This one is yanked out of From the Publisher Section of CIO Mag (www.CIO.com, Sept 2008). Look in the Mirror by Gary Beach. The article is about Mr Beach’s thoughts on what makes a good tech sales person (but the majority of these apply to just about everyone. Both professionally and personally.)

10 – Understand your business
9 – Possess competitive intelligence/knowledge
8 – Provide ongoing support after the sale
7 – Have a strong technical background
6 – Are aware of business trends
5 – Offer solutions to problems rather than meet sales quotas
4 – Provide a high level of service

3 – Are honest and trustworthy
2 – Can think long term
And most important… 1 – Deliver on their promises

Great list. Another classic case of common sense that isn’t common enough.

We’d also like to add one, a tweak on #10 – Understand my business (if you’re gonig to try to sell to me)