The Fisherman & The Hunter: A Tale of Two (Sales) Approaches…United

I started my professional career in sales, worked my way up from rep to team leader to manager, so I understand the sales mentality. For the most part, sales people are hunters. On the prowl searching for new markets in which to convey the superiority of a solution, product, or service – more so than current entities in place. What most sales professionals do not realize is there is another predator in the sales world, the Fisherman. Their objective, albeit the same, is driven by a much different approach yet equally as effective.

When I transitioned to digital marketing several years ago, I had my doubts that the fishermen’s tactics actually worked. Prior to 190west, much like many in sales, I never saw “marketing” as anything but the group we got our brochures from – and I’ll be the first to admit just how wrong I actually was. I now recognize that marketing professionals are actually the fisherman of sales. And in doing so, one thing became absolutely clear.  Only when fisherman collaborate with the hunters, can we, as sales people, truly take advantage of all opportunities in the marketplace.

Here’s how  this sales and marketing alignment works:

Fishermen aim to convince prospects of the benefits of a new solution/product/etc. by using triggers that cause the market to doubt their current entity. This aligns with a natural, more authentic buyer’s journey. However, this typically happens after the hunter’s experience success at gaining their initial awareness.

Marketers (i.e. fisherman) are ready for these “fish” with compelling ads, webpages, landing pages, offers, demos, etc. Fishermen take advantage of specific fishing grounds (trends) to pinpoint when and where to cast a line and or net.

The hunter and fishermen can and should work together. Marketers can support sales during peak seasons with nurturing campaigns that guide prospects further through the sales funnel. Implementing strategies such as retargeting, to keep the brand or offer top of mind, assists with these persuasive techniques automatically. And, the support system is a two way street. Sales, in turn, should keep marketers apprised of their conversations and direct follow ups as a result of nurturing offers, downloads, page visits, email engagement, and demos. Working in tandem, a proper sales and marketing alignment will increase the potential for qualified lead generation, and ultimately, revenue generating closed sales.

An organization comprised of both hunters and fishermen will capitalize on all opportunities within the market. The key is to have both sides working together to achieve a shared set of goals. This partnership should yield immediate results and rapid return. Proving that pack hunting is more effective, and that siloed approaches leave you vulnerable to risk.

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