10 Takeaways from the J.L. Farmakis Inc. 2022 Farmer Speaks Survey I am always looking for ways to understand customer decision-making processes.  This information is critical when selling to someone.  You must know what factors are influencing their decisions.  Knowing them allows a salesperson to sell on purpose versus just out there spreading the good […]

Sales Innovation – PODCAST Borrowing from everywhere to improve your selling skills Innovation is not typically associated with the sales team.  We are most often depicted as foot soldiers in the war to get in front of customers and get them to buy.  The wild creativity is left up to marketing, R&D, engineers, or maybe […]

FYI: It might be a kid from the suburbs Originally published in the Wisconsin Agribusiness Assoc Quarterly:  https://issuu.com/joanviney/docs/22_summerlo/30 In the Fall of 1982, my high school guidance counselor scheduled an appointment with me to discuss my college planning.  I informed him that I wanted to pursue an Ag degree.  His laugh was completely involuntary and […]

Lessons from walking the World Pork Expo Walking through the World Pork Expo in Des Moines last week, I couldn’t help but wonder how a swine producer makes their decisions on product lines.  I felt this same way as I walked through the Info Ag Conference in St. Louis last year.  Aisle after aisle of […]

An interview with Aly Robins on Ag selling-marketing techniques.  Aly and I discuss the importance of having: A quality website, A clear message, and The sales & marketing team connection to build your brand in the marketplace. Aly is launching her group coaching/mentoring The Rural Business Accelerator Starting next Wednesday, June 1st. Sign up now […]

An interview with Jim Miller on selling success.  Jim and I combine to bring you 50 years of advice on selling in agribusiness! Watch the Video or Listen to the Podcast Video and Audio timeline on our topics: 1:12 – The three most important skills for an Ag seller today 9:27 – The importance of […]

Click on the audio bar below to listen to our conversation If you struggle with cold calling, prospecting, and how to get away from a customer’s snap judgment of you as “just another salesperson”, then you will enjoy this interview! Over the years of working with thousands of salespeople and surveying hundreds of agribusiness managers, […]

A Salesperson’s internal war that rages every day and 3 ways to win each battle Mental Warfare I describe it as a battle or a war because that is exactly what it feels like as salespeople venture out into their territory.  We go from calling on a current customer who loves us and gives us […]

The higher you climb, the lower the objections Over the last six years of blogging and podcasting, personal brand building has been the subject over a dozen times.  The importance can’t be stressed enough.  You either climb the brand ladder or remain stuck on a rung you might not like.  The higher you go, the […]

Listen in this week as James Hulsey from Taranis joins me on the podcast. James has been involved in the agribusiness industry for many years across several product lines and from Texas to the Eastern corn belt and into Kansas & Missouri. We talk all about his journey in sales and helping Ag Retailers do […]