During a panel discussion hosted by The Mosaic Company in Champaign, Illinois, earlier this fall, three farmers from the Midwest were asked to dream up their ideal retailer. They shared what qualities they seek in a retail relationship and what would encourage them to do more business with that person.
These farmers place the greatest priority on someone who can prove they care about what’s best for their operation.
“It needs to be knowledge first and sales second,” says Andrew Focht, who farms in western Iowa. “I want you to come out and teach me something or show me something that I don’t understand. Show me I have a problem, and then, we’ll talk about how we’re going to address it and what we should expect for results.”
Granvil Travis of southern Illinois also shares that sentiment.
“When the salesman puts his sales second and is more worried about your bottom line than his bottom line, that just gives you more trust in him,” Travis says. “It helps show he can give you the knowledge you need to help get ROI instead of just making a sale.”
At the same time, it speaks volumes if the retailer is upfront about not knowing everything about a product or disease.
“Be honest. If you don’t know, say you don’t know, and we’ll find out together. It’s not about who’s the smartest guy in the room but how we can find a solution together,” says northern Indiana farmer Dave Schrock. “Also, go out and get an education. I don’t mean a degree because you already have one, but learn what is going on in modern crop production.”
