Have you ever heard of sales personalities?
There’s no question that there are entrepreneurs out there who are naturally better at finding and making sales. That said, I also believe that ANYONE can get good at making sales with the right amount of practice, and working with the right kind of people.
In the sales community there are terms that people use to describe the different types of sales personalities that exist.
Put simply, Hunters are the individuals who are highly independent and self-driven and are willing to go out and look for new sales. They love the thrill of the chase!
You individuals who are the Hunters, you are just a small percentage of the population.
As for Farmers, they are the salespeople that are more detail oriented. They do a better job at tending to existing customers and growing them into the highest yielding accounts.
Now, you’re probably thinking that I’d tell you that being a Hunter is the better of the two, but you’d be 100% wrong!
Truthfully, there is no better than having a little bit of both sales personalities in you 🙂
One caveat, if you are at a point in your business where you can’t hire someone to fill the role of the hunter or farmer (depending on what you are), there are ways that you can enhance the skills you have so that you fill both roles, while you bootstrap.
I’m a Hunter. I don’t know if that surprises anyone, if you know me well enough it probably doesn’t, but I definitely need the help from others to help balance everything out. Those people that manage my existing client details and the other behind the scenes details, that I’m not as great at or don’t enjoy as much as Hunting.
I take and make several sales calls a day. It’s a big part of what I do, but I LOVE that! I get hyped up every time I’m about to get on a call with someone new and different, or even if I’m catching up with someone I’ve worked with in the past.
I love getting the opportunity to interview some of the biggest entrepreneurs out there and urge them to share some of their biggest failures so that you can see that we all fail, in order to succeed.
However, want to know what I’m not as good at?
Creating the content that goes with the podcast. I have someone who helps me write the blogs and show notes, and then I review them, adding my personal touch where needed.
It might not seem important, but that content that is created allows The Pitch Queen brand to reach more people, because not everyone listens to audio. That help behind the scenes helps me grow and change my business even more!!
Hunters Find Something and Go In for the Kill
A guest on Success Unfiltered, Sean Roach, considers himself to be a Hunter. He is great at going out and getting the sale, but he admits that where he struggles is the nuance of things. Making sure to dot the i’s or cross the t’s, that’s where a Farmer comes in.
For his college research paper Sean, asked 100 different professionals, doctors, attorneys, owners of resorts, whether they thought they sold.
The overwhelming response from these people was YES! They said things like, “I’m constantly selling,” or “Oh my god, of course I sell.”
Then, Sean went and asked 500 hundred college students who fell into the same categories as the professionals whether they thought they were selling and it was amazing how many of those individuals said NO they were not selling, or that they would never sell, or I don’t like selling.
The contrast of the people that were in the current industry and have been there for awhile, especially those that have been successful, to those that were new, was unbelievable. The seasoned sales people understood that you’re always selling, even if you’re just working to build relationships.
It’s interesting that learning how to sell, and learning that you’re a Hunter seems to come after you’ve had some experience with sales.
Riches are in the Niches
Alright, so if you think you fall on the Farmer side of these sales personalities, you might be wondering how there’s hope for you, right?
I mean, if you don’t live to go out and hunt for the sale, how can you possibly build a thriving business?
There is hope, though, I promise!!
Sean Roach recommends that, THE BEST thing you can do for yourself is define your niche. Figure out what your niche is and then narrow it further so that it only feels about an inch-wide. Get super specific! SO specific that it scares people because THEY think they have to be generic.
Why will this work?
Well, the first reason is, if you’ve zeroed in on your niche, and it is super narrow, then it is likely you are doing something that you are passionate about.
It becomes very easy to go out and talk to others about what you do, and try help a lot of people to make sales when you love your work on a deep soul level.
Our minds are programmed to solve problems, so if you identify someone who is having trouble within your niche, you’re more likely to step-out of our comfort zone and approach them and be of service. It just feels right, and it doesn’t feel like work and nor does it feel like selling!
The second reason is, if you are laser-focused on your niche, people who need what you offer, will find you. Friends, family, co-workers, will be able to easily refer you when someone is looking for help with the problem you solve.
Once again, you’re not having to put in the heavy duty work of going out and finding sales because people are coming to you.
If you’re a Farmer, that probably sounds pretty awesome, right!?
In Conclusion
Understanding sales personalities can help you on your way to success. But whether you’re a Hunter or a Farmer, you can’t keep going, trying to make a living off of being told NO. You must go out and try new things!
If you’ve been focused on one sale, maybe try finding someone else to try and work with to help solve their problems.
Or, if you’ve been zeroed in on one niche, and nothing is happening, consider going a different direction, as long as you still love what you’re doing.
Go out and put one thing into action, today!
