February 3, 2012

Manufacturer sales reps key to agri-retail support

by Mike Weddel

Every year Stratus Agri-Marketing produces an annual report card on how well crop protection manufacturers are meeting the needs of retailers who sell their products. Our 2011 results clearly show that manufacturers who invest in training and developing highly effective sales representatives see a great return on their investment through stronger retail support.

The goal of the annual agri-retailer survey is to provide meaningful feedback from the retail channel that manufacturers can use to determine how best to support their products and build strong retail relationships.

The first thing that we hear from retailers is that they want to support crop protection manufacturers. And there's good reason for that. Crop protection products are a significant part of a retailer's business, considered equally important as fertilizer.

In return for this support, retailers have certain expectations of manufacturers. They want manufacturers to look after their farm customers – product claims must be accurate; products need to perform as promised; and farmer complaints must be resolved fairly.

But the level of retail support for manufacturers does vary. There are a number of factors that drive this behavior. Our results show that the effectiveness of the manufacturer's sales rep is one of the most important factors behind retailer support.

Clearly, retailers provide greater support for manufacturers whose sales reps build a trusting relationship with retailers; communicate effectively; work well with the retailer’s farm customers; and become a trusted advisor who is consulted by the retailer when making business decisions.

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