people matters
| david esler
Who’s on your
sales team
Hunters & farmers
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I
kaizen executive
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n my article in the Autumn edition of Windows, I spoke about Sales Force Effectiveness
and the top five steps that can make sales people effective in the field. These steps
are foundational and a must-do if you are going to be successful at selling.
For those of you who are Sales Managers, another critical aspect of managing a
successful sales team is understanding “who’s on your team” and “where they fit in”
to the sales environment, particularly with regards to in field customer selling. From a
management perspective, understanding the different sales profiles you may have in
your team and where to focus their attention is critical.
David Esler is the
Principal of Kaizen
Executive. Contact
David on 0420
905 580 or visit his
website at www.
I am sure you have all heard the terms “hunters” and “farmers” when talking about
different types of sales people and that they have very different approaches to selling.
For those of you who haven’t, or need a quick refresher, here’s a quick overview:
These people derive their sales energy out of the thrill of the “hunt” for a new
opportunity. They are often consultative sales people who innately find opportunities
(even when there doesn’t appear to be one) within a prospect, and then develop
solutions within your offering that meets a specific need. They are good networkers
and very independent. They generate a buzz and excitement in selling, but they are
not always good at follow-through and often lack focus.
kaizenexec.com.au
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Quite different in their approach, farmers are sales people that build and cultivate
relationships and opportunities, typically within existing accounts. Farmers are the
type of sales people who turn a customer from good to great by the nature of their
relationship and the loyalty they gain from their efforts. They nurture. They collaborate.
They are team players. Remember thou