Hunter, Farmer, Builder, Closer: Know Who You’re Really Hiring in Sales
Some sales candidates can sell ice to an Eskimo.
Others couldn't close a free trial.
But on paper? They look the same.
That's the trouble with sales hires. It's not just about experience; It's about DNA. Too often, companies hire the right résumé but the wrong seller.
Why? Because not all salespeople are wired the same.
Most salespeople fall into one of four archetypes: Hunter, Farmer, Builder, or Closer. Hire one when you need the other, and you'll be wondering why revenue's flat, churn is creeping up, and no one's calling Marketing back.
Let's break them down.
The Hunter
New-logo chaser. Cold-call junkie. Gets a thrill from cracking open untouched territory.
What they do best: Prospect like a machine, pitch with energy, and take rejection in stride. Hunters excel at creating pipelines where none existed, a critical capability when expanding into new markets or launching new products.
What they need: Clear quotas, fast rewards, a lean approval process, and room to run without excessive red tape. The best Hunters thrive on autonomy paired with visible scoreboard metrics.
What goes wrong: You put them in a "nurture and expand" role. They'll get bored, disengage, and be updating their LinkedIn in a month.
Expert insight: Hunters are often the first to feel when a market is shifting; they'll sense declining response rates or saturation before your CRM dashboard does. The smartest leaders tap into their field intelligence early.
The Farmer
Client whisperer. Relationship builder. Keeps customers happy, loyal, and renewing on time.
What they do best: Strengthen existing accounts, upsell organically, and smooth over bumps before they become churn. Farmers create sticky revenue and protect customer lifetime value (LTV).
What they need: Trust, long-term goals, clear account ownership, and a defined lane to deepen value without constant hand-offs or territory reshuffles.
What goes wrong: You make them cold call. Most Farmers experience a steep drop in performance when tasked with generating outbound leads.
Expert insight: A great Farmer isn't "just an account manager." They're your front line in detecting early churn risk, competitive threats, or expansion opportunities. Leaders should train Farmers to gather actionable intel, not just renew contracts.
The Builder
Strategic. Consultative. Your most sophisticated seller for complex deals or new markets.
What they do best: Navigate long sales cycles, lead multi-stakeholder conversations, and co-create solutions with clients. Builders bridge the gap between sales, product, and delivery.
What they need: Autonomy, support from cross-functional teams, and a product or service that can flex to client needs.
What goes wrong: You overload them with SMB churn-and-burn deals. Builders thrive on depth, not volume, and burn out fast when tasked with transactional sales.
Why it matters: 75% of B2B buyers say their last purchase was very complex or difficult. Builders help clients cut through that complexity.
Expert insight: Builders are your internal translators; they bring market realities back to your leadership team and shape go-to-market strategies. Lose their voice, and you risk losing touch with how clients buy.
The Closer
The finisher. Negotiator. Calm under pressure, with a sixth sense for when to push or pull back.
What they do best: Convert warm leads, handle objections, and turn "maybe" into "when do we sign?"
What they need: A steady, qualified pipeline and a seat at the final table where deal-shaping decisions are made.
What goes wrong: You expect them to hunt. No pipeline = no results. Even the best Closer can't convert what doesn't exist.
Expert insight: Closers shine when they have access to decision-makers early enough to influence deal structure. Smart leaders bring them in before the final mile when terms, pricing, and positioning can still be shaped.
But Wait—Aren't Good Sellers All of These?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: Top performers may flex across roles, but even they have a dominant style.
And that style matters more than ever.
Because if you're hiring a Hunter for a Farmer role (or vice versa), you're not building a team. You're building turnover.
"Salespeople are like athletes. A sprinter doesn't make a great marathoner and a marathoner doesn't want to run sprints." – Every sales leader who's been burned by a bad fit.
What Hiring Leaders Get Wrong
Too many job descriptions sound like a wish list:
"Must generate new business AND grow existing accounts."
"Comfortable with strategic selling AND high-volume outreach."
"Self-starter AND highly collaborative."
Translation: We want someone good at everything.
Reality check: Unicorns are rare, expensive, and usually employed elsewhere. Get clear on what the role requires, and then hire accordingly.
"Too often, companies hire for the idealized version of a role, what they wish it could be, rather than focusing on what the business truly needs right now. This disconnect between aspiration and reality is where costly misalignment happens."
— Seann Richardson, Co-Founder, Ascentria Search Partners
Why It's Worth Getting Right
In private equity-backed or high-growth environments, talent misalignment isn't only costly but also disruptive.
A recent AlixPartners survey found that 98% of private equity (PE) leaders believe talent is a crucial component of value creation and is becoming increasingly important in the current economic landscape. Yet, only 54% of portfolio executives believe they have the right leadership in place to execute.
Sales teams aren't exempt from that pressure. They're often ground zero.
Putting It All Together: How to Hire (and Set Up) for Success
Understanding these archetypes isn't just an academic exercise; it's the foundation for building a sales team that consistently delivers results.
Here's how to apply this knowledge:
Map your revenue goals to archetype needs.
Need new logos? Hunters.
Want to expand existing accounts? Farmers.
Targeting strategic growth or new markets? Builders.
Looking for high-value conversion? Closers.
Don't expect one archetype to master another's job.
Even the best multi-skilled rep has a natural sweet spot. Pushing them too far outside their zone leads to burnout, disengagement, or missed targets.
Align the comp, coaching, and career path to the role, not just to the number.
Hunters thrive on aggressive commission. Farmers value stability and relationship incentives. Builders need recognition for strategic wins. Closers want meaningful deal ownership. One-size-fits-all incentives fail to unlock peak performance.
Design team structure intentionally.
Pair Hunters with Builders on new market initiatives. Let Farmers and Closers collaborate on high-value expansions. The right pairing amplifies results.
Right Seller, Wrong Role = Wrong Hire
Hiring sales talent isn't about chasing big names or impressive résumés. It's about finding the right fit, the archetype that matches the job, the market, and your growth goals.
Too often, companies hire for past success, only to find it doesn't translate to the role at hand.
At Ascentria, we help clients look beyond the résumé to decode the DNA of great sellers. We know how to identify the qualities and traits that define a true Hunter, Farmer, Builder, or Closer and how to match that to the needs of your business.
Because when you know who you're hiring, you don't just fill a role.
You build a sales engine that drives results.