The Gut Feeling Roller Coaster

I find that important opportunities, whether because of their $$ impact or their prestige......always come with a roller coaster of emotion. Especially in my case where I try to read into every act, every call, every email, every bit of communication pertaining to my chances of winning the business. What does this mean for me? What can I do now? Are they pleased? Are they disappointed? Are they closer to the competition? All of these questions rush through my mind with every conversation. Part of it is me being paranoid, part is me being a control freak.....but the biggest factor contributing to my anxiety is the fact that I want to find any hint within context that can initiate my next move that may give me a leg up.

Throughout this roller coaster, one thing remains my measuring stick......my gut feeling. It is always present, and always obvious. But, it changes every day, and sometimes every hour.....even regarding the same opportunity. I adjust my next actions based on this. I call in the troops or lay low depending. My aggressiveness, passiveness, and overall strategy are ever changing along with my gut. It's not always right. In fact, I can't even say that it's usually right. I just know it guides me, and I always follow, regardless of the direction it's leading me.

With this comes the low of the gut feeling roller coaster. This is the worst feeling, where every ounce of your gut says you're not going to get the business, though it's not yet been confirmed. This is the equivalent to a non-violent stomach flu, where it's not possible to get comfortable and you can't even think about eating or drinking. The only way the discomfort subsides is to receive the confirmation that you either won or lost. When the hope is to get that call, knowing that the news may be bad news, the impact of the gut feeling is put in perspective. Now I'll say this is all part of the fun and intrigue of sales. This stage is usually the predecessor to the celebration of the victory or the reflection on what went wrong.

**. A vacation is not the only way to recharge your battery. Sometimes just hanging out with the right people having the right conversations will do the trick.