e've all experienced a feeling that all is not well. It's a sixth sense about a person or situation. You can't put your finger on it, but you know something is off.

In a work situation, it may be that a client promises to call, but the phone never rings, and you aren't surprised. When the client later signs with a competitor, again, you aren't surprised.

Or perhaps it's when you think you've forgotten something, but you can't figure out what it is. So, you head to a meeting with a merchant. When you arrive, you discover you left the agreement he needs to sign back at your office. Again, you aren't surprised; you had a feeling everything wasn't quite in place.

Call it intuition. Call it a sixth sense. Call it a hunch. Whatever word you choose, it's a little voice trying to get your attention.

Instinct calls

What should you do when you hear it? Listen. That little message from your core is your instinct, and it's more valuable and finely tuned than any amount of sales training or professional seminars.

At times it may be difficult to follow your own hunches. People, including your boss, may be offering ideas that are in direct conflict with your inner voice. For example, you may have a client who needs you to go out on a limb for him and bend some rules. Perhaps the merchant needs a payment deadline extension.

Your boss and all your training tell you not to do it. On paper, it looks like a bad deal. But something tells you it's OK; you won't get burned.

When making decisions in situations like this, look at all relevant factors, such as your relationship with the merchant and your company's position. But also listen to that voice.

Or, maybe everyone is telling you to move forward on a project, and you just don't think you should. You may not be able to pinpoint a specific reason, but you sense that charging ahead is not the right choice.

Perhaps you've been offered a promotion or a job transfer. It seems like a great deal, with benefits such as more money, increased responsibility and prestige. But you're not so sure.

It's yours to use

Remember to review all the factors, including those persistent communications from within. Usually they won't steer you wrong.

However, use caution. Don't go "new age" and start looking for mystical signs that will dictate whether you should turn left or right or tell you whether to use plastic or silver utensils at your next party. Just remember, that little voice inside of you is your instinct. Pure, powerful and simple.

It tells you what you know but sometimes don't know you know. So be wise. Be honest with yourself. Take your years of experience and training and couple them with your instinct to make the decisions that are best for you.