Practice avails the sales professional with risk-free opportunities to develop skills that might not be applied in every moment of actual selling.  Think about it: you could try out some new pitch or selling technique during a sale, but if the trial falls flat you’re likely to lose the prospective customer.  No, no, no.  Scrimmage that technique before the sale.  Get together with a few good peers and practice.  See what you can do when you don’t have to worry about your performance before prospects and the prospect of lost revenue.