Find the Hunters vs. the Farmers at Asher Corporate Sales Training Seminars in Washington DC
Most sales organizations benefit from having two distinct divisions: inside sales and outside sales. A typical setup is where the inside salespeople receive the inbound leads from the corporate marketing team’s efforts, while the outside salespeople go out and “hunt” for the business through personal visits, networking, and cold calling.
Sales organizations in the nation’s capital are no exception, and corporate sales training seminars in Washington DC should address both kinds of salespeople. But how can you, the manager or executive find out which is which? Here are some characteristics to look for.
Hunters are restless; Farmers are happy sitting still
They say stereotypes are bad, and maybe they are in most cases, but one observable trait in manyoutside sales hunters is that they like to be in the field to “go after the business.” Farmers prefer to nurture the leads that come to them. So if you are trying to organize corporate sales training seminars in Washington DC just for farmers, you might look for those on the team who seem to enjoy staying in the office and working with prospects over the phone. For hunters, pick the one who don’t mind driving around paying personal visits to local businesses in order to drum up a lead.
Farmers tend to be more empathetic; Hunters are more goal oriented
Let me be clear that both types of salespeople build relationships and pursue goals. However, farmers tend to take a more empathetic approach with prospects, while hunters tend to close aggressively. Neither approach is better than the other; in fact, you need both in your organization for maximum success. Some prospects hate being pressured so much that only a patient farmer could ever hope to get a sale from them. Good corporate sales training seminars in Washington DC recognize the value of having both types within your sales force.
Both seek the approval of others
One trait both salespeople possess is the desire for approval or admiration of others. The farmer wants others to like him or her because he or she genuinely likes people and enjoys human connections. The hunter also likes people, but especially likes when they recognize his or her achievements.A warm human connection is not quite so vital. The best corporate sales training programs in Washington DC will therefore treat hunters and farmers slightly differently in order to play to their strengths.
How the APQ can help you identify which is which
The above are rough guidelines, just to give you a few broad characteristics. Like any other guidelines, there are exceptions – especially with a subject as nuanced as human behavior. It is hard to find hunters versus famers just by looking at and talking to people. That’s where the Advanced Personality Questionnaire (APQ) comes in.
The APQ removes a lot of ambiguity from the selection process, clearly identifying the farmers and the hunters – or those who would be better off in another line of work altogether. It is fast, affordable, and proven to correlate to real world performance.
To find out more about the APQ, or how our corporate sales training seminars in Washington DC helps both farmers and hunters, contact us today.
