What are some horticulture market insights to be aware of that could potentially generate more sales?
Currently in the marketplace, chemical sales are nearly surpassing what they were in the 1990s. Growers are running out of plant material, so they’re adding more space and pushing plants hard, which can lead to some pest and disease problems.
Plants are in demand again, thanks to the growth of the housing market.
What are some of the important details you must know before calling on a potential client?
Find out specifically what they grow – not only plants, but are they propagators, finished growers or both. If you know about certain pest or disease pressures related to their crop or their region, you can go in knowing how to help with those issues.
What are some of the best methods you use to build relationships?
Building relationships is the key to your success as a sales person. In our industry, in-person sales calls make a big difference. You’ve got to be out there visiting with growers, touring the nurseries and greenhouses so you can see first-hand what issues they’re dealing with. And you don’t go out to a nursery just once. You want to make sure you continually visit them.
I can’t stress this enough: always follow up! Building relationships is about trust. They’ve got to know you have their best interests at heart. Show respect and build that trust.
Don’t pretend like you know everything. You’re not going to, and that’s OK. When they come to you with a problem and you don’t have an immediate answer, tell them you’ll get answers.
Get to know professors and extension agents – the weed science guys, entomologists, pathologists to help you find solutions. The customer will start to understand that you care about their business.
Ask them who they’re doing business with and why. You’ll learn a lot from their answer.
It’s important to know that the customer usually puts relationship first, service second and price third.
Since you mentioned the importance of following up, tell us about your follow-up approach.
I always send a thank-you note after a visit. And based on the information I gathered during a visit, I may also follow up with a technical bulletin. Or if I couldn’t answer a question on the spot, there are BASF experts I can talk to that are excellent resources. I can get back to the customer with the technical staff’s advice. When the customer feels like you care about them, they want to hear from you.
If a new salesperson was shadowing you, what’s the first lesson you’d teach them?
First and foremost, answer the phone. Second, always follow up.
Don’t just ask for orders. Provide them with new information on a product or a process each time you talk to them.
What’s the most common sales mistake?
It may be hard to believe, but the most common mistake is people don’t return phone calls. It sounds simple, but returning a phone call within an hour or less, means so much to these growers. If they’re calling you, it’s because they have a problem that needs attention immediately. They don’t have a day or two to wait for your call.
Your customer needs to know they can depend on you so they’ll call you before they ever call anyone else.