In reality, there really isn’t a magic bullet or new, secret approach to sales out there. In fact, outstanding sales professionals—those who consistently perform and excel at the sales process and selling—have similar characteristics. True sales professionals (and business builders) have the same traits and apply common principles to the way they approach business. They are successful at selling and the art of business development because they excel at basic "blocking-and-tackling" skills.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 characteristics of effective business builders. (If you are in marketing, sales, business development, or operations, you should consider yourself a business builder.) Read and think about how many of these traits you have. Better yet, score yourself as you read through these characteristics and ask yourself, "What can I do better? How can I improve?"

1) Effective business builders are disciplined and consistent.
Effective sales professionals have a systematic approach to producing results—they don’t wing it and hope for success. After all, hope is not a strategy. They know what it takes to be successful and what works and what doesn’t. They repeat and follow a sales process that is proven and time tested. They plan everything they do in advance, execute the plan, and always follow up. They are consistent in their efforts and recognize that selling is not an event or a sometime activity. They know sales success (more business and more fees) will result from committing to and implementing a proven sales process—and being consistent in their efforts.

2) They are intensely focused.
Effective business builders have specific goals, and they continually monitor their performance and they hold themselves accountable—no excuses, nobody to blame, the buck stops with them. They have goals for every prospect, every client, every marketing event, every situation, every sales call, and every client meeting they attend. The best sales professionals have purposefulness in every action they take. They do not waste time on long shots, and they focus their sales efforts on their best prospects and clients. And they focus and concentrate their attention on the most effective and efficient means for accomplishing their goals and selling more.

3) They seek simplicity.
The best business development professionals keep their sales approach simple and easy to understand. They know tricks and clever techniques don’t fool the client or produce desired results. In fact, they understand that sales tricks and less-than-professional selling methods are potentially offensive, may reflect negatively on them or their firm, and are not good for long-term selling success. They are direct, honest, and timely in their communications with their clients and contacts. They take pride in providing value to their clients and in being a problem solver and a solution provider. True sales professionals seek to understand the critical issues and needs of their clients and do not try to bluff or "BS" their way through a sale. They keep it simple, they are always professional, and they sell more.

4) They are interested, not necessarily interesting.
Effective business builders are genuinely curious about their clients and the industry and environment their clients operate in. They are concerned about their clients’ businesses, their challenges, their problems, their needs, and their wants, and they seek to learn and understand. Business builders are interested in people. They continually ask questions to learn more about their prospects and clients. And they are great listeners who pay attention and understand that information and knowledge give them an advantage and are powerful.

5) They are persistent.
The best sales professionals refuse to give up. They believe in themselves, their company, and the services their company has to offer. They believe their clients are important, and they will do whatever it ethically takes to earn their business and respect. They are enthusiastic, passionate, and happy with what they do. They are proud to be in sales and proud of the firm they work for. They do not take "no" or non-responsive answers personally. And they are professionally persistent in their pursuits of clients and opportunities...they follow up, follow up, and follow up.

6) They continually learn, seeking knowledge and information to improve.
The best business builders constantly seek to learn more about their firm, their clients, and their industry and to improve by applying this knowledge. They learn about their clients’ businesses and sometimes may know even more about the business than the client. They know how to get things done for their clients within their own company. They understand their services and solutions that can be provided to their clients. They know how their services create value for their clients. They understand the competition and how to differentiate their offerings and services from those of the competition. And they continually learn about their profession—the profession of selling—seeking new ideas, proven techniques, best practices, and winning ways to improve their sales and client development skills.

7) They value time.
For the best sales professionals (and for most anyone in business), time is the most precious asset and the most important thing for them to carefully manage. First, they value their clients’ time. In every interaction with their clients, they seek to create value, not wasting anyone’s time and using time spent productively. Sales professionals set time-based goals, and they set deadlines for achieving their goals. They seek to be more efficient and effective in how they use their own time, and the time of others. They refuse to waste time on useless efforts, and they spend their time on prioritized actions and their best opportunities. They are always prepared, and they focus their energy (and time) on those clients and activities that will produce real results.

8) They are reality and fact focused.
Effective business builders do not confuse hope or wishful thinking with the real facts or reality of the situation. Regardless of the situation, the opportunity or the challenge—or the pressures that may be put on them or their company—they focus on facts. They know they can only develop appropriate actions or solutions based on what is really going on—spare the excuses and don’t hide anything. They are also careful about making assumptions, and they use effective questioning to determine what the client really needs, what the client really wants, and what the client really expects. The best business builders pride themselves on being prepared and are confident in knowing this preparedness will give them a competitive advantage.

9) They are action oriented.
The best sales professionals are dedicated to producing results. They want to produce results for their clients, their company, and themselves. Real sales professionals are problem solvers, not excuse makers. They are not afraid to ask for help from others, their peers, co-workers, or their boss to help a client or to solve a problem. They determine specific, next-step actions they need to take to accomplish their goals. They not only talk the talk, they walk the talk, and their actions speak much louder than their words. They lead by example—in effort, actions, and results—and they get things done.

10) Their highest value is integrity.
The very best business builders will never compromise themselves or their company just to "get the sale." They know their reputation and that of their firm is dependent on their honesty and integrity. They know their success is based on their ability to meet commitments, to do what is expected, and to do what was promised for their clients, their company, their co-workers, their boss, and themselves. Effective business builders keep their word, deliver as promised, and meet deadlines. They do what they say they are going to do when they said they were going to do it. They are trusted, and their clients are loyal to them and the firms they work for.

So…how did you score yourself on the above? What do you do well and where do you need to improve? If you really read through the above, you probably would agree that not only are these common characteristics of a business builder or sales professional but they are what makes most any business person successful. You see, you can’t separate sales and client development from business or operations management. They exist together and are completely intertwined.

The principles listed here certainly are demanding, but they are what is required to truly excel at sales in today’s demanding business environment. Living these principles every day—making these characteristics a way of life—is what separates true sales and business professionals from "order takers" or "vendors" or "peddlers." Don’t search for the magic bullet or secret tip that is going to make selling easy. Instead, embrace the above and commit to being a true sales and business development professional. Build your abilities in each of the areas outlined above, and you will sell more, grow your income, and build your business—guaranteed!

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities!
Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers,
you cannot be successful or happy!
—Norman Vincent Peale

	About the Authors Richard Cilley, CPSM, is CEO of Transcendent Consultants (www.transcendentconsultants.com), and Tom Boogher, CPSM, is Executive Vice President of Professional Service Industries, Inc. (www.psiusa.com). Richard and Tom have a combined 50-plus years of experience in marketing and sales within the A/E/C industry.
	Hosted by SMPS' Business Development Institute, this column provides tips, best practices, and suggestions on how to excel at sales and client development. Remember that nothing happens in business until you make a sale! The Business Development Institute is a Specific Interest Group of SMPS with the goal to promote, inform, and educate the A/E/C industry on the importance of sales and the necessity for business development best practices.
	Your comments, feedback, suggestions and questions are encouraged. Please drop either editor an e-mail with any input. You can reach Tom Boogher at tom.boogher@psiusa.com or Richard Cilley at rcc@transcendentconsultants.com.