Business Development: Hunter or Farmer....Stay in Your Lane

Business Development / Networking is an art not a science. Sure, most business developers that are successful have a methodology that works for them that is a mix of strategy, specific skill sets and experience but rarely do you chase down a lead or opportunity in the same way twice. Why? Because it depends on many factors. Hence, the art part..... Ever wonder why some are very successful at BD and others really struggle? It really comes down to the fact that most people when it comes to developing business and networking successfully are hunters. Those that aren’t hunters and struggle are what we sometimes refer to as farmers. Both play key roles in developing relationships and business but at different stages and in different ways.

[Photo Credit: The Pink Soapbox]

So what is a hunter. When talking about BD & Networking, I see them as the individuals that thrive on the hunt and uncovering a lead first before the competition. They are high stakes competitors that artfully AND strategically go about finding the next “big one”. They are well connected because they enjoy networking and find it a stimulating exercise to connect the dots of where to turn next and who to follow up with first in the game of finding a lead, qualifying it and turning it in to a real client opportunity. Farmers may feel a little bit of dread when hearing the word #networking but will put on a brave face and soldier on.

A farmer plays an important role as well. They typically have a stronger skill set at long term detailed client management of nitty gritty details related to day in and day out issues. They are strategic as well but in a different way. Many times sales and business development professionals are simultaneously in both roles which for some or many can be troublesome and often challenging if they are not skilled at driving business in both “lanes”.

There are some individuals that can blur the lines and balance both pretty well but chances are if you ask them in which role they feel most comfortable it will be one or the other. The thing about it is developing business, networking your way to a full leads pipeline, finding your way to the decision maker, successfully navigating a prospect from lead to customer opportunity, interfacing with a client team, putting an RFP or pricing together, keeping the client engaged through the process and ultimately closing the sale is a team effort. You need both to complete the picture to be a true partner with your client.

Both hunters and farmers play critical roles. If you are doing both in your position you have to be able to wear both hats well. If not, you will struggle. Knowing your best skills is half the battle along with your manager or leader you report to on the daily. Putting a farmer out there to be a hunter is setting them up to fail. However, you can train and coach a farmer to be able to find success in a hunter role but it won’t necessarily feel comfortable or natural. By the same token, if you force a hunter in to a farmer role they too can be trained and coached but it will take time to feel comfortable and become adept at the level of detail needed typically for this role and they may feel stifled affecting their overall performance. There are always exceptions to these rules but over my 25 plus year career in sales and business development I have found these principles to be true the majority of the time.

Finally, an important component to closing the sale is for the hunter and farmer to understand the importance of the role each play. Each must value what the other does and their skills because chances are if you are finding success you have found the proper lane to be in but without a team mentality it will be hard to move things forward.

Think of it in this way. When putting together a puzzle you have your outside straight edges that make up the foundation or framework for the rest of the puzzle to be able to be put together. The inside of that framework is where you come up with different combinations to connect the pieces that ultimately allow you to finish and complete the puzzle with success. You need the framework to build off of to be successful in bringing it all together. Same holds true in the relationship between hunters and farmers on a team. It’s about balance with a team approach. Let the hunters do their jobs, let the farmers do theirs and support each other in their roles and the value proposition each bring to the table. By the way , if you think you are in the wrong lane don’t be afraid to step out and experiment. It won’t take long for you to figure out if you are where you should be or its time to head back to the place where your skills can best be utilized.

XO & #StayCurious