BOSTON-Humorist Robert Benchley once said that we are all human, and that is why there are erasers on the ends of pencils. We all make mistakes. The important thing is to walk away from them a bit smarter than we were beforehand.

That's Steve Woelfel's message. In his six years at Cushman & Wakefield, where he is currently leasing director, he's become a better professional in part because he learned from the mis-steps that are bound to happen to all of us.

Woelfel, 31, actually graduated Providence (RI) College with an English major, intent on becoming a teacher. As careers will, his took a few twists and after a stint at John Hancock, he landed at C&W.

It's often tough to talk about the things we do wrong, and Woelfel is frank in sharing his hard-won lessons with GlobeSt.com readers in hopes that you might circumvent the same traps he fell into (Hint: #4 is the only one he says he didn't make himself.)

His 5 Must-Avoid actions all have a common theme: Naïve assumption, whether it's your assumptions about your level of expertise or about the market. So, to help other young professionals circumvent some critical pitfalls and in so doing take a short cut to a more professional reputation, here are Woelfel's List of 5 Don'ts:

1) Know Before You Go. “Never make a prospecting call without having a strong understanding of your market and the opportunities that you can provide this potential prospect,” says Woelfel. “It's far more important to take the time to understand your market before trying to solicit business.”

2) Dollars & Sense. “Never try to prospect without an understanding of the financial piece of the business,” he warns. “We need to provide value to our client instead of simply getting a transaction done. A young broker needs to understand the cost/benefit analysis of any proposed lease or sale.”

3) It's Not Over Until the Paperwork Is Done. “Never assume that a deal is complete until there is a fully executed lease,” Woelfel warns. “There were several occasions where I had a signed Letter of Intent and the deal fell apart shortly thereafter. It's never done until the lease is fully executed.”

4)Go Team! “It is all about the team,” Woelfel urges young professionals to remember. “Never think that this is an individual sport or that you're out on an island. Leverage your team and your platform.”

5) Finally, To Assume Is to Make an Ass . . . . “Never assume that business is going to fall into your lap,” says the director. “It's important to always be prospecting, networking and working smarter each day.”