Ways To Prospect

You can look anywhere and find many ways to prospect for a customer, but if your going through a job interview employers tend to be very dramatic and tend to get stuck on a few key words. For example, Hunter, Gather, Farmer, Trapper. (Hey, we are moving up in the world).

So let’s start with the basics: What is.

The Hunter

Hunter: Yep, you guessed it! Named after what Adam and Eve did in the garden when hungry (no not that).. They hunted. They did other things to pass time, but that’s another topic. Anyways, Hunting is the first step in finding prospects to sell to. They have a specific type of personality. They are the type of people that are highly motivated and are constantly on the go. They are in one house and out of the other or from one business to another. They are in a constant state of movement. They generally like to work alone, but when paired correctly can be exciting to watch. (it’s a good competition really.) I normally thought that they were motivated by money, but recently I ran into a couple who could seriously care less. They mainly have a buy right her right now attitude. When the answer is no, they move on and forget about you. They generally are very fast closers but go through a lot of prospects fast. Remember, There are exceptions to every rule and interestingly the world is starting to change. Hmm Change….. General Motivation- bonus on top of commission.

The Farmer

Correct, good guess, this was a collaboration between the Plymouth Colony and Squanto because England could farm corn to save their ass. This history is true, but that is not how it got its name. Farmer’s sow seeds and reap a harvest. They are great for account management and upselling. If they are in an outside territory, they will work the same territory over and over again and slowly, I mean I have seen snails move faster than the way they grow their territory. They are more focused on building relationships and customer retention, than expanding territory. Personality wise they are more laid back; they can build a very strong rapport. They generally don’t close business quickly and they can’t stand hunting. General motivation- work life balance. They hit numbers, send them home early and pay them.

Trappers

This group really emerged when the internet hit full blast. They give prospects a reason to make the first move and come to them. They strategically place ads, write emails, gather case studies, testimonials, and bring it to the prospect in a means of inspiring them to do business. They are very creative. Trappers really start to integrate with Marketing.

They know how to generate leads without knocking on doors and making cold calls. They hate hunting and they don’t mind farming. They are generally among the quieter types of personalities. General Motivation- Pay them well, then Leave them alone and let them do their thing.

Gathers

Gathers: This is my own category, and the name fits for early history as well. Have you ever run into someone that can get you all the information on a company or lead. They can build Rapport faster than anyone and seem to make friends everywhere they go. The life of the party, they have a huge network following, but they can’t close a sale to save their life. They are a type of Hunter, but much less aggressive. A lead generator if you will. Don’t fire them pay them a decent salary and let them be your introductory person and partner them with someone who can close. Companies don’t like them because they have to pay 2 people that they can generally pay one for, but sometimes you come across one that is worth the cost. They generally make good appointment setters and customer service reps. Personality wise they are Even keel don’t rock the boat type of people. General Motivation- work life balance. Pay them a decent salary and let them work their 40 hours and then go home.

And yes my Dog- Skye is the life of the party.