A couple of months back, President Obama was apologizing for the PPACA debacle and mentioned consumers' need for benefits professionals to help them understand the complexities of purchasing the right health plan. That's the White House equivalent of Homer Simpson's “D'oh!”

Though I was glad to see the president finally recognize that publicly, it's had me thinking about the word “professional.”

If you passed your state license exams, you're considered a professional in our business. But having a license doesn't make you a professional any more than buying a basketball makes you Lebron James. Being a pro is about attitude, philosophy, work ethic. And something we seem to have long forgotten: integrity.

Sure, I get paid to sell stuff, but my title doesn't include “salesperson.” People call me VP of business development, author, speaker and a couple of things not fit to print. But nobody calls me a salesperson.

I bet you get paid to sell stuff, too, because you're reading a publication that has selling in its moniker. So what do people call you? Broker? Agent? Consultant? Why don't we use “salesperson” in our title? Because salesperson and integrity don't go together; and it's time we change that.

It's up to each of us to act in a manner that demonstrates professionalism in the marketplace. How do we do that? Let's start with the obvious: A good salesperson isn't necessarily a professional.

Professionals have long-term relationships with clients. In fact, their clients feel more like friends. It takes two things to develop those relationships: time and integrity. Pros aren't interested in a quick sale. They're interested in doing what's best for their client, no matter how much it pays today.

That's not to say that some people don't make a ton of sales despite major character flaws. We've all seen them. They make a huge splash on the production reports and qualify for all the trips to Europe. And because their managers love those production figures they generally get away with murder… until.

There's always an “until.” I suspect we'll always have a certain number of these app jockeys in our midst, but I'm at a point in my life where I have no patience for them because they cost me too much. They eventually mess something up so badly that I'll spend years trying to restore that client relationship.

Call me old school, but I still believe if you approach business relationships by channeling Sheriff Andy Taylor people will respond to that. It's not sexy and it may not win you Rookie of the Year, but I've seen too many rookie award winners who didn't make it to the end of their second year. Those flashes in the pan always flame out in a hurry, but the pro is more about a slow burn.

The president is right. The American public needs professionals this year perhaps more than any other time in our history. Let's choose to be those professionals, shall we?