Issued by: SALESGURU Publishing


In sales we often refer to hunters and farmers to represent the two polar opposites in salespeople, and while that may never have been strictly true, it does highlight something critical: some people are literally driven by the quest for new business, and some are far more comfortable maintaining and expanding the business they already have. The news however is that companies are becoming increasingly less interested in pure farmers and are leaning far more heavily toward hunter/farmer hybrids. Whether the brief is to hunt brand new customers or to hunt within existing accounts, the ultimate command is the same: go hunting, and bring back something exciting. Here's how to do that.

Hunters are relentless go-getters
The best thing about hunters is that they bring in business, consistently, for their company, says Veronica Haupt, Head of eBilling Sales, Striata. “Closing deals. That's what it is all about.” That comes at a price however, she says. “By nature, hunters are out-the-box thinkers and can be disruptive, rule-breakers, or the odd ones out. A big mistake companies make is to try to squeeze their hunters into the company mould or culture which can cramp [a hunter's] style and lead to poor performance.”

Hunters set high standards for themselves
Hunters aren't satisfied with ‘good'. They want ‘great'. They want the whole order, every time, and they are willing to work for it. “Hunters have as passion for selling - and being successful at it. A successful negotiation is one where all parties concerned are satisfied with the outcome 100%, and hunters know that,” says Tian Liebenberg, National Sales Manager of Finweek. “Hunters are not people that close deals at any expense - they appreciate the value of long-term relationships and have the drive to determine what keeps their clients/prospects up at night. The motivation for a hunter is not necessarily the money. Willing hunters earn good money regardless of where they find themselves. If a hunter has a choice of industries that offer the same earning potential, they will choose the one where the values and ideals of the company resonate with their own.”

Hunters are master-planners
Successful hunting requires a certain breed of salesperson, and it is definitely not for just anybody, according to Andy Reid, boss of Vespa South Africa. “Successful hunting takes a lot of planning and prioritisation and a clear vision of how you want to control the outcome of each contact before you even initiate it. Successful hunters do not go into anything haphazardly; they have preset expectations for the hunting contact, whether it is a phone call or a business meeting or you meet them at a dinner party. You can apply this [discipline] to any place of business, casual or formal, and it is a unique beast. I would say this probably only resides with the top 10% of top salespeople so it is not for the feint hearted.”

Farmers are hunters too
“There is often debate around hunters vs. farmers, but a good farmer is always hunting in their accounts,” says Striata's Haupt. “If a farmer cannot hunt, they are not a good farmer. To me, a successful account manager has to have both qualities. This makes them even rarer creatures to find and explains why they are often the highest-paid people in the company.”

Hunters are farmers too
Conventional wisdom says that hunters tend to lack in back-office, admin and relationship skills what they own in new business sourcing. According to Haupt however, in this day and age, a good hunter cannot afford to be bad at anything. “They have to be disciplined about admin. A good hunter is organised and plans properly. You cannot sell in an organised and efficient way without your admin being in order. So while it may not be a natural strength, hunters need to develop the skill,” she says.

Failing to do so is what Vespa's Reid describes as “the worst thing a hunter can do.” “Poor execution and bad follow-up are just so silly. You have done the hard part. If your follow-up and your back end are weak, that is the worst thing you can do,” he says.

But admin and follow-up aren't the only farmer-like things that hunters need to master, according to Haupt. “Hunters are constantly building relationships, both within existing accounts and all around them. A good hunter knows that their best prospect is an existing, happy customer, so they constantly work at maintaining and growing existing relationships. Because they are always looking for opportunities, they need to interact in a positive way with people around them. You cannot develop trust relationships with people if you are inconsistent or bad at building relationships,” she says. “A good hunter knows that their next sale could come from the most unexpected place, so they keep building relationships. You may land up selling to someone you knew years ago; or to your son's school friend's husband. When hunters change jobs, their best source of new sales is their existing network. So a good hunter constantly works on relationships.”

“Hunters also understand the importance of good relationships with colleagues. They often need to get things done by other people internally for their clients and the best hunters ensure that their internal relationships are good, so that when they request things to be done, the people internally do them willingly,” says Haupt.

Hunters are flexible and nimble-thinkers
Hunters have to be confident about probing the client, inviting ‘blue sky' conversations, even though those conversations can go absolutely anywhere, says Vespa's Reid. “You need to flexibly control all conversations, and that is an extremely skilled thing to get right. Hunters know that if they don't try and push and probe a little further, they will only limit themselves. There is business absolutely everywhere and they don't think in terms of limitations. I don't know if you can train that sort of behaviour. Doing it well is instinct; a gift from the universe. Of course, anyone can do it badly.”

Hunters choose sales as a life-long career
Hunters have an understanding and appreciation for where their efforts fit into the bigger picture and the value that they add, according to Finweek's Liebenberg. “Hunters seek career excellence, and not necessarily promotion. They are confident in their abilities, and don't measure their success by the number of steps they've climbed on the company ladder. Hunters chose selling as their careers, and do not see selling as a stepping stone to ‘something greater'. The challenge for the employer is to offer an environment and platform where hunters can feel free and comfortable to operate.”

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[2 Jun 2008 17:10]

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