A Sales Parable: Hunters, Farmers and Top Producers

A Manager owned land and territory with many customers of his products and services. He left his domain for a while under the care of three overseers.

The first was a Hunter who successfully scoured the countryside for new buyers and expanded the customer set. The second was a Farmer who nurtured and cultivated the existing customers who then purchased more goods and services. The third was a Top Producer who expanded his territory with new and existing customers alike using wisdom to attract, develop and retain their business.

When the Manager returned he reconvened his overseers to review their production in his absence. To the Hunter he acknowledged his customer acquisition skills but chided the lack of existing customer growth. To the Farmer he praised the up-selling of customers but lamented the lack of new customer generation. To the Top Producer he lavished full praise and rewards for the one who maximized the given territory and positioned him for further oversight responsibility.

Are you a Hunter, a Farmer, or a healthy blend of both?