Insights — Sales Teams — 3 min read
Account Manager vs Farmer vs Hunter: Which Does Your Business Need?
Hunters find new business. Farmers grow existing business. Account Managers protect business. Getting these roles confused is a recipe for stalled growth.
In short
A Hunter is focused on acquisition and new logos. A Farmer is focused on expansion, upselling and cross-selling within existing accounts. An Account Manager is primarily focused on retention, relationship health and day-to-day service delivery. A healthy sales team needs a deliberate balance of all three, rather than asking one person to do all three badly.
In the early stages of a B2B business, one person often does it all: they find the lead, close the deal, and then manage the account. As you scale, this 'all-rounder' model breaks down. The skills required to break into a new account (the Hunter) are very different from the skills required to nurture and expand an existing one (the Farmer).
Understanding where the 'Account Manager' fits into this — and whether they are actually just a glorified customer service rep — is vital for commercial efficiency.
Comparing the Roles
| Role | Primary Goal | Key Skillset | Success Metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter (BDM) | New Customer Acquisition | Prospecting, resilience, closing | New Logo Revenue |
| Farmer (Account Growth) | Revenue Expansion | Strategic planning, cross-selling | Net Revenue Retention |
| Account Manager | Retention & Satisfaction | Empathy, problem-solving, service | Churn Rate / NPS |
The Problem with the 'Hybrid' Role
Many SMEs hire a 'Sales Person' and expect them to hunt for new business while managing their own growing book of accounts. Naturally, they gravitate toward the existing accounts because they are 'warm' and easier to talk to. As a result, new business prospecting (hunting) stalls, and expansion (farming) becomes reactive rather than strategic.
When to hire which?
If your pipeline is empty, you need a Hunter. If you have hundreds of customers who only buy one product when they could buy five, you need a Farmer. If you are losing customers due to poor service or lack of contact, you need an Account Manager.
Mapping the Team to the Goal
For businesses focusing on Customer Expansion, the 'Farmer' role is the most critical. This person doesn't just wait for the phone to ring; they proactively look for whitespace and new departments within the client's business to enter. They are often more technical than a pure Hunter, as they need to understand the customer's ongoing operations.
Evans helps businesses structure their commercial teams to ensure these roles are clearly defined and appropriately incentivised. From Fractional Sales Director support (from £2,950 + VAT per month) to Recruitment Partner services, we help you get the right people in the right seats.
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