February 2021

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER

Sell With a Story

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Cutting through the noise, capturing farmer’s attention and creating enough confidence to try a fungicide is a tall task.

Storytelling is one of the best strategies for standing out from the crowd and driving results. Telling stories customers can relate to and engage with on an emotional level will drive a higher success rate than only focusing on data.

Studies show that, on average, people forget 50 percent of new information an hour after they hear it. Therefore, it’s important to think outside the box and look at different ways of approaching sales.

When selling fungicides, what do you focus on? Concentrating only on technical features and yield data with customers may be confusing and even overwhelming. Although important, this strategy is more effective to get a customer to switch products.

Over 90 percent of farmers have already tried fungicides in their operations. Because almost every retailer leads with the same message, they have come to the conclusion that all products are the same. This makes it an ineffective sales strategy for introducing fungicides and new brands.

To sell with a story, you need to understand where a farmer is on their journey. Ask farmers questions about their business so you can tailor a product recommendation to their specific needs. Share anecdotes about farmers in similar situations who have benefited from using BASF Plant Health fungicides. Consider using RevXFields.com to show real results from similar fields. Use your own experiences and observations to help them visualize the difference it could make on their farm.

Not since the introduction of Headline® fungicide has there been a more exciting fungicide launched into the market than the Revysol® family of brands, including Cevya®, Provysol®, Revytek® and Veltyma® fungicides.

Combining logic and emotion through storytelling in your sales will increase information retention. These strategies build better, long-term relationships with your customers.

For support implementing these strategies, please reach out to your BASF Business Representative. We have the skills to help and are committed to working together. If you are looking to increase treated acres of fungicide and get customers to truly see the value, you’re in luck. All season long, we’ll be sharing industry-leading tips and tricks in each edition of Retail First to help you grow your sales relationships, discover new strategies for improving farmers’ bottom lines, and increase your sales. Visit the Pathfinder Initiative for access to previous issues and interactive, personalized training programs.