The following is a great question I received over Twitter. It’s one that I know a lot of sales reps encounter and it doesn’t matter if you are a rookie to the business, just changed companies or you are breaking open a new sales territory. This question is important.
@RodOsthus I have been to seed camp and bought the harvest customers audio, but I have a quick question for you. Since my seed brand is new in my area and not in any farmer’s fields how do you suggest I ride combines without the product knowledge I would have from seeing my products in the field?Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Unchecked Emotions are the Biggest Danger Lurking at Harvest.
At this very moment there are thousands of producers harvesting the results of the varieties you sold him last year. Those results will form his crop planning decisions for 2012.
How do you know he is making the right decisions based on the results he is getting? After all he’s been through a very difficult cropping year which means he will be confused as to what plant next year.
That also means his mind is out of balance making it difficult for him to make the right decisions on performance without your help. So unless your customers’ minds are focused and are “In Balance” he could be making the wrong decisions about your products right now.
We are all humans and our emotions play a very big role in our decision making processes. Just make sure your emotions are in check and that your mind is in balance before you attempt to balance your customers’ minds. It’s your job to make sure every single one of your growers’ minds are balanced by the time harvest is over. That means being there on the combine with him during harvest.
Click Play below to listen to Track 6 (Emotions on the Combine) from our new “Harvesting Customers” Audio Program.
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Like what you hear? You can Download the full “Harvesting Customer” Audio Training Program today by clicking here.
Virtually every seed seller who uses test plots or to gather performance information relies on them for one reason. They want to know how their products performed.
Gee, if that’s what sellers want to know, why spend all of that time and money on test plots? Instead, why not let farmers do all of the work for you and just ride their combines?
Riding harvesters allows you to see your products perform in conditions that are more real because they are exposed to performance factors more true to type.
Think about how many more replications and locations you get to see your products in when you ride a harvester.
Plus, riding 50 harvesters gives you information 
on your varieties planted in 50 different locations, managed by 50 different growers, exposed to 50 different environments across hundreds of different soil types affecting the attitudes of all 50 customers in 50 different ways.
On top of that you get to focus only on your products on a harvester ride and not spend time comparing yourself with competitors. Plots not only confuse you, but they also confuse your customers.
Get your customers, territory and company out of the test plot business; get into the 21st century and free up your life by getting into harvesters/combines this fall. You will know so much about your products after just one season of riding harvesters that you will be able to teach everyone else about your products, including the plant breeders who developed them!
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