Over the years, I've asked a lot of people what makes a great salesperson. The answers are fairly predictable: passion, persistence, likability, planning, trustworthiness, strong work ethic, initiative, intelligence, good communication skills, sense of humor, humility, good timing, strong relationships building and follow-up (or, as I say, the sale begins when the customer says yes).

My own answer is always the same: hungry fighter. In many ways, that embodies all of the above traits.

Further, I would argue that the second most important factor is accessibility. I seldom do business with people who are not accessible. If I can't reach you immediately, I want to know that you'll get back to me within minutes or hours, not days. If you're slow to answer the call, your phone will stop ringing.

Notice I say "accessible" instead of "available," because accessibility includes availability, plus user-friendliness, convenience and more. When you have questions, you want to talk to someone who has answers. If your salesperson doesn't, he or she must be able to find someone who does.

Salespeople, as well as those in customer service, need to understand the importance of accessibility. Woody Allen said, "Eighty percent of success is showing up." That may be true in some businesses, but it falls far short in sales and service. Would you be satisfied if a salesperson was available for only four out of five customers?

Personal story: I fly tens of thousands of uneventful miles every year, but I recently had a frustrating experience with a major airline that sent my blood pressure skyrocketing. Bad weather at the origin of my connecting flight caused my flight to be delayed five times before it was canceled. Instead of putting me on the next available flight, the airline assigned me on the same flight -- 24 hours later! But no official announcements came. A fellow traveler got an email on his iPhone and shared the news.

We were told an agent would be at the gate to help us, but after 30 minutes, no one had shown up. The phone lines at the rebooking center were jammed. The computer screens were down. I tried the toll-free number and was told I'd be on hold for 30 minutes. After just a few minutes, the hold message turned into a busy signal. I couldn't reach a human being.

In desperation I called my travel agent, who found a flight on another carrier leaving within an hour. He also found several other available flights that evening that could have accommodated most of the delayed travelers, but the airline didn't offer any of those options. Note to self: Never fly that airline again. Ever.

Mackay's Moral: You can't reach the top if your customers can't reach you.

Harvey Mackay is the author of The New York Times No. 1 best seller "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by e-mailing harvey@mackay.com or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.