Obviously first and foremost, a locksmith needs to have the physical and technical skills necessary to make keys, open locks, and fix client problems. But those basic skills are, in a sense, table stakes; with so many options for locksmiths available to consumers today, the effective locksmith needs to bring other skills and sensibilities as well.
They require patience and good emotional intelligence; a locksmith is often dealing with customers in an extremely stressful or frustrating experience, so they need to have the right emotional skills to get the job moving smoothly.
They need to be ready to respond to requests quickly to ensure a fast response time and use agility to react quickly when a fluid situation involving a lock or key changes, demanding a different response than the locksmith had initially anticipated.
It also critical for locksmiths to be able to work in a mobile fashion, which means getting accustomed to making keys and opening locks in some unusual situations and environments, even in the midst of a busy street, without losing their cool.