How to Become a Sales Hunter

There are all a lot of titles for sales professionals, including account executive, account manager, sales representative, sales development rep, or business development rep. In the financial industry, a lot of salespeople have the title of vice president because the industry wants them to be peers with a higher level of client in B2B sales.

Outside of their titles, there are other terms we use to describe salespeople. These terms are never found on the salesperson's business card, but they speak to the work the salesperson does and their temperament or their nature.

• Sales hunter: A sales hunter is responsible for winning new clients. (Sales leaders love to hire sales hunters.)
• Sales farmer: A sales farmer is generally responsible for managing a large client.

While both roles are important, this article will provide you with a list of ways you can become a sales hunter.

The Responsibilities and Traits of a Sales Hunter

The primary responsibility of a sales hunter is to win new clients, the net new business that produces net new revenue. Sales hunters are likely to be full-cycle sales reps, responsible for doing their own prospecting, and managing a deal from first meeting to the signing ceremony.

Most sales hunter adalah love the thrill of the chase and the challenge of pursuing a client, especially a large one. However, sales hunters are not known for being good at serving the client after they acquire their business. They would prefer to prospect and meet with contacts instead of solving client problems or taking orders.

Sales hunters are self-starters and have high levels of intrinsic motivation. They never need to be motivated to do their work. They are more comfortable with the commercial conflict that makes other salespeople uncomfortable. They are also excellent at the sales conversation. Part of this aptitude comes from their high number of meetings. Hunters are subject matter experts in their industry.

You must do a lot of work to become a sales hunter.

Sales Hunters and Prospecting

The first thing you need to do to become a sales hunter adalah is to spend an inordinate amount of time prospecting, relying heavily on the telephone to create first meetings with prospective clients. Sales hunters have no reluctance in making cold calls and they never complain about having to prospect.

If you watch a sales hunter work, you notice they go from one phone call to another. No one must ever ask them to hunt because it is what they enjoy about being in sales. Salespeople with an allergic reaction to the telephone and cold calling must change their beliefs about sales and get comfortable calling their prospects if they want to be hunters.

The first step in becoming a sales hunter adalah is to prioritize prospecting, particularly cold calling.

The Outcomes of Sales Hunters

B2B sales comprise two parts. The first part is creating new opportunities, and the second is pursuing and winning them. A sales hunter has the competencies and skills to manage both parts.

Prospecting is how sales hunters book first meetings. Their insight and experience allow them to use value-creation strategies to convert the first meeting into a second. These salespeople are more skilled at the sales process because they talk to their prospective clients and waste less time on the distractions other salespeople allow to steal their focus.

The sales hunter, however, has the full complement of skills to handle the entire sales conversation. They're able to help their clients with the sales hunting strategies & conversations that are necessary to improve their results. They're also able to gain the commitments that move their prospective client and their company forward, eventually winning their business.

To become a sales hunter having sales hunting strategies, you must be able to win new client logos, the net new business every sales organization needs.

What Prevents You from Becoming a Sales Hunter

Any aversion to prospecting, particularly cold calling, will prevent you from being a sales hunter. You cannot be a hunter without being willing to hunt. This is a critical factor in becoming a hunter, but prospecting alone isn't enough.

The inability to schedule a first meeting will preclude you from being a sales hunter. The first meeting is an audition to assess your ability to help your prospective client produce the better outcomes they need. If you deliver a weak first meeting, the number of prospects who agree to meet with you again will be limited.

Remember, a first meeting doesn't indicate you have an opportunity. A second meeting may prove you have created a new sales opportunity, especially if your contacts agree to meet a third time and suggest they bring in the task group responsible for the initiative to improve their results.

To become a sales hunter, you must be able to lead your client, help them build consensus, and ensure they know what they need to do to improve their business. You'll also need to be a subject matter expert with the authority to create a sense of certainty on the part of your client, a concept we call being One-Up. Being One-Up is a critical factor in becoming a sales hunter.

Why Sales Leaders Love Sales Hunters

Sales leaders love sales hunters’ drive to win new business. Hunters have the skills and confidence to handle the entire sales process, from prospecting and cold calling to closing the deal. They are comfortable with the commercial conflict inherent in sales and can create value for their clients. Sales hunters understand the importance of building trust with their clients and will invest the time and energy needed to build lasting relationships. Sales hunters are highly motivated, self-sufficient, and have the capacity to take on large deals.

How to Start Becoming a Sales Hunter

To become a sales hunter, you must begin by focusing on prospecting and cold calling. Spend an inordinate amount of time on the phone talking to prospective clients and scheduling first meetings. You must also develop a deep understanding of your industry and be able to demonstrate expertise and authority. Additionally, you must be able to build trust with your clients and have the skills to lead them as they work to improve their results. Finally, you must be highly motivated and self-sufficient, so you can take on large deals.