Is Your Customer Getting the Best Return Out of You?

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Being a trusted adviser looks different today because farmers look to you for more than just products and price. They trust you. Your experience and knowledge are valuable. That’s why gently pushing back when they resist your advice is important. We call it Pushing Back with a Purpose. Here are a few reminders to boost your confidence and strengthen your stance:

You’re the expert: You can provide perspective the customer doesn’t have but needs. Ask your farmers to look at situations in a different way by bringing up what-if situations they might not have considered. Share your own experience as proof.
Be the advisor: You have specific product knowledge and perspective a farmer likely doesn’t, especially when it comes to specific data regarding field-test performance. Reference success from other farmers, your trials, or university studies when making a recommendation.
Step in before the mistake is made: Sometimes, you know your customers’ needs better than they do. If they’re going down the wrong road, perhaps not considering critical inputs or decisions like fungicide when they should, get in there and steer them back onto the right path.

Push back like a hero! Being available is the best solution. During tough times, clients may be apprehensive and anxious. They need assurance that their decisions will not cause more harm than good. The best way to provide this assurance is to be available for communication at all times.