How to Hire the Right Mix of Sales Hunters and Farmers to Maximize Performance

As a sales leader, one of your most critical tasks is assembling a team of top-performing reps to drive revenue growth. But not all talented salespeople are created equal. Decades of research points to a key distinction between two primary types of sales reps: hunters and farmers.

While "sales hunter" and "sales farmer" are broad archetypes, understanding the differences between these two profiles is crucial for hiring and managing a well-rounded, highly effective sales organization.

In this in-depth guide, we‘ll break down the core characteristics of hunters vs. farmers, share data-backed strategies for identifying each type during the hiring process, and provide actionable tips for managing a team with a mix of these personalities to maximize results.

Hunters vs. Farmers: What the Data Says

The concept of hunters and farmers in sales has been around for ages, but what does the research actually tell us about these two distinct rep types? Several studies in recent years have shed light on the key personality differences between hunting and farming salespeople:

Hunters are promotion-focused

A study published in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management found that salespeople who are promotion-focused—meaning they are driven by achieving goals and reaping rewards—tend to exhibit hunter traits. Specifically, promotion-focused reps are:

• 28% more likely to take risks to close a deal
• 32% more likely to thrive in autonomous, unstructured selling environments
• 26% more motivated by financial incentives and public recognition

Sound like a hunter you know? Promotion focus is a core trait of reps who live for the thrill of the chase and the glory of the win.

Farmers are prevention-focused

On the other hand, the same study revealed that prevention-focused reps—those driven by minimizing mistakes and maintaining the status quo—align closely with the typical farmer profile. Compared to their hunter counterparts, prevention-focused reps are:

• 41% more likely to excel at nurturing long-term customer relationships
• 35% more comfortable working in complex, highly regulated industries
• 29% more motivated by job security and opportunities for advancement

If you‘ve ever known a rep who takes great pride in being a trusted advisor to their customers, you‘ve likely encountered a prevention-focused farmer.

The table below sums up some of the key differences between promotion-focused hunters and prevention-focused farmers:

Trait	Hunters (Promotion-Focused)	Farmers (Prevention-Focused)
Risk tolerance	High	Low
Selling style	Aggressive, persistent	Methodical, relationship-oriented
Motivators	Closing deals, hitting goals	Retaining customers, avoiding mistakes
Strengths	Prospecting, cold outreach	Account management, problem-solving
Ideal environment	Fast-paced, autonomous	Complex, process-oriented

Of course, these are broad generalizations and most reps exist on a spectrum between the extremes of pure hunter and pure farmer. The key is to understand these distinct motivational profiles and hire based on the needs of your specific sales roles and go-to-market strategy.

How to Spot Hunters and Farmers When Hiring

Equipped with a clear picture of hunter and farmer traits, how do you go about identifying these rep types during the hiring process? By optimizing your interview approach and selection criteria, you can efficiently pinpoint promising hunter and farmer candidates.

Look for hunters who:

• Highlight measurable wins and revenue results on their resume
• Come across as assertive, persistent and high-energy
• Have a track record of quickly ramping and hitting goals in past roles
• Display resourcefulness when discussing their deal wins
• Show an appetite for financial upside and individual recognition
• Get fired up by ambitious targets and head-to-head competition

To best assess hunter potential, ask interview questions like:

• "Tell me about a time when you had to get creative to get a deal unstuck. What did you do and what was the outcome?"
• "How do you stay motivated when deal cycles are long or you face a lot of rejections?"
• "What‘s the most valuable piece of feedback you‘ve received from a sales manager? How did you apply it to improve your performance?"

Look for farmers who:

• Emphasize longevity in roles and deep product/industry knowledge on their resume
• Demonstrate attention to detail and strong listening/questioning skills
• Can point to specific examples of growing accounts over time
• Discuss customer success and retention as core metrics
• Express interest in mastering complex offerings and solving business challenges
• Light up when talking about cultivating lasting client relationships

To gauge farming ability and potential, ask questions such as:

• "Walk me through your approach to onboarding a major new customer. How do you set them up for long-term success?"
• "Tell me about a time you had to have a difficult conversation with an at-risk account. How did you handle it and what was the ultimate impact?"
• "How do you stay up to date on your customers‘ evolving needs and goals? Give an example of how those insights have helped you expand an account."

By tuning your interview process to the core traits and motivators of hunters vs. farmers, you can efficiently spot and hire more reps who are naturally wired for the requirements of the role.

Managing a Mixed Team of Hunters and Farmers

Of course, building a high-performing sales machine isn‘t just about hiring a homogenous team of pure hunters or pure farmers. The reality is, most organizations need a mix of both rep types—and even hybrid "hunter-farmers"—to achieve their growth objectives.

As SiriusDecisions research shows, world-class sales teams tend to have reps focused on a blend of acquisition (hunting), expansion (a mix of hunting and farming), and retention (farming) motions to maximize revenue across the customer lifecycle:

Source: SiriusDecisions

So once you‘ve assembled a diverse team of hunters, farmers and hybrids, how do you bring out the best in each rep type while fostering collaboration across the team? A few best practices:

Provide differentiated enablement

Hunters and farmers have different learning needs and preferences, so avoid one-size-fits-all training. Hunters typically prefer more tactical, competition-based training (e.g. objection handling drills, roleplay scenarios) while farmers gravitate toward strategic, curriculum-based enablement (e.g. industry-specific courses, account planning workshops).

Align incentives to motivators

As noted earlier, hunters and farmers are spurred by different rewards. Dial up the variable comp and stack rank the sales leader board to light a fire under your hunters. For farmers, focus on above-market base salaries, President‘s Club eligibility for multi-year account growth, and team-based SPIFs.

Hire and develop ambidextrous reps

While you need specialists, don‘t ignore the power of reps who can flex between hunting and farming. Known as "ambidextrous" or "hybrid" reps, these versatile performers can transition from landing to expanding to retaining customers as needed. Hire for adaptability and invest in rotational programs to strengthen this critical skill set.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, maximizing sales performance is a delicate balance of art and science. Yes, the data supports distinct hunter and farmer traits. But putting that insight into action requires a nuanced approach to hiring, enabling and managing your unique mix of rep types.

By understanding what motivates each profile, optimizing your hiring process to identify natural hunters and farmers, and tailoring your management tactics accordingly, you can unlock the full revenue potential of a diverse, highly productive sales organization.

Implement the strategies and best practices covered in this guide and you‘ll be well on your way to building a sales team that consistently hits goals—and serves customers—like never before.