OK, OK. Let's agree that on planet Earth at this time we cannotachieve sales perfection. But we can approach it. You can getbetter.

To become a “perfect sales professional,” you must master manyelements. I know many of them, some learned in the school of hardknocks, others from people like you, still others from books andsales seminars—all tempered in the crucible of thousands of salespresentations.

Undoubtedly, I missed some. And this is where I need yourhelp.

I have set up a survey here: Bill GoodMarketing: The Perfect Sales Professional Survey. It's designedto help you assess your “state of sales perfection.” It is alsodesigned to help me see what I've missed.

I think there are some characteristics that I have just takenfor granted. I am hoping, when you take my survey, that you willtake a few minutes, think about the skills you have just evaluated,and tell me what I missed.

When you complete the survey, as my way of saying “Thanks,” Iwill send you to a hidden website, the “Sales Perfection ResourceGuide,” where you can download my white paper, “The Good Way toSell.” It's all about your sales process. Don't missit.

I have also added many links and resources to help you mastereach of the “best practices” that make up this vital skill. Butwait, there's more! If you contribute a best practice, I will sendyou the final list of all characteristics which together make upthe perfect sales professional. You only get the list if you thinklong and hard and tell me at least one characteristic I haveoverlooked.

Perfection and practices

First, my theory on “best practices.” A best practiceis a technique or process which, through experience or formalstudy, is believed to produce results superior to other techniquesor processes.

Sales is a complex process.

In my experience, there is no one best practice adopted by thegreats and ignored by the also-rans. Rather, sales success isdetermined exclusively and only by implementing more bestpractices better.

Each of the characteristics I am listing in this articleconstitutes a best practice. Books, or at least chapters, could beand have been written on each.

The perfect sales professional would execute each of the salesbest practices as well as or better than anyone.

Many of these skills can take years to perfect. Others, days orweeks.

All of them together perhaps a decade.

All I have been able to do in this article is just identifythem.

A note of caution: In this article, I am focusing onlyon sales. I am not including prospecting, client service, systemswithin your company, or anything else.

Sales is the process of increasing desire and reducing fearto the point desire to own a product or service outweighs fear ofloss.

With that in mind, consider this: The sale begins with thefirst appointment. What comes before is prospecting. Whatcomes after is client service. This article is all about thesales professional.

Personal practices

People buy from someone. Or they are sold by someone they likeand trust. Without these personal skills, nothing else reallymatters.

Communication Skills. Too many sales people talk toomuch and they interrupt. Great sales professionals do neither.

Dress for Success. The reality is: business suits are aform of authority clothing.

Work Ethics. There is a lot of work to build andmaintain a sales career. If anyone told you that you can build acareer in a 40-hour week, they lied.

Emotional Impact. I'm not sure this can be taught. Thisfeature is perhaps 5% of your success, but 100% of your failure. Ifyou cannot impact people, you cannot change the direction of theirlives.