Commission Sales

I have a friend how has a business in the holiday services business. He has done a great job of building his business, but has come to a point to realize sales is not his strength. He has sought out help and found no one that is willing to take on a project that has growth opportunity. It got me thinking if I were going to hire someone to handle sales for my company what would I look for? What characteristics make a good sales person? What qualities will help someone in sales succeed?

I will post my responses as well as others in the coming weeks as a common thread in No Excuse Sales.