b'JASON KAEB DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, KSI CONVEYORS @jasonkaeb_ksiJasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.comKSiConveyors.comDo You Share the Good, the Bad and the Ugly with Customers? COMPANIES TRADITIONALLY SPOTLIGHTTheres a lot to be said for the industry and farmers and seed growers and sell on the good, and brush the bad and thewho want to know more. When they receive product, they are beginning ugly under the rug. Company executives are greatto ask questions and want to know more than the seed looks good. They at these types of pivots but that doesnt build cus- want something they can hang their hat on, as opposed to just trusting in tomer trust and brand loyalty. the relationship and the job thats done. Research done by Ryan Buell of the HarvardWhen we first released KSi AutoTreat in 2009-10, we provided a print-Business School shows that transparency increasesout detailing the actual fluid ounces (milliliters) of applied product. As our customers perceptions of the value of a good ortools and technologies have advanced, we can now provide multiple display service, their satisfaction of it and their willingnessoptions for your customers.to pay, irrespective of its quality.We encourage applicators to distribute the display option with the most While farmers arent demanding transparencydetails. At first, they are hesitant. They are concerned that more questions when it comes to seed treatment yet, they arewill be asked than the treater feels equipped to handle. In reality, it doesnt when it comes to varieties and genetics. For thetake long for someone to start using automation technology before they most part, transparency has been resisted by therealize that: 1) I can trust my treater and I can trust the automation, and 2) I industry. I dont watch much hockey, but I do knowcan take that and have a conversation with my customers and growers, and Wayne Gretzky didnt win four Stanley Cup cham- they are actually more impressed with that than anything. pionships and become the leading NHL scorer byWhen we are doing business with people, we like to deal with people skating to where the puck was; rather, he antici- who tell us the good, the bad and the ugly about what we are doing. None pated where it was going and made the right moveof us are ignorant to think that we always deal with somebody who is at the right time. always right and never makes mistakes. We want to deal with companies As our industry gets younger and new farmersand people who are honest with us, who tell us when something is not right, come into the mix, they arent going to be as loyaland then we can work together to fix it.as we are accustomed. We want to help custom- Transparency allows us to be confident in our next conversations, know-ers be on the leading edge of transparency. Rathering that we didnt hold anything back, and that our customers can be just as than having farmers or customers come to youtransparent with their customers.asking questions, we want you to have the tools toEditors Note: This is a small portion of a recorded podcast. lead that conversation.42/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2019'