Success in sales does not go to the one who has the lowest price. Nor does success in sales go to the one who has the best customers. And, success in sales does not go the one who has the most intelligence. Rather, success in sales goes to the person who lives and practices integrity with each and every person with whom they come in contact.

Eleven years ago, I left my corporate career working in sales management for a Fortune 100 company and began traveling the globe working with salespeople across more industries than I can ever begin to count. Over the years, I’ve personally met with thousands of salespeople, each with their own level of success and failures. At the same time, I’ve met with hundreds of sales managers, VPs of Sales, CEOs and others from the “C-suite,” and it has become more clear to me than ever what it takes to remain at the top. People who are at the top year in and year out, through good economic periods and bad economic periods, through global upheavals and company chaos, are those who walk and breathe integrity in everything they do. These are the people who do not necessarily close every deal or land every new big hot account that comes along, but what they do through their actions is always walk with integrity.

Success in sales is steeped in integrity. Who do you see that lives and breathes integrity? What can you learn from them? What do you need to modify in your life, both at work and away from work, to help you increase your level of integrity?