The 4 Traits of Top Shop Salespeople

Hiring the right salespeople can be the difference between growing your print shop or watching sales stagnate. The right team will consistently bring in new customers, nurture long-term relationships, and drive revenue. But hiring the wrong people? That can lead to missed opportunities, wasted time, and lost sales. After hiring hundreds (and interviewing thousands) of sales professionals over my career, I’ve learned that experience alone isn’t enough—there are key traits that separate top-performing salespeople from the rest. Whether you’re hiring your first rep or expanding your sales team, here are four essential traits to look for and a few interview questions.

1. Drive: The Fire to Win Sales is tough. To succeed, a salesperson must have the intrinsic motivation to push forward, set goals, and go the extra mile all without needing constant supervision. In our industry, this could mean relentlessly pursuing new clients, proactively following up on quotes, or upselling customers with creative solutions. The best salespeople don’t just want to hit revenue goals, they want to exceed it.

   Interview Questions: What motivates you to succeed in sales? (Look for intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators.) Tell me about a time when you had to push yourself to achieve a goal. What did you do to reach it?

2. Resilience: Handling Rejection and Staying Focused Rejection is a part of sales, especially in the print industry, where customers might shop around for pricing, hesitate on orders, or change their minds at the last minute. The best sales professionals don’t take rejection personally; they learn, adapt, and move on to the next opportunity. Your salespeople need to have the ability to bounce back quickly and remain confident, even after a tough rejection.

   Interview Questions: Tell me about a time you faced repeated rejection in sales. How did you handle it? What’s the toughest sale you’ve ever had to make? What made it difficult, and how did you push through?

3. Accountability: Owning Results, Good or Bad Great salespeople don’t make excuses. They own their results, analyze what worked (or didn’t), and adjust their approach to improve. Customer relationships and referrals are key, so accountability is everything. A sales rep who blames external factors—pricing, the economy, the competition—without looking at their own process is unlikely to improve. Instead, you need someone who actively seeks solutions and takes responsibility for their performance.

   Interview Questions: When you miss a sales target, what do you believe is the primary reason? (Look for self-reflection vs. blaming external factors.) Give me an example of a deal you lost. What did you learn from it?

4. Active Listening: Understanding Customer Needs Sales isn’t just about pitching—it’s about listening and problem-solving. Most customers don’t just buy products; they buy solutions for their uniforms, branding, events, or marketing campaigns. A great sales rep listens carefully, picks up on subtle needs, and customizes their approach. Instead of pushing a generic offer, they suggest the right blanks, colors, designs, and printing methods based on what the customer truly needs.

   Interview Questions: Tell me about a time when a prospect told you something unexpected during a sales conversation. How did you respond? Describe a time when you turned a hesitant or skeptical prospect into a customer. How did you do it?

   Hiring for Sales Success In shops, salespeople success isn’t just about having a polished resume.

   It’s about finding people who are: ✔ Driven to win and succeed ✔ Resilient in the face of rejection ✔ Accountable for their performance ✔ Active listeners who understand customer needs.

   Asking the right questions during interviews can help you identify these traits and build a high-performing sales team that consistently delivers results.