providing him a service, that would enable him to source his coffee more ethically. This is not a service I offer but knew I could. Several months later I am due to take him out to Uganda next week so he can meet the producers and buy his coffe directly from them for a fee!
It has been hard work to get here and a few of my associates had advised me to walk away as it appeared from their point of view that Mr coffee guy was taking liberties with my time and knowledge. But my gut feeling told me to hang in there and it transpired that he was afraid of going to Africa as he ahs never been and needed a lot of reassurance that ti would be OK! and not taking liberties as my associates had assumed!
Great Blog Karen
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Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories about following your gut instinct. And I am sure all your contributions will be useful reading for others coming here to read this article.
@ Sarah Orchard – you ask the question about walking away from a client and Alice has given some great advice. How you do it? Through good listening and communication. It isn’t an easy situation to deal with – I don’t envy you at all! – but it may be that the client wants out too. Try and see it from their perceptive too. Keep it business-like and avoid being personal at all costs.
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