Great sales people and great gamblers have a lot in common.

There is really just one skill that separates great gamblers and poker players from the rest. And no, unless you're Dustin Hoffman in "Rainman," it's not counting cards. It's the ability to read people. The best card players have learned to focus on the subtle tells of their opponent. It's the change in posture or the nervous tic that often indicates whether a player will go all in or fold.

A sales deal can often feel quite similar. It's often the phrasing of their last email or their posture in your last pitch that speak volumes more than anything a prospect is actually saying. Picking up on the clues that tell you whether a prospect is a good fit or not is tricky business, and only really comes with experience.

Fortunately, we've compiled advice from 5 experts on how their experience has helped them identify the best leads. Let's take a look.

Priorities are aligned

"One of the biggest indicators of whether or not a prospect is a good fit is based on their business priorities. Ultimately if your solution doesn’t align with the top business priorities of the organization, it’s going to be a much harder sale than if they do."

- John Barrows, Sales Trainer

Try to figure out what it is your prospects are really after. Often times prospects are not upfront about their true needs and goals. If you can align your solution with what they’re company is looking to accomplish, you’ve got yourself a good prospect.

Personalities are aligned

"Often forgotten is the kind of people with whom you want to work. Are they forward-thinking, open to suggestions, collaborative, and engaging? Are they honest and do they have a sense of humor? If you have a bias for action, do they? Without attributes that match your ideal client profile, you probably have what I call a PITA (‘Pain In The A**’) on your hands."

- Joanne Black, Founder of No More Cold Calling

Business is not B2C or B2B, it’s human to human and the people in the deal matter a great deal. You don’t have to become best friends with every prospect, but connecting on a personal level is a sure sign of a solid prospect.

Confidence is shown

“A prospect is a good fit if they have provided you with two-to-three of their critical needs and have shared with you the timeline as to when they will make a decision. Prospects will only share this level of information with you when they have confidence in you. The prospect who has confidence in you, the salesperson, is the one with whom you want to do business.“

- Mark Hunter, Speaker & Author

Are you giving your prospects a reason to trust you? Even if you are just offering small bits of advice or providing useful resources, little acts of trust can open the door to solid opportunities.

Honesty is key

"The customer is willing to share what they are REALLY dealing with, willing to share who else they are considering, willing to put time on the calendar for me, and they get back to me right away."

- Dianna Smith, Founder of Irreverent Sales Girl

Just as it does in personal relationships, honesty between you and a prospect indicates trust and a willingness to do business. Most prospects are guarded by default, but if you can get them to let their guard down you have a good chance of closing the deal.

They fit the profile

“It’s impossible to tell if a prospect is a good fit unless you’ve done your homework building out a profile of your ideal customer. They say the same words, go the same places, have the same pain points, and are driven by the same personal motivations and limitations.“

- Dan Waldschmidt, Managing Partner at Waldschmidt Partners

Learn from experience. What characteristics are exhibited most often by your best prospects? Look for these traits in every prospect you reach out to and you’ll start to see a pattern emerge.

For even more expert advice, download your free copy of the new e-book “Sales Experts Answer Your Toughest Sales Management Questions.”