RC Thomas Company

Top 10 Lies Farmers Told Seed Sellers This Year!

Rod — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:31:26 +0000

Seed Seller Training Radio - How Can You Increase Sales When You’re Being Lied To? In our most recent podcast from Seed Seller Training Radio we tackle this issue head on. Lying has been rampant among growers this selling season. But can you blame farmers for that? Too many seed sellers force farmers into lying [...]

5 Answers You Get From Your Sales Report!

Rod — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:35:56 +0000

A Sales Report Tell Us: As a former full-time field seller, I received comprehensive sales reports every two weeks and mini reports every week. These, “tell it like it really is” statements told me and the rest of the company how I was doing in every single category compared to a year ago, a month [...]

5 Steps To Opening A Brand New Seed Sales Territory

Rod — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:34:49 +0000

Q&A The following is a great question I received over Twitter. Question: @RodOsthus Rod, Recently became a seller in a new territory. Any suggestions other than driving around aimlessly for making contacts? Answer: @EdwardGarber Great Question. Many factors contribute to inefficiency (time wasting) in a new sales territory. Not finding people [...]

The Secret Equation For Selling Success is…

Rod — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:01:18 +0000

The Seed Selling Equation: Training = Confidence = Sales Calls = Orders Without the first two elements you will never achieve the last two. Don’t expect results from yourself or from your sales force if you are not training to succeed. Practice, prepare, and practice some more before you ever step foot in front [...]

If farmers don’t buy you…they won’t buy FROM you!

Rod — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:04:58 +0000

Selling Value - One of the biggest challenges seed sellers face when selling value is they forget that the only real value farmers get when they buy seed from you is… YOU! Product parity dominates the seed business. That means there are no bad varieties out there, just as there are no varieties whose superior [...]

The 2 Dreaded Words: Allocations & Substitutions

Rod — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:41:51 +0000

Seed Seller Training TV - Anyone who has spent more than a year in the seed business has learned that allocations and substitutions are a fact of life. They are going to occur every year whether you like it or not and for any number of reasons. And if you think those two dreaded words [...]

It’s January – The Seed Selling Season is OVER!

Rod — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:56:05 +0000

Seed Seller Training TV - It’s January and the Selling Season is Over. Most companies don’t like to hear that statement and most territory managers don’t want to believe it. But the Prime Time of selling is done in most parts of the country. Now, that doesn’t mean you should stop selling or trying to [...]

The Greatest Partner I Ever Had In The Seed Business…

Rod — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:00:09 +0000

My Spouse - Many of you have partners in your business, some of them are your close friends and relatives. While others rely heavily on their spouses. For 38 years my partner was my wife Sharon, and as I shared with many of you in the March 2011 issue of the Seed Seller Training [...]

New Customer: “I am Done Buying Seed From You” (Over an Early Pay Discount)

Rod — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:34:58 +0000

Question: Rod, I really like the way you talk about selling in your Seed Seller Training Journal. You seem to understand the line between having a good relationship with a customer and breaking rules trying to be too nice. I have to admit, I am not so good at that, especially when it comes [...]

12 Ways to Test the Strength of Your Dealership!

Rod — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:22:59 +0000

If there was ever a year when dealerships would be tested it was this past season. With the amount of variable product performance across the country, a great deal of additional pressure was put on anyone with a part-time seed business. People who have dealerships most often divide their time between selling seed and other [...]