Be a Professional

What is a professional? Is it the opposite of an amateur?
In the sports world, professional athletes are paid, while amateurs are not. In my business, the title “professional keynote speaker” implies that I’m paid to speak in front of audiences. So, does being a professional simply mean you’re paid to do whatever it is you are doing?
I’ll answer that with a resounding, “No!” It’s definitely more than whether or not you are paid. I’ll argue that “professional” can also refer to the way you conduct yourself. In other words, do you behave in a manner that others would perceive as professional?
My friend Paul Reilly, a professional speaker (yep… another paid professional) specializing in value-added selling, shared a great story. As one of his first jobs out of college, Paul worked at Ferrellgas. One of his colleagues was writing a summary report and was using a dictionary to look up words.