"Selling" is often confused with "marketing" but whilst related, the two disciplines are absolutely different. The best analogy I can use as an example of the difference is the Arsenal Football team where by the brilliantly creative Cesc Fabregas is the "marketeer" providing the creative environment for the "salesman" i.e. Robin van Persie to close the move and strike for goal.

The roles can of course be inter-changeable but as a general statement, marketeers "create" an enabling environment so that salespeople can "close" deals.

For this article I will focus on what makes a sales super-star noting that misnomers and stereo-type assumptions abound in Ugandan society. Such assertions suggest that Sales super-stars "must-have" an "outgoing personality" be "good communicators" and my personal favourite, enjoy "meeting people" all of which may describe most taxi touts but sales super-stars?

I think not. So after a career of over 30 year in "sales" it may be useful for anyone considering entering the profession to note my description of Trevor Guest, simply the best Salesman I have ever worked with. Trevor was a 55 year old bachelor who lived with his mother in Bristol, England, collected stamps, watched birds, was shy and unpopular with his colleagues.

Hardly what one would have thought of as a sales super-star but for 10 years he was an absolutely brilliant performer constantly ranking in the top 5 of my league table comprising of over 1,000 very competitive salespeople.

His skills were simple; he worked very hard, fanatically followed every lead, never, ever gave up, organised his day by the minute, developed a skin so thick a rhino would have envied it and expected to win every deal he engaged in. I never met anyone so focused on success and if there are young graduates out there who perceive that they have these characteristics, then maybe "selling" could be the career for you!

In insurance there are many proven sales techniques but as with all service industries, hard work, being brave and never giving up are key elements. Trevor's approach was not unique and his customers respected him for what he was, a brilliant purveyor of solutions to their needs. If a customer wanted an insurance proposal by 4am in the morning at Bristol airport, Trevor would be there.

If the customer had a query, Trevor answered it in minutes not days, if the policy document needed to have green spots printed on the cover, Trevor's only query would be the size of the spots.

His drive, energy, and quest to achieve was truly awesome and whilst his detractors thought him a little strange bordering on creepy, no-one, but no-one, ever doubted his super-star status.

During the year, most insurance companies here in Uganda will be looking for sales people, usually described as sales agents, and this is a superb opportunity for young and not so young graduates to enter an industry that is growing, where the rewards for hard work are excellent and where a person really is judged by what they do, not what they say they will do.

So speak to any licensed insurer and explore selling insurance as a career option perhaps remembering that you don't need to have an "outgoing personality" or be a "good communicator" or to "enjoy meeting people" to be a sales super-star as Trevor proved year after year after year.

Mr Corbit is the Managing Director of ICEA Limited.