Character Sketch What are your salespeople made of? If they have the following traits, you're in good shape.

Stellar sellers and entrepreneurs share many personality traits.Entrepreneurs will excel because they have such enthusiasm fortheir services, and their ebullience is embraced by prospectsaccustomed to the same old hackneyed pitches. Great closers possessan aura of competence and zeal that never fails to take them to thetop of the board each month.

To understand the valuable qualities in selling, we askedexperts and business owners what characteristics allow asalesperson to transcend the trite:

• Creativity: Having anappreciation for the nonobvious solution is a must if a sales prois going to outpace the pack. While an average salesperson dependson business cards and leave-behinds, a true rainmaker brings a"unique vision to his work that makes him stand out,"says Wendy Weiss, aka "The Queen of Cold-Calling" andpresident of Weiss Communications, a sales training and coachingcompany in New York City.