b'AIDEN BROOKBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT When Margins Decrease,MANAGER, CREATE @SeedWorldGroupabrook@seedworldgroup.comIncrease in Research seedworldgroup.comONE OF THE FIRSTcasualtiesdecisions and practices is how ourThe Power of Processof decreased margins is spendingbusiness can unlock even more on research and innovation. This,potential.however, is using a short-termThis is the focus of our seedAS THE OLDsaying goes, when you assume you tactic to try and solve a long-termproduction research activities. Wevemake an ass out of u and me.challenge. measured performance of cropSo, with that in mind, ask yourself these questions The seed production busi- inputs, seed drop tests, planting con- and answer honestly. ness is complex and competitive.ditions and detasseling procedures1. Could you define your companys sales process? It features all the risks of outdooramong others. Some of the most2. Have your sales team been onboarded so that agriculture with the margins of theimportant results challenged ourthey would define your sales process that same manufacturing business. As such,preconceptions and led us to makeas you?investing in research and innovativenew recommendations that have3.If you asked three customers, would their buying practices to improve yield and seedimproved yields and seed quality. experience be pretty much the same?quality while reducing risk is criticalWe greatly expanded thoseIf you found yourself pausing, and putting qualifica-to improving margins. activities. From analyzing soil tempstions on you answer, it could be that you just identified We already do a lot to manageat planting through emergence toa potential area of growth and development that could risk. Our production and customexperimenting with soil or seedtake your sales team from doing okay to knocking it breeding activities are placedapplied growth promoters, wereout of the park! By taking the time to define your sales across eight states. We also have aexecuting more seed productionprocess you can help your team not only optimize modern suite of seed conditioning,research projects than ever before. resources, but also maximize your profit potential.treating and packaging equipment.The results have led us to investPut simply, a sales process is a set of repeatable Finally, we have rigorous isolation,in new capital, additional cropsteps that a salesperson takes to move a prospective detasseling and seed cleanoutinputs and to support our growersbuyer from the awareness to a closed sale. By putting procedures that deliver industry- and suppliers investments in betteryour sales process down, it will allow you to examine leading seed purity. and faster equipment. One newthe process, identify roles and responsibilities, make But beyond those broad-brushgrower investment is in high-speedimprovements, and increase efficiency. approaches are thousands ofplanters outfitted with in-furrow soilA defined sales process can help you do the right choices made every year by ourmoisture and temperature monitor- things right and know for sure what works and what growers, contractors, suppliers anding.doesnt. Equipped with this knowledge you can avoid employees that impact yield andWe know that despite a periodmaking the same sales mistakes repeatedly.quality. Investing in research onof lower seed industry margins, theThe long-term advantages a well-tuned sales pro-how to improve on every one ofonly way to deliver better resultscess is undeniable. When your sales team is working thoseis to maximize the performance oflike a well-oiled machine youll benefit from:every input; from people to equip-higher employee retention and satisfactionment and land to technology. This better intradepartmental relationswill keep us on the leading edge long-lasting customer relationshipsof innovation. Our clients and their reduce customer retention costsfarmer customers depend on it!increased referrals higher sales revenueDefining your sales process doesnt mean being inflexible or impersonalit just makes sure that eve-ryone on your team has a baseline to build on. Also JIM SCHWEIGERTremember, a good sales process is never set in stone. It PRESIDENT, GRO ALLIANCE shoud be revisited and adjusted regularly to make sure it reflects the current market, your customers needs,@jim_schweigert jim.schweigert@groalliance.com and your team strengths. It should be a living docu-GroAlliance.com ment at the heart of your sales team.20/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2022'