The “hunter & gatherer” idea is absolute nonsense!
The “hunter & gatherer” idea is absolute nonsense!
Quite seriously, almost all of the so-called hunters I have met are average at even basic selling, although they are usually thicker skinned than their gatherer brethren…meaning they can keep going in spite of knock backs almost every time they go to market. For example, I was talking to some hunter types that work for a company that sells a procurement service (sourcing stationery, IT consumables, canteen and janitorial suppliers, etc.), and when I asked why a prospect should buy from their company, they said “We can fill orders 95% of the time.” Compelling stuff! I also worked with this company’s account managers (gatherers) and they didn’t even consider that they had a selling role to perform! They somehow perceived their jobs to be concerned with providing account information, solving problems, etc., all of which is fine, but they did not have any training or tools to build business in a proactive manner…relying instead on ‘the relationship’ or the weakness of rival suppliers to produce more sales and account growth. Pity the customers!
Selling, at the first point of contact and throughout all stages of working with customers, is supposed to consistently add value, and therefore involves a service…not an exercise in bravado and the gift of the gab, or just regular calls. By ‘value’ I mean finding ways to improve business results for the customer, which might refer to performance improvement, cost or staff time reduction, etc., and the achievement of this worthy goal happens when sales people, by any title, are armed with ideas and not just products and service. If the customers could add their view to this debate, this is what they would say: “Products cost us money; ideas make us money.”
When sales people are equipped with good ideas, on a continuous basis, they develop a natural desire to let customers and prospects know about such valuable knowledge. This is, and always has been, the basis for what selling is all about: effective knowledge transfer! The spread of creative, constructive information by sales people is a serious business challenge, not an exercise in using lightweight sales techniques. For years and years, people in selling have been fed a diet of drivel, concerning the need to set goals, think positive, handle objections, aim for success, don’t take no for an answer, up-sell, cross-sell, use spin, ask open or closed questions, watch for buying signals, close the sale, etc. I have been in sales all of my business life, from retailing to cadet rep work and then on to major account management, and from state to national management…and I have never had cause to use traditional sales techniques of any kind. And as for goal setting, this to me is the same as breathing, and thinking positive belongs to people who accept accountability for their results. The conclusion then is hunt the gatherers and remove them, and then gather up the hunters and ask them to gather elsewhere!
I received a call only days ago from a man I know that is considered to be a top performer for one of the multi-level marketing companies…and in a effort to ‘recruit’ me to a new organization he said ‘I’ve started with a new networking company; are you interested to find out more?’ See what I mean!
The hunter gatherer idea is absolute nonsense - To learn more about this author, visit John Lees's Website.
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The concept of hunter & gatherer seems logical, and indeed many organizations use this business development philosophy as a way of life. In simple terms the idea suggests that one will find business and the other will develop business and take care of it. The reality however is that most hunter types have no idea how to gather, and just about all of the gatherers have no idea how to hunt. The concept might work in the jungle or the outback, but it is the opposite of what is needed in the area called business. For example, imagine being sold to by someone who has no interest in what happens after the first, small foot in the door sale. Worst still, imagine that after the first purchase you have to live ever after with an account manager who couldn’t lead in silent prayer!
Quite seriously, almost all of the so-called hunters I have met are average at even basic selling, although they are usually thicker skinned than their gatherer brethren…meaning they can keep going in spite of knock backs almost every time they go to market. For example, I was talking to some hunter types that work for a company that sells a procurement service (sourcing stationery, IT consumables, canteen and janitorial suppliers, etc.), and when I asked why a prospect should buy from their company, they said “We can fill orders 95% of the time.” Compelling stuff! I also worked with this company’s account managers (gatherers) and they didn’t even consider that they had a selling role to perform! They somehow perceived their jobs to be concerned with providing account information, solving problems, etc., all of which is fine, but they did not have any training or tools to build business in a proactive manner…relying instead on ‘the relationship’ or the weakness of rival suppliers to produce more sales and account growth. Pity the customers!
Selling, at the first point of contact and throughout all stages of working with customers, is supposed to consistently add value, and therefore involves a service…not an exercise in bravado and the gift of the gab, or just regular calls. By ‘value’ I mean finding ways to improve business results for the customer, which might refer to performance improvement, cost or staff time reduction, etc., and the achievement of this worthy goal happens when sales people, by any title, are armed with ideas and not just products and service. If the customers could add their view to this debate, this is what they would say: “Products cost us money; ideas make us money.”
When sales people are equipped with good ideas, on a continuous basis, they develop a natural desire to let customers and prospects know about such valuable knowledge. This is, and always has been, the basis for what selling is all about: effective knowledge transfer! The spread of creative, constructive information by sales people is a serious business challenge, not an exercise in using lightweight sales techniques. For years and years, people in selling have been fed a diet of drivel, concerning the need to set goals, think positive, handle objections, aim for success, don’t take no for an answer, up-sell, cross-sell, use spin, ask open or closed questions, watch for buying signals, close the sale, etc. I have been in sales all of my business life, from retailing to cadet rep work and then on to major account management, and from state to national management…and I have never had cause to use traditional sales techniques of any kind. And as for goal setting, this to me is the same as breathing, and thinking positive belongs to people who accept accountability for their results. The conclusion then is hunt the gatherers and remove them, and then gather up the hunters and ask them to gather elsewhere!
I received a call only days ago from a man I know that is considered to be a top performer for one of the multi-level marketing companies…and in a effort to ‘recruit’ me to a new organization he said ‘I’ve started with a new networking company; are you interested to find out more?’ See what I mean!
The hunter gatherer idea is absolute nonsense - To learn more about this author, visit John Lees's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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