To be the best...

What are the top 3 traits or skills every photographer must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your photographer expertise?

1. Business mindset. First and foremost this is a business. Your mortgage company doesnt care how many hot girls you shot this week.

2. Personality. You have to get along with a wide range of people in front of and behind the camera. On the portrait side, you have to be able to get to know someone in only a few minutes. You have to make that person feel comfortable and instill a sense of trust. On the commercial side, you have to balance giving the client what they want, what they need, and at a price they and you can live with.

3. Computer and organizational skills. This is a business of tight deadlines and need it yesterday requests. You have to be able to manage your time, you database of images, your digital workflow, and still find time to eat and sleep.

Kindly don't share my name. I'd just wanted to express my appreciation with an anonymouns "yes."

Why are you limiting your question to 3 items?
As a student you are asking the wrong question.
Maybe there are 5 tips, etc.

You should delete your first line and simply ask the question.

It is amazing how many people have the mind set that they know what questions to ask on a given subject. By doing so you are limiting your ability to learn.

The first is to SMILE. If you don't smile your subject won't smile.

The second is get paid in full before you take any pictures.
People lose interest in their pictures very, very quickly.

The third is 'Hands Off'. Don't be a touchy feely photographer bending someone's head into a pose. learn to verbalize your instructions in a manner that gets your subjects to trust your ability and to relax.

Sorry, you only asked for three.

I hope you find this useful and instructive.