A Farmer's Tale

In today’s edition, we explore a simple sales story about Persistence and Trust. A good example of why prospects can in time be turned through simple methods and consistent engagement. Let’s get to it.

Hello Reader,

Sales is hard, but is often very easy. Some simple principles work if you do them consistently enough.

Let me share with you a simple story which explains more.

I have a friend, Stuart, who is a sales rep at an agricultural company. A few years ago, he was given a new role and region to work with.

He chatted to his team and said the farms on his route liked the routine of him turning up on certain days and times.

So, he took the advice and went to visit farms in his area.

Some were customers. Some were not.

Stuart drove into a farm on the last Monday of the month, and the farmer greeted him by shouting "Get off my land, I told the last guy that I don't buy from your company."

Stuart replied, "I respect that, Mr Farmer, but I am new to the area, and this is a farm on my patch. I am new, and I want to understand what we did wrong so that we can fix this."

"I don't want to talk with you guys, just get off my land"

"No problem, I respect that. But I will be here on the last Monday of next month as your farm is on my route and I am a man of my word."

A month passed, and Stuart drove past the farm and wondered if it was worth the effort to visit the farmer again. He had made a promise, and so thought he would give it another go.

He drove in, parked up, and before he had got out of the car, the Farmer shouted, "I told you last month that I don’t buy from your company, get off my land."

"I will do," Stuart replied, "but as I also said last time, your farm is part of my network and route, and it’s my job to come and visit you and see if we can work together."

"I am not interested", the farmer shouted.

"I respect that, but I will be back here again in a month. Just in case you change your mind."

Stuart drove off and wondered if he should cut the farm loose, but he knew from conversations that the farm was a big spender, and if he could get them on board, it could make a big difference to his numbers.

He tried to find some connections or people to chat with the farmer, but nothing was coming up.

So, he carried on.

Month on month, he would drive into the farmyard, and each month he would be greeted with a ‘go away’ message.

Many would have given up, but Stuart had sales discipline and persistence. He also didn’t want to have to report back to his senior team that one of the largest farms in his patch was a no-go for business!

7 months after initially visiting the farm, Stuart was feeling despondent. What could he do to turn it around and get the farmer on side?

Sometimes good results happen over time. There is no rhyme or reason why luck falls into our laps, but as Wayne Gretzky once said, "I miss all of the shots that I don’t take."

For the 8^th time, Stuart pulled into the farmer’s drive. Hopeful but also thinking realistically that it would go the same way as the previous 7 times.

He parked up and saw that the farmer looked more stressed than normal. He got out of the car expecting another barrage, but to his surprise, he got a different response.

"You keep turning up here every month... Well, now you can work for your money. I have been let down by my existing supplier on some medication which I have to give my cattle tomorrow. Without it, I have a major problem."

"If you can give me your best price and deliver the medication tomorrow, I will place an order. I need this medication."

Stuart smiled. He had finally, after 8 months broken through. His chance had come.

Through persistence and doing the same thing consistently, he had got his chance.

He phoned his team, ensured they had stock, and went back to see the farmer to tell him the price. He accepted, and Stuart ensured that he called the farmer a day later to check the medication had been delivered and was what he needed.

"Yes, thanks, and I appreciate you helping us out", the farmer replied. "Let’s have a longer conversation when you come in next month."

It didn’t take another month. 5 days after the first order, the farmer phoned Stuart again and asked about pricing for some fencing he needed. Once again, Stuart quoted and ensured it was delivered that same day and made the farmer realise he was a person he could trust.

9 months on from that first breakthrough, the farmer had moved nearly 90% of his spend to Stuart, and away from his old supplier. The numbers were big, and it made a big impact on him in him over-achieving his targets for the year.

In fact, when I asked Stuart how things were going, he said he and the farmer had actually become friends. The issue had been caused by the previous rep not doing what he said he would have done. Sales is all about debits and credits as I explain in this video:

From adversity had come triumph. All through a continued focus on being persistent and consistent.

Many would have given up, and many do give up, but in reality, sales is simple!

Focus on looking to serve the customer or prospect you work with. What can you do to help them and fix problems for them.
Build trust by doing what you say you will. Customers love consistency. It’s why McDonald's is so successful. The food isn’t great but buyers know EXACTLY what they are going to get.
Hold and control your emotions. Don’t get too happy when things are good and don’t get too sad when they are difficult. Business is all about trying to ride the rollercoaster and enjoy the journey.
Turn up consistently and accept that results won’t happen straight away. You don’t get six pack abs from just doing 10 sit ups one day.
When you do get your chance, be focused on doing what is needed to deliver and deliver well. You don’t often get multiple chances.