Traditionally, sales teams have been organized around two roles: hunters and farmers. Hunters chase new logos and cultivate new relationships, while farmers—or account managers—focus on maintaining and nurturing existing relationships. While this distinction has its merits, it often creates silos that limit potential growth.

I’d argue that your best account managers—the farmers—are the ones who think like hunters. They actively pursue opportunities within existing accounts, combining curiosity, strategy, and insight to drive consistent results. This is what I call farming as a hunter.

In this article, I’ll break down three key areas that make this approach effective: mindset, habit, and metrics.

1. Mindset: Be Curious, Be Opportunistic

Farming as a hunter starts with mindset. Account managers should approach every client interaction as an opportunity to share, educate, and guide. Whether it’s a routine touchpoint, a business review, an upcoming renewal, or addressing a client issue, there’s always a chance to plant seeds for future growth.

Curiosity is critical. By asking the right questions and paying attention to evolving client needs, you uncover opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed. A hunter mindset means you’re always alert, always looking for ways to add value—even within accounts you already manage.

2. Habit: Teach, Don’t Just Sell

The most powerful habit of successful account managers is simple: teach. Buyers remember those who provide insight, challenge assumptions, or expose blind spots. It’s not about pushing a product or feature—it’s about offering perspective they didn’t have before.

Teaching consistently positions you as a trusted advisor, keeps you top of mind, and ensures that your accounts are continually nurtured. By sharing knowledge and insights, you’re planting seeds that grow into meaningful opportunities over time.

3. Metrics: Focus on Leading Indicators

If you want to farm as a hunter, revenue alone isn’t enough. Tracking lagging indicators—sales closed or renewals completed—doesn’t give you the full picture. Instead, focus on leading indicators:

• How many meaningful touchpoints have you had with your account?
• How many stakeholders have you engaged with?
• What variety of insights have you shared?

By measuring activity, engagement, and knowledge sharing, you create a system that consistently drives growth, rather than relying on luck or timing.

Putting It All Together

Farming as a hunter is about combining mindset, habit, and metrics:

• Adopt a curious, opportunistic mindset.
• Build a consistent habit of teaching and sharing insights.
• Track metrics that reflect engagement and influence, not just revenue.

Account managers who embrace this approach don’t just maintain relationships—they actively grow them, season after season.