OCTOBER 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 47 ISSUES INVOLVING PRODUCT perfor- mance are something no company wants to face, but when dealing with a living organism such as seed, they’re likely to occur someplace every year. When your varieties meet or exceed customer expec- tations, everyone is happy. However, when they disappoint, the customer and those who sold them usually blame the product. Panic sets in and thoughts of salvaging the business from the customer who had the problem becomes the focus. No one wants to lose a customer, especially due to poor product performance. Losing a cus- tomer in that manner often results in per- manent separation. But why the panic? In my 22-plus years of selling seed to farmers, I never lost a customer due to poor product performance. Did I ever lose a buyer because my product didn’t perform to his liking? Yes, but the product was never the problem. I never purposely sold a bad product. It was always the more than 1,000 variables that distorted the expected performance of that living variety. The combination of grower manage- ment and the environment the variety is exposed to produce more than 1,000 variables. Some years there is severe distortion, and other years there is little. The product is almost never to blame. The real problem is, who believes in their product enough to understand that? Any negative attitudes toward inferior product performance are usually the result of inferior levels of belief in the product, and it starts with the salesper- son. When salespeople have total belief in the varieties they sell, they instill that same belief in their customers. They Your Product Should Never Let You Down! ROD OSTHUS R.C. THOMAS COMPANY PRESIDENT @RodOsthus • rod@rcthomas.com • rcthomas.com make sure every farmer who buys their seed understands they have one job, and one job only: to protect the performance of the varieties they plant at all costs. Ninety-nine and nine-tenths percent of product performance issues occur because someone stopped protecting that product during its life cycle. From proper planting to proper protection during the season and into harvest, the grower determines the final outcome. The grower must understand, before ever planting your varieties, that he is the only one who can protect that variety’s ability to perform to its potential. Once the customer understands his role in ensuring varietal performance, you’ve given him the most powerful tool avail- able to succeed — the undying belief in the products he plants. That means no more product performance issues. TODAY’S WORKPLACE IS witnessing increased diversity in the form of age, gender,ethnicityandsocio-economicback- ground. Businesses benefit from having different perspectives around the table as these varied views inspire innovation. However, diversity in thought also opens the door for misunderstanding and, if allowed, can develop into some- thing more: not only a source of drama but also a hindrance to productivity. There is important work to be done, so it’s important to control the situation, and not to let it control you. Someone once said, “Calm is a super power.” Here are five tips I rely on for effectively commu- nicating and helping to maintain calm in situations that can evolve into a storm. 1. Know your audience. Communication tactics are determined by the audi- ence. If you are communicating with a millennial, he or she won’t think any- thing about you having a smartphone within reach; however, a baby boomer might find that disrespectful. Is the person you’re talking with a straight shooter, or is he buttoned up, more reserved? You will want to adapt your approach and tone to the audience 2. Communicate in an open, honest and transparent manner. This is not only the best way to prevent a difficult situation but also a great way to solve one. In full transparency, you will likely feel vulnerable. It’s laying all your cards on the table and then being able to talk through each one and its role in a matter. 3. Identify and recognize differences. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge differ- ences and talk about them. Too often, we avoid this type of communication upfront, which can allow a situation to fester. These differences need to be tackled right out of the gate. 4. Set expectations. Work together to 5 Tips to Make Others Think You Have Super Powers TAMRA BOUCHER HALDRUP USA MANAGING DIRECTOR tamra.boucher@haldrup.net • haldrup.net set expectations. For instance, you might determine it’s OK to be emailed or texted at night with the under- standing that a response may not be sent until office hours resume. Or, you might agree to try a new approach to something for a 30-day period and then re-evaluate. Whatever you do, clearly articulate and agree upon the actions to be taken. 5. Be respectful. This is an absolute must in any type of communication. If you expect someone to be willing to work to benefit the organization and its goals, then respect must be shown — not just during meetings or during dif- ficult situations, but in all encounters. Using these five tips, you’ll be able to communicate your way through many difficult situations. Becoming a master communicator really isn’t a “super power” — it just takes a willingness to try, and a lifetime of practice.