I recently stumbled upon an infographic that prompted me to reflect. It separates sales representatives into two roles: The hunter is crucial for acquiring new customers, while the farmer plays a vital role in retaining and nurturing those customers. In my experience, sales reps often exhibit an uneven blend of both traits rather than strictly aligning with one role. However, I believe it's crucial to be mindful of which aspect better suits the requirements of the role when making hiring decisions. What are your thoughts on this?
Great post, Matt! I see hybrids out there, people with their own mix of extrovert/introvert, hunter/gatherer. Sales execs with deep knowledge and insights, customer success officers with closing skills and sales managers with wisdom and creativity who nurture all types.
Good callout, Nern! I have both on my team and would consider my top two sellers a hunter and a farmer. They both do the same job, but differently, with similar revenue every quarter. I always struggle trying to get people to 'be both' because that's how I got where I am today. Farming in the morning and hunting at night.
I think this infographic is spot on, and the ability to identify these characteristics in the interview process could prevent hiring the right talent for the wrong role.
Great post!
This is great! You always have the best posts that hit home! Keep sharing!
Account Executive at CrossCheck, Inc.
9moI remember when I hired you to be my Hunter! Remember the "list" of questions you had? Great post buddy!