10 Reasons why people fail in Sales and Business Development.

1. They don't really like sales. Often, poor salespeople got into sales and business development because they needed a job or because someone advised them that this was a good move. These are the folks who dread going to work in the morning, and once there start checking e-mail, making coffee, shooting the breeze, doing anything but picking up the phone.  They have taken the path of least resistance and have never taken the time to accept accountability for their successful futures.

2. They take rejection personally. Let's face it: Nobody loves rejection and criticism, not even seasoned pros. The difference, though, is that good salespeople learn to tame this emotional tyrant. They know that selling often takes as much emotional work as intellectual work. Salespeople who fail do not invest in their own emotional growth.

3. They cry "no fair!" Poor salespeople often feel a sense of entitlement, that rewards should be handed to them rather than earned. They lack self-discipline and a fighting spirit. Maybe it's the result of too much pampering from Mom and Dad; maybe it comes from too many unearned As and Bs, but whatever the cause, an inflated "self-esteem" does little good in the real and competitive world of sales.

4. They're not naturally enthusiastic. Excitement and eagerness can get you through many a rainy sales day--and can even make up for lack of experience (or even too much of it). Nothing is worse than watching an old pro going through the motions. No matter how good the act, everybody knows the truth. If the salesperson isn’t excited, how can he expect the client to be?

5. They're not curious about other people. Poor salespeople focus on the outcome, not the encounter. They don't know that each call should be viewed as a way to understand how different people react to different situations. Salespeople who don't pay attention to how people think, process information, and make decisions will never even know why they lost the sale.

6. They're not excited about their product or their market. Granted, it's not so hard to sell when you love your product. It's a bit tougher when you have to sell, say widgets. Poor salespeople never get past their own personal interests and learn to love what is the heart of any business, helping people find the way to their own success and working with them in accomplishing a productive end result to a collaborated objective.

7. They're not sports-minded (and I mean this literally). People who grow up with some kind of competitive passion--whether volleyball, dancing, soccer, softball or chess--learn the lessons of great selling. They learn how to push themselves, develop strategies and tactics, apply self-discipline and motivation, handle defeat and move forward.

8. They play the blame game. Poor salespeople often don’t see how their own behavior affects their success. They blame the product for not being interesting enough, or management for not being organized enough, or coworkers for not being supportive enough. While no product is perfect, good salespeople accept that they need to play the hand they were dealt. The only thing worse than apathy is arrogance. Salespeople who don't play well with others often don't sell well, either.

9. They see obstacles instead of challenges. Poor salespeople bail out the minute they hear an objection. They think they're being nice (and cutting their losses) by letting the client off the hook. Good salespeople, on the other hand, know that objections simply illuminate a client's needs and concerns--and can even be a springboard to effective selling.