Yes, as said he’s back farming again. Used to milk cows on a National Trust farm until Cranbrook started to happen & NT didn’t want anyone milking there. Owns more of his own ground now & expanded his buildings there. Keeps a fair few cattle again so not enough spare time for other work.
Dozy sales reps
- Thread starter Bruce Almighty
- Start date
- Location
- Somerset
Fair enough, good luck to him.
Did it sell?
ollie989898
Member
I wonder if these sales people are driving here there and everywhere because they are given X number of calls/miles or something to do in a day and that is how their performance is judged, by the time you'd had a day of that, emails and phone calls and stuff are the last thing anyone wants to do? Or they just aren't about any more?
- Location
- Somerset
Surely their performance would be judged on how many sales they made, and how much ££ they make for the company? It staggers me that even when you make the effort to drive a long way to look at a peice of machinery the dealer cannot be bothered to email a quote... You have a customer who is keen to buy your machine and you cant be bothered to send an email? The view I take of that is if you dont want to bother to do something that costs you nothing, I dont want to bother giving you thousands of my hard earned pounds...
ollie989898
Member
I cannot say, I've never had anything to do with machinery in this way. Perhaps someone who is involved in the trade can explain as I am mystified as much as the next man.
- Location
- Somerset
Im speaking from recent experience... It just seems like even if you show up to a dealership wanting to buy their kit they dont care. You almost have to convince them to let you give them money!
- Location
- Warwickshire
We decided to keep it and spend the money on a new building instead.
Wise
- Location
- South Yorkshire
To go back to the OP.
You are not alone! Reps now are pretty much a by word around here for rude, never seen or wanted when you make contact with them, work shy waste of spaces. They only ever crawl out or make an effort when they need the month end of year end bonuses and think they can use you to bump numbers up, or when the big farmers aren't buying or bought up. So no more meat on the bone to be had.
I've been chasing our local Blue dealer up since October for a demo/ numbers etc on a SH 270 auto command they have in. High hours and strong money for one with them hours and age. Anyway, I'm now at the point IF he does ring I'll tell him to forget it as I'm not going to be played for a fool, forgotten about until it suits or not taken seriously. All because he (or what might have been said to him about us) thinks we are not serious buyers. Sadly several poisonous vexing locals like to stir the muck when they se you doing well. The money's there in the bank for a tractor, we can't seem to be able to find anyone to take it from us in exchange for a machine. Beyond perplexed by them but also going to enjoy putting them in their place over it all.
Sadly can't use one of our other local dealerships despite finding some real deals on their brand. Can't be doing with their attitude and reps I've dealt with in the past destroyed my confidence in them. Never mind, one of the reps i wouldn't trust around my dogs, never mind females on the farm and can't maintain his professionalism. Similar to that discussed already in this post.
Pretty much going to be buying private from now on which would suit me better. Unless we opt to change brands.
You are not alone! Reps now are pretty much a by word around here for rude, never seen or wanted when you make contact with them, work shy waste of spaces. They only ever crawl out or make an effort when they need the month end of year end bonuses and think they can use you to bump numbers up, or when the big farmers aren't buying or bought up. So no more meat on the bone to be had.
I've been chasing our local Blue dealer up since October for a demo/ numbers etc on a SH 270 auto command they have in. High hours and strong money for one with them hours and age. Anyway, I'm now at the point IF he does ring I'll tell him to forget it as I'm not going to be played for a fool, forgotten about until it suits or not taken seriously. All because he (or what might have been said to him about us) thinks we are not serious buyers. Sadly several poisonous vexing locals like to stir the muck when they se you doing well. The money's there in the bank for a tractor, we can't seem to be able to find anyone to take it from us in exchange for a machine. Beyond perplexed by them but also going to enjoy putting them in their place over it all.
Sadly can't use one of our other local dealerships despite finding some real deals on their brand. Can't be doing with their attitude and reps I've dealt with in the past destroyed my confidence in them. Never mind, one of the reps i wouldn't trust around my dogs, never mind females on the farm and can't maintain his professionalism. Similar to that discussed already in this post.
Pretty much going to be buying private from now on which would suit me better. Unless we opt to change brands.
- Location
- Cumbria
I disagree.
Anyone can deal with good people, it's takes someone a little special to deal with the more difficult buyers.
Selling is still a human interaction, and long should it remain that way.
To be a successful salesperson, you must be skilled in dealing with all the different personalities you are likely to encounter, so as well as knowing your product, you also need to know your buyer. That way you can plan a strategy that suits everyone.
However, you can't sell anything if you don't follow up an enquiry.
- Location
- South West
That’s not really what I was getting at.. I was getting at the point made of not getting very good deals / service / attitude from the sales team.
From there point of view there not going to put loads of time and effort in to selling a tractor doing demonstrations and spending hours pricing and building spec up to slap it on a farmers desk who has no intention of buying and just wanted a free extra tractor for a few days.
There’s loads of tyre kickers out there who want to know what the price is of the newest tractor or bailer or what ever just for gossip sake not to actually do anything about it, those are the people who ruin it for them as to a sales rep time is money.
as a farmer if you deal and talk straight you’ll get a better service than saying the right things to get a demo or get a price but then not answering the phone for weeks or going cold. Similar to a woman in a bar, if she’s giving you the come on then all night and letting you buy her drinks and flirting but disappears off as it’s close time, you’d be abit put off and call her a pr**k tease.
- Location
- Cumbria
I agree, however.
Selling to farmers is a little different to many jobs, as the customer base is shrinking.
A dealer salesmen that covers an area won't actually have that many customers in his CRM system, and even if he/she has, next year their will be one or two less.
So, a percentage of time must be set aside for prospecting for new customers to replace those who sell-up/retire/drop dead/get run over by a bus.
This is when relationships are built to start with, and each learn about each other.
Make no mistake, the one's who don't pay, only get demo's. and are general tyre kickers are well known.
However, that does not mean they should be abandoned. and this is where human skills are needed.
One key prospect is your competitors best customer, as that is the biggest challenge your likely to be faced with, the biggest challenge and nut to crack, it's maybe not going to happen in month or two or even a year or two.
But, if you don't call and maybe provide a prospective demo, it will never happen.
- Location
- South West
It’s a fine line with costs rising, just a simple demo now when the tractor is depreciation at up round a tenner an hour and reps cost by the time you take in to account labour truck phone etc would be up over twenty quid an hour dealers can’t afford to go cold calling or dealing with messers. The customer base shrinks yes, but the land area does not so he may only deal with 50 farmers instead of 55 this year but plant he sells will stay to a similar value as someone else will be farming it, needing a bigger tractor to deal with it etc.
You’d be amazed how many reps nation wide talk to each other, even between brands, about who’s a messer or a bad payer etc. you may find you’ve fallen out with your NH dealer and refuse to pay a bill, suddenly when you approach the JD dealer for your next tractor there less than Keen to do a deal. I found this much to my detriment after taking over from my dad, who was a shoot first ask questions later kind of guy. It took a good few years to get the name out of the bad books and to a position now I can WhatsApp any of my ‘normal’ sales reps and get a ball park price for something with no obligations so I can do the maths if it’s worth perusing as my time also costs money as does the reps.
Tractorstant
Member
- Location
- Monaco.
If It's a Second Hand (SH?) unit you are after, you can get one from any dealer in the country. Selling "Out of Area" doesn't apply to a used tractor. As an ex-tractor sales rep, I find these posts mystifying, to be honest. I can't believe there is no follow-up. I guess it's all tick-tock and Instagram now, thinking that "likes" are relationships.
If I didn't think you were a serious buyer, I'd agree on the figures with you, and then you for a refundable deposit "subject to" a successful demonstration.
- Location
- Warwickshire
This week our JCB rep finally came out with a quote for a new machine.
He apologised and thought the quote had been sent out.
We’re considering it.
Personally I prefer driving our 2015 Manitou to our 2019 JCB.
That’s irrelevant though as we’ve heard nothing from our Manitou rep
He apologised and thought the quote had been sent out.
We’re considering it.
Personally I prefer driving our 2015 Manitou to our 2019 JCB.
That’s irrelevant though as we’ve heard nothing from our Manitou rep
- Location
- Yorkshire
- Location
- Warwickshire
- Location
- Yorkshire
Maybe explains why he asked if this is still available, I don't know the time scales but if he thought the quote had been sent out then saw yours advertised he maybe thought you couldn't be bothered to get back to him after he'd put some work in
- Location
- South Yorkshire
Yes second hand and aware that any can sell out of area. But was keen to stick with Russell's for the sake of some "hours" of warranty and they are our nearest dealership. Usually no problems and machines are as described.
Anyway, after messaging the rep to push for the demo whilst drilling/ ploughing this week and or into next week on Saturday just gone. I was messaged back Sunday to say he hadn't pushed for getting it to the Tuxford depot and would be in touch with me this week. Friday evening now and no call or message. I've given up now, lost all interest and desire to deal with him or them. After shocking parts prices for New Holland tractors for maintenance work not repairs or major repairs. I'm seriously considering if it's worth going to JD or another brand. At least i can get a response, fast actions and a keen can do attitude from my Rip offs rep and back up on the machines new and second hand we have had trough them.
Could well see our allegiance changing as i can't be doing with this poor service and neither can my old man. Perplexed to say the least. If we could justify the expenditure in the current climate and farm gate fiasco I'd change all of them in one go.