who isn’t afraid of hearing “no,” understands that credibility takes time, and is willing to consistently invest energy into outreach. Farmers, on the other hand, are charged with deepening trust and expanding value within accounts already on the books. As such, their skills are more centered on listening, curiosity, service, and accountability. “Where hunters build the bridge, farmers strengthen and widen it over time,” Schmitt said. “Separating these roles allows us to protect pipeline creation while simultaneously maximizing client lifetime value.” Stafford-Smith takes a different
approach entirely. Rather than separating the two roles, Stafford builds his sales organization around the expectation that everyone is a hunter and remains one, even after landing a customer. Salespeople are involved with customers from the initial contact to coordinating with general contractors and following up after the job is done. At every point, Stafford-Smith trains its salespeople to remind operators they are there to help. “We teach our account executives to maintain that hunter mindset even after establishing the customer relationship,” Stafford said of his team’s customer ownership philosophy. “You may turn into a farmer, but the hunter instincts never go away because those individuals continue calling on their franchisees or corporate contacts to identify any new needs.”
Te Importance of Structure All three executives agree that new
customer acquisition is, at its core, a hunting exercise. Where they differ is where the farming aspect kicks in. A poorly executed transition can leave clients feeling passed off rather than supported, undermining the goodwill the hunter spent weeks or months building.
Bennett keeps the distinction practical: hunters land the opportunity, and farmers manage the account from there. “All customer acquisition
DUSTIN BENNETT PRESIDENT
THE KITCHEN GUYS
ERIC SCHMITT PRESIDENT
RAPIDS & AFFILIATES
DAVE STAFFORD PRESIDENT AND CEO STAFFORD-SMITH
is gained through hunting, but the retention and long-term value lie within the ability to keep the client happy.” The key, he said, is to match people with the work they do best. “Hunters cannot be bogged down with minutia,” he continued. “Farmers enjoy the process and tasks associated with their sales.”
Schmitt is more formal in his
approach. At Rapids & Affiliates, a structured introduction meeting — what the company calls a FIT meeting — brings the hunter, farmer, and client together at the point of transition. The hunter frames the opportunity and the high-level issues. The farmer then steps in to go deeper on process and long- term execution. After that alignment is established, ownership shifts to the farmer, though the hunter stays involved at key checkpoints to ensure the commitments made during the initial pursuit are honored.
“The goal is simple: clear ownership, warm handoffs, shared accountability, and no surprises for the client,” Schmitt said.
At Stafford-Smith, project-based bid work adds a layer of nuance. Once a contract is awarded, a project manager takes over to “farm” the job — managing budget, timeline, and execution. But when change orders arise, that same project manager shifts back into hunting mode to protect scope and pursue additional revenue. Because the same person embodies both the hunter and farmer role,
Stafford-Smith uses extensive cross- training to ensure its salespeople can switch between both mindsets. A former Marine himself, Stafford draws inspiration from Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way. The business book extols the philosophy of ensuring that every individual, regardless of rank or specialty, is proficient in the fundamentals. “It doesn’t matter what your role is, you need to have basic skills so you can serve a customer,” Stafford said. “Even if you are just handling small replacements for a chain restaurant, that’s an opportunity to use your training and find out what else they might need.”
Measuring Success Defining success looks different for
hunters and farmers, but all three executives emphasize that having measurable, real-world numbers is essential to understanding the effectiveness of the sales model. Schmitt recommends building distinct key performance indicators for each role. Hunters should be measured on pipeline creation, qualified opportunities, and market penetration. Farmers should be evaluated on retention, account expansion, and long- term revenue stability. Without clear metrics, he said, confusion and burnout follow.
Bennett keeps his evaluation
grounded in economics. “Everything comes down to numbers,” he said.
Summer 2026 41
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