If you work in sales, you need to be passionate about what you do.

The best sales people are hidden, because they do not appear to be “selling”.

A sales professional has the following qualities:

• A belief that you are making a positive difference.

• You like your customers.

• Can explain to customers where the value is.

• They are highly competitive and goals driven.

Professionals care about the things that others cannot see. They are working back late in the office to ensure a presentation or proposal is perfect.

Professionals are lone wolves. They are focussed on achieving success.

They think deeply about customer interactions, and to understand their perspective. At times it appears they can accurately interpret their thinking more quickly than others.

Another way of explaining how a professional is different is from my favourite movie, “The Fifth Element”, Zorg (Gary Oldman), explained what it meant to be a professional (killer): I hate warriors, too narrow-minded. I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. Now a real killer, when he picked up the ZF-1, would've immediately asked about the little red button on the bottom of the gun.

If you are in sales. Be focussed. Be Professional.