Recently, I had a conversation witha friend of mine. She is a former, highly successful model who isnow building a highly successful marketing business. My friend wasfeeling frustrated. “Amateurs,” she said. “I'm tired of dealingwith amateurs.”

I knew what she meant. A professional is someone who shows up,no matter what. A professional is someone who gets the job done, nomatter what. A professional is someone who does what she needs todo, when she needs to do it, no matter what. An amateur is someonewho lets circumstances, other people and emotions get in theway.

As my friend put it, “When you're a model, if you have a saggybutt, they tell you that you have a saggy butt. Then they tell youto go away. If you want it enough, you fix your saggy butt and goback.”

I grew up in the ballet world. It's very much the same. You takeclass every day with a teacher whose job is to criticize you. Thecriticism is to help you improve, but sometimes it just feels likecriticism. You dance in front of a big mirror. This is so you cancriticize yourself.

As an adolescent and even a young professional, I've been called“a cow” because of a few extra pounds. I've had teachers hit anerrant arm or leg with a stick because that arm or leg was in thewrong position. (No, they weren't singling me out, they hiteveryone.)

I've lost dance jobs because I was too tall, too short, or hadthe wrong color hair. Those of you who have read my first book,“Cold Calling for Women,” know that as a teenager I was notaccepted into the renowned Harkness Ballet School because my backwas too long. (They told my dad I was a very good dancer, but…)

When I cut my hair short – it used to be down to my waist sothat I could put it up in a classical ballet bun – I never againgot another job as a ballet dancer. And, by the way, when you go toa dance audition, they don't let you dance. They simply line you upand look at you and then start eliminating dancers. Once they'redone eliminating, the dancers that are left get to actuallydance.

When I first started doing sales training, clients would talk tome about rejection and fear of rejection, I had no idea what theywere talking about. As the years have gone by, I now understandthat those feelings are real.

Sales can be a tough world. Not everyone will love you or yourproduct or service. Everyone will not say “yes.” Sometimes in salestraining brochures or on our web sites we get carried away andwrite, “Overcome every objection!” “Turn every 'no' into'yes!'”

The stark reality is that will not happen every time. Someprospects will say “no.” A career in sales is not for the weak.

The key to success is what you do with that “no.” You can allowit to stop you, or you can put it aside and continue on. The poweris entirely yours. If there are people in the world having successdoing exactly what you want to be doing, there is no reason thatyou cannot do it too.

Being a professional starts with your mind set, that you believein what you are selling and that you do not give other people,circumstances or even your own thoughts and emotions the power tostop you. Or as my friend put it, “If you want it enough, you fixyour saggy butt and go back.”

Wendy Weiss is the president of ColdCallingResults.com andauthor of Cold Calling for Women and The Sales WinnerHandbook.