Competancy and Quality

These two words must be used in the description of a professional salesperson. Analyze anything a salesperson is doing and if these adjectives can be used to describe their approach - you've got a professional.

Unfortunately, most salespeople never move to the level of a professional, they are just in sales. Many people play touch football in the backyard, softball on the weekends or shoot hoops at the park, but that doesn't make them professional athletes.

I define competency as complete knowledge and understanding of a salesperson's product, sales process, customer base and the overall marketplace for their product.

I define quality simply as the characteristics that set a sales professional apart from other persons who simply work in a sales capacity.

Anyone can jump into selling. There are little or no barriers to entry, one day your in one career, the next day your a salesperson. I'm okay with that - it makes my industry much more valuable! However, if your in sales as a career, pursue competency and quality in your daily approach to your company, your clients and your daily disciplines - then you can say you are a professional.

TK