And the 1 message you must hear as an Ag Salesperson
At this moment, our industry has become a noisy world of negative ag stories. Some are warranted, and some are not.
In 2024, we had tough Ag economics and we are one week away from a president inauguration, which could add more stress to an already difficult situation. So, today, I want to share some messages your customers are looking for from you as their salesperson.
Whether the negativity is justified or not, you are still responsible for calling on farmers and agribusinesses to grow your business. While everyone you meet is going to jump into this momentum with their own negative take on Ag, I want you to think differently about it. That doesn’t mean ignore it or deny it. I just want you to focus on what your customers really want from you.
#1. Positivity….
This one can be the most difficult. Sure, farmers can be a bit negative when salespeople call on them. Too many salespeople respond to this in the wrong way. They want to fit in, get along, and connect with their farmer customers. So, they relish in the negative. However, think about how many negative voices they are hearing. Your customers are hearing one bad Ag news story after another. What’s there to be positive about? It’s tough to go to the farm and be chipper or cheery about anything. We think, isn’t it easier to connect if I just wallow around in the negative news with my customers? The short answer is, an emphatic, “No”. This doesn’t mean I want you to go out there and tell them how great it is. First, I want you to not jump into the negative quicksand-type discussion. It will pull you right down into the pit of despair with your customer. Instead, dig into the possible small steps that can be taken right now.
#2 A Light at the end of the tunnel….
Every day that a producer is selling under breakeven, they are holding out for the light at the end of the tunnel. They wonder if there will be an end to the tough farming economics. Will demand increase prices enough to cover the costs of inputs? While there are plenty of folks in the industry who will paint the bear/bull scenarios, there is one bullish factor that never goes away. That factor is the growing population of 8 to 9 billion people. Included in those numbers is a growing middle-class population who are increasing food demand at a rapid pace. There may be other lights at the end of the tunnel, but that one can not be denied. It’s bullish on food demand.
#3 Perspective…….
As an Ag Sales Professional, your superhero strength is that you go farm to farm to farm every day. You see firsthand what is working and what is not working on a wide variety of farms. With a bit of curiosity on your sales calls, you can learn a tremendous amount. This gives you a unique perspective that can help your producers. In one of my sales roles, I went from feed store to feed store. Despite being in the animal nutrition business, I was frequently asked about the shavings business or other product lines. My dealers knew I had a decent understanding of store profitability and what was working. They were looking for some perspective on other potential product lines. What perspectives do you have that can help your customers? Start by getting very curious about how your successful customers do what they do.
#4 Surviving and thriving in tough times…
This should be your main focus as we enter 2025 which is predicted to be more difficult than farming in 2024. All your focus is on bringing every resource you have to help your customers survive the tough times. A great way is to network them as much as possible. I know they go to the coffee shop, but that is networking with their immediate neighbors. Think about bringing like-minded customers together in smaller groups of 5-7 and you emcee a discussion on what they are doing to survive. Customer segmentation is another key element during tough times. Helping your customers learn which of their customers to focus on is critical. During profitable times, they may have the ability to chase customers who aren’t in their geography or who aren’t as profitable as others. However, when times are tough, those expenses can’t be spared.
#5 Technical versus Tactical…..
Most producers and salespeople I know strive to be as technically competent in their business as possible. And they should. Areas like farm equipment, nutrition, and agronomy can be highly technical. However, don’t forget that there is a whole world of tactical and soft skills needed to manage an account or be successful at running a farming operation. Again, this is an area where you can bring a lot of value to a customer. Labor is a difficult challenge for just about every farm, Ag retailer, feed dealer, and equipment dealer. Turnover can be costly to a business. I dislike the term soft skills and prefer Essential skills. For example, helping a customer with a basic understanding of the four DISC profiles can change how they communicate and connect with their employees and customers. Helping them retain both.
#1 message for the Ag sales professional. Don’t run from or avoid making sales calls no matter how negative it gets on your calls.
I know these are challenging times for you as well. Even more challenging if you sell big-ticket items like tractors or buildings. It takes a lot of faith that money will loosen at some point and sales will occur. You might have to rely on parts, service, or smaller equipment sales to keep motivated.
Keep in mind that your customers are not angry with you. Tough times will make even the calmest person irritable. They get the feeling that every white pick-up truck coming down their driveway is asking for their fewer and fewer hard-earned dollars. And you will bear the brunt of that feeling.
However, this is actually the best opportunity for you to prove your value and build trust. Your competitors are going to be tempted just like you to shy away from calling on them. The farmer’s objections and refusal to spend will get to your competition just like it gets to you. I want you to push through it for just a little longer than most.
Remember, if you aren’t out on the farm trying to help them in the tough times, can they really trust you during the good times? You certainly aren’t going to solve all their economic woes on one sales call. But you are there. You are listening. You’re asking better and better questions as you make these difficult sales calls. You might be offering some potential solutions that you see working in your area. You are becoming a valuable resource.
Eventually, your customer will see you as a trusted advisor. The good customers will reward that by buying from you. Those that don’t, can go into another category of customers. Good customers don’t forget who was there for them in the tough times and who wasn’t. Now is the time to be there!
Last and possibly most important message.
Every year for 33 years, every field I have seen got planted. Good times, bad times, mediocre times. Someone is going to plant that field and needs several crop inputs at a minimum. Somebody is going to make a sale. So, let it be you!
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