b'NICK TINSLEY The Journey orTECHNICAL FIELD REPRESENTATIVESEED TREATMENT, BASFnicholas.tinsley@basf.com the Destination? agriculture.basf.us/crop-protection/use-areas/seed-treatment.htmlIF YOU TAKEa poll and askWhen asked how did you find con-Will Seed Traits Replacepeople what is more important, thetent, survey respondents said:journey or the destination, you are Directly through vendor websiteSeed Treatments? likely to get proponents for both. In 70%business we are tasked to to keep I nternet search67%our eye on the prizesales and rev-Social media53%ITS A WORLDfull of traits right now. It seems thatenue targetsbut when it comes Sent to me via email41%new seed traits are brought to market every year toto creating repeat customers, we Word of mouth33%fight new pests and diseases.also need to ensure that their pathAs the research shows, your One thing I often get asked is: Are traits going toto a purchase is positive.digital presence is likely going to be replace treatments? Luckily, my answer is easy. No!Thats why if you ask me whichpotential customers first introduc-That isnt to say traits arent necessary and important,one is most important, the answertion to your company. Knowing this, though.you will get is BOTH. It is equallyhere are some important questions Traits are unique because they are able to controlimportant that your company haveto ask:specific pests well. If you think about the traits on thea path to attract new prospects and1. How would you rank the look market, they might target something like corn root- a defined sales process to close theof your companys website on a worm or corn earworm, providing a significant level ofbusiness.scale of 1-10?protection against some of the major threats growersMost people can tell me what2. How would you rate your face each year. the steps in their sales process lookonline content on a scale of 1-10? Do When you think of your seed treatment, what arelike, but when it comes to defin- you have articles or just fact sheets? you looking for? Usually, youre looking for a broading their marketing funnel thingsDo you have videos?protection from those unforeseen threats while alsoget a lot less clear. So how do you3. Are you currently active in increasing your control of major problematic pests likedevelop leads from being strangerssocial media? If yes, what is the goal corn rootworm or soybean cyst nematode. While traitsinto brand/product advocates forof your current marketing?can tackle one specific pest, a seed treatment usuallyyour company? Being armed with this informa-includes a number of ingredients that protect from mul- The path to success is to look attion is the first step in building your tiple pests and diseases.and hone how potential customersCVJ canvas. From here you can What youre really getting with treatments is addedfind you and the steps you employcraft how you will build aware-flexibility. Because pests and diseases on every farmto make and keep them as custom- ness of your brand, products and and field can be different, seed treatments mixes orers. To build your customer valueservices.rates can be changed to address localized problemsjourney (CVJ) canvas. So, lets start more effectively.at the beginning. Because a treatment covers such broad protection,Research from 2020 FocusVision its the perfect complement to a seed trait.report, Content Really is King: Think about it: you can have situations where a traitContent Consumption in the B2B and seed treatment are working together to fight theBuyers Journey, shared that when same pest. Thats not a bad thing, and it actually hasB2B buyers were researching new positive implications. You get the benefit of differentpurchases the top sources of content modes of action against a particular pest, but you alsowere the vendors website, followed get the durability and livelihood of both the trait andby online search and social media. treatment. Having multiple modes of action is one way you can help delay the development of resistance, especially when you think about pests such as soybean cyst nematode.SHAWN BROOKSo really: Both are integrated pest management PRESIDENT, SEED WORLD GROUPtools growers should have in their toolbox and should be utilized in conjunction to fight todays and tomor- sbrook@seedworldgroup.comseedworldgroup.comrows most problematic pests and diseases.SEPTEMBER 2021SEEDWORLD.COM /25'