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There’s an old saying in sales, that “you eat what you kill.” This line of thinking is typical in the traditional sales mindset — the job of being a salesperson is supposed to be like being a hunter — you’re supposed to be aggressive, proactive and competitive. You’re supposed to get out there and make things happen and win people over and triumph. This mentality has served sales people well for many generations — but what if there is another way of doing sales? What if the new rules of sales are slightly different, and requiring a new approach?
The truth is, in B2B sales, in the new era of digital marketing and social media lead generation and content marketing, when customers are more informed than ever before, the role of the sales person has changed. Successful sales people now are less like “hunters,” and more like “gardeners.”
Sales Mindset Tips
Here are a few reasons why your sales approach might require a change in mindset — and why the best sales people are more like gardeners than hunters.
Sales is a Long-Term Effort
B2B sales success requires steady, incremental effort — like planting and tending a garden, instead of a one-time “kill” from a successful hunt. Just like a good gardener knows how to be patient and stay in it for the long haul, good sales people today need to conduct long-term lead nurturing of their sales prospects. You can’t just expect to go out and make a big sale immediately; these things take time. Especially for major account B2B sales, it might take 12-18 months (or longer) to close a sale, start to finish.
Sales is Collaborative, Not Adversarial
Too many companies seem to think that they are at war with their customers. “You eat what you kill” sounds strange when you really think about it — after all, you shouldn’t want to “kill” your customers, you should want to help them! Ultimately, your job as a sales person or small business owner talking with customers should be to approach the conversation as a collaborative effort. “How can I help you and your business? How can I make your life better? We are on the same team here!” Look for opportunities for your customers’ interests to align with your own.
Ideally, what you are selling should improve your customer’s condition. You’re selling something to the customer, it’s true – but what you’re selling should add so much value to your customer’s life that it is worth more than it costs: in terms of time savings, efficiency gains, productivity boosts, cost reductions, and intangible emotional benefits. Just like gardeners often exchange gardening tips with their friends and neighbors — in a spirit of collaboration — you as a sales person need to be generous and helpful, not aggressive and overbearing.
Sales is About Mutually Beneficial Relationships, Not Zero-Sum “Wins”
Another problem with the traditional “hunter” mentality in sales is that it tends to treat sales as a zero-sum game: “I win, you lose.” If you treat your customers as just points on a scoreboard, they will start to feel that you don’t really care about them. Don’t treat your customers as means to an end. You’re not just there to rack up sales and run up the score; you should be there to create a mutually beneficial sales relationship.
This is not just “the right thing to do,” it’s also smart business. Because in today’s highly networked economy, customers’ word of mouth spreads faster than ever. If customers feel well treated and respected by you, they’ll be likely to tell their friends and give you referrals. If customers feel disrespected or shortchanged or deceived by you, they will shout it from the rooftops on social media and beyond. It can be hard to recover from a damaged reputation and today’s sales business is all about trust. Make sure you are sincerely, earnestly adding value and bringing a spirit of care and connectedness to your sales conversations. Customers aren’t there to give you a sale — you are there to help the customer.
Think about it in terms of gardening: do most gardeners hoard their vegetables and brag about how great their tomatoes are? No! They tend to share the bounty at harvest time. At its best, gardening has a sense of abundance. People don’t garden because they want glory and trophies, they do it because they want to learn and share and grow. Successful sales people today should have this same attitude — it’s about growing relationships and having a rich bounty of sales opportunities over time.
You are not fighting your customers, you’re trying to help them. You’re not enemies, you’re on the same team. If you can bring a spirit of generosity and cooperation to your sales process — thinking less like a “trophy hunter” and more like a “gardener” — your sales success is likely to blossom.
The Principles of Gardener-Like Sales Success
As businesses evolve in the digital age, sales strategies are undergoing a profound transformation. The outdated hunter mentality, where salespeople aggressively pursued leads for quick wins, is being replaced by a more nurturing and collaborative approach inspired by gardeners. This shift is driven by the recognition that lasting success requires cultivating relationships, fostering trust, and tending to prospects over time. Here are key principles that define the gardener-like sales success of today:
1. Cultivate Long-Term Growth
- Hunter Mindset: Focuses on immediate gains through one-time deals.
- Gardener Approach: Prioritizes steady, incremental growth by nurturing prospects.
2. Planting Seeds of Value
- Hunter Mindset: Views customers as targets to conquer.
- Gardener Approach: Regards customers as partners, seeking to deliver value and mutual benefit.
3. Nurturing Relationships
- Hunter Mindset: Seeks quick transactions, often overlooking relationship-building.
- Gardener Approach: Values cultivating genuine connections and building rapport.
4. Tending to Growth
- Hunter Mindset: Celebrates individual victories and trophies.
- Gardener Approach: Recognizes the importance of nurturing relationships for collective success.
5. Fostering Trust
- Hunter Mindset: May overlook customer concerns for the sake of closing deals.
- Gardener Approach: Builds trust through transparent communication and genuine care.
6. Providing Value Over Time
- Hunter Mindset: Emphasizes closing the sale regardless of customer readiness.
- Gardener Approach: Prioritizes understanding customer needs and providing tailored solutions.
7. Collaborative Partnerships
- Hunter Mindset: May consider customer interests secondary to sales goals.
- Gardener Approach: Seeks to align customer interests with business offerings, fostering collaboration.
8. Patience and Persistence
- Hunter Mindset: Expects quick results and may lose interest if not achieved.
- Gardener Approach: Understands that nurturing leads takes time and continuous effort.
9. Harvesting Mutual Success
- Hunter Mindset: Celebrates individual victories and trophies.
- Gardener Approach: Recognizes the importance of nurturing relationships for collective success.
10. Positive Reputation and Referrals
- Hunter Mindset: May disregard the potential impact of customer sentiment.
- Gardener Approach: Prioritizes customer satisfaction and values referrals from happy customers.
11. Adapting to Changing Seasons
- Hunter Mindset: May resist adapting strategies based on market changes.
- Gardener Approach: Recognizes the need to evolve strategies to meet shifting market dynamics.
12. Continuous Learning and Growth
- Hunter Mindset: May prioritize immediate results over personal development.
- Gardener Approach: Embraces learning, adapting, and growing along with the industry.
| Principle | Hunter Mindset | Gardener Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Cultivate Long-Term Growth | Focuses on immediate gains through one-time deals. | Prioritizes steady, incremental growth by nurturing prospects. |
| Planting Seeds of Value | Views customers as targets to conquer. | Regards customers as partners, seeking to deliver value and mutual benefit. |
| Nurturing Relationships | Seeks quick transactions, often overlooking relationships. | Values cultivating genuine connections and building rapport. |
| Tending to Growth | Celebrates individual victories and trophies. | Recognizes the importance of nurturing relationships for collective success. |
| Fostering Trust | May overlook customer concerns for the sake of closing. | Builds trust through transparent communication and genuine care. |
| Providing Value Over Time | Emphasizes closing the sale regardless of readiness. | Prioritizes understanding customer needs and providing tailored solutions. |
| Collaborative Partnerships | Considers customer interests secondary to goals. | Seeks to align customer interests with business offerings, fostering collaboration. |
| Patience and Persistence | Expects quick results, may lose interest if not achieved. | Understands that nurturing leads takes time and continuous effort. |
| Harvesting Mutual Success | Celebrates individual victories and trophies. | Recognizes the importance of nurturing relationships for collective success. |
| Positive Reputation & Referrals | May disregard customer sentiment’s impact. | Prioritizes customer satisfaction and values referrals from happy customers. |
| Adapting to Changing Seasons | May resist adapting strategies to market changes. | Recognizes the need to evolve strategies to meet shifting market dynamics. |
| Continuous Learning & Growth | Prioritizes immediate results over personal development. | Embraces learning, adapting, and growing along with the industry. |
In the realm of modern sales, the gardener-like approach emphasizes collaboration, value creation, and cultivating relationships that stand the test of time. By embracing these principles, salespeople can sow the seeds of lasting success, nurturing an abundant harvest of satisfied customers and sustainable growth. Just as gardeners tend to their plots with care and dedication, successful salespeople tend to their prospects with a commitment to value and mutual benefit.
Conclusion
The evolution of sales in the digital age brings forth a fundamental shift from the traditional hunter mentality to a more nurturing and collaborative approach inspired by gardeners. While the hunter mindset of aggressive pursuit and quick victories has its merits, the changing dynamics of B2B sales demand a new perspective. Today’s successful salespeople are akin to gardeners, recognizing that the cultivation of relationships, trust, and mutual benefit holds the key to sustained success.
In the contemporary landscape, the principles of gardener-like sales success shine brightly:
- Cultivating Long-Term Growth: Just as a garden thrives over time, sales success is rooted in patient and persistent effort, nurturing prospects for incremental growth.
- Planting Seeds of Value: Rather than viewing customers as targets, salespeople embrace a partnership approach, aiming to deliver value and foster mutual benefits.
- Nurturing Relationships: True success lies in the cultivation of genuine connections and rapport, valuing the bonds that extend beyond mere transactions.
- Tending to Growth: Recognizing that collective success is paramount, successful salespeople prioritize nurturing relationships over individual victories.
- Fostering Trust: The gardener-like approach builds trust through transparent communication and genuine care, fostering a foundation of lasting relationships.
- Providing Value Over Time: Understanding customer needs and providing tailored solutions over time takes precedence over immediate closure.
- Collaborative Partnerships: Seeking alignment of customer interests with business offerings cultivates a spirit of collaboration and shared objectives.
- Patience and Persistence: Just as gardens require time to flourish, successful salespeople understand the patience and continuous effort required for nurturing leads.
- Harvesting Mutual Success: Collective achievements are celebrated, highlighting the role of mutually beneficial relationships in sales growth.
- Positive Reputation and Referrals: Prioritizing customer satisfaction and valuing referrals underscore the interconnectedness of modern sales.
- Adapting to Changing Seasons: Acknowledging the need for flexibility and adaptability, sales strategies evolve to meet the shifting dynamics of the market.
- Continuous Learning and Growth: Embracing ongoing learning and growth parallels the iterative nature of successful gardening.
As salespeople transition from being mere hunters to becoming adept gardeners, they sow the seeds of sustainable success. Just as gardeners cultivate their plots with dedication, successful salespeople tend to their prospects with unwavering commitment to value and partnership. The garden of sales success flourishes not through aggressive pursuit but through collaborative nurturing, resulting in an abundant harvest of satisfied customers, enduring relationships, and a thriving business ecosystem.
Photo via Shutterstock
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