John Deere reducing dealerships

[thesilentone]

at what point does it become taking advantage though ? Dodgy insulation salesman befrend and take advantage of little old ladies that don’t get out much and take their money and I don’t think any of us would say that’s ok, at least said little old dear had someone to talk to !

any “friendship“ built around sales is shallow at best really surely ?

The human species is flawed, of that their is no doubt, and there are no bigger Con-Men than those at the top of the social pile, and officialdom, Judges, Banks, Politicians, the Clergy where does it end ?

However it is that, that also makes life interesting, it would be a very bleak routine if we were all the same.

Like it or not, business is about people.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

I can remember the late 1980's when you had all manner of reps, for feed/seed/minerals/dairy and machinery

Some were good
Some were bad
Some you made friends with (some even came to my wedding) and you still remain in contact with

Like at YFC there were farmers/contractors/farm reps/and all manner of other trades like farriers/bank clerks/legal secretaries/firemen/butchers/undertakers and police in our YFC

It's what the fabric of rural society was, and still is in many areas - maybe not in the industrial agriculture of the home counties where Clive farms, but for many other parts of the UK

Agribusinesses are a vital part of the UK farming, it's co-existant

As I said on the other thread, the major problem isn't the price of farm inputs (farmers are bloody good negotiators) but the price of produce and livestock sales, that farmers receive

If you drive agribusiness suppliers out of business, what then?

 

[2wheels]

I am of a generation that has had little choice but to be businesses like to survive, my entire farming career has been though a period of low prices and tight margins relative to previous generations. If had had taken anything but a business like approach to my chosen occupation I doubt I would still be here farming at all and I certainly would not be able to provide for my family as well as I can

maybe it is sad but thats the climate I’ve had to learn to survive under

you are not old enough to remember high interest rates/credit squeezes? we expanded in the sixties and early seventies and just let's say we were technically bust for a few years. thanks to an understanding old school banker and a subsistance life style we made it through. then just when we were getting on our feet along came sky high interest rates. we were not the only ones affected and some who couldn't cut costs/lifestyle went to the wall. the only thing in our favour was inflation. no flash cars/skiing holidays for us. just nose to the grindstone 7days a week.

 

[Jdunn55]

Seems theres 2 opinions on reps from this forum.
I have absolutely no problem with reps turning up unannounced as long as they respect that if I say "I'm a bit busy today can you come back another time?" It means I'm a bit busy and havent got time for them today! They all do.

Most of the time I really enjoy when reps do phone or call round just for the social aspect. Not all of us are able to have time off for whatever reason and quite honestly it could be bloody lonely!

 

[thesilentone]

I use my own system. I have no idea how others use theirs. At the end of the day, each to their own.

You're " own system " Does than mean, if you're run over by a bus, or leave, your Company is left with no records of your activity ?

A Company CRM System is exactly that, the Companies. A key Management tool to plan future turnover, budgets, stock levels, resources etc.

If a person leaves a Company their records are then immediately available to their replacement, who can hit the ground running.

 

[Martin Holden]

You're " own system " Does than mean, if you're run over by a bus, or leave, your Company is left with no records of your activity ?

A Company CRM System is exactly that, the Companies. A key Management tool to plan future turnover, budgets, stock levels, resources etc.

If a person leaves a Company their records are then immediately available to their replacement, who can hit the ground running.

No, others have access to my system; it is only temporary until we have a cloud based system up and running.

 

[barleybasher]

Is CRM the one where you spend all of your time putting in information and no time actually doing the job? Then congratulate yourself with all of the graphs you have created whilst not getting back to customers in a timely fashion?

 

[Robt]

No a CRM is essential for future planning and to remain in business. In sales in ag the staff turnover is low compared to other business but it’s also high in certain brands. Without a portal to store vital data then your business becomes in danger of losing precious abs expensive customer data should a rep leave. Every time a rep makes a visit I believe it costs £200 at least. Some companies use CRM’s very well just like some farmers use planning abs accounting software very well. If you have a bad experience and you believe that is all a dealer or manufacturer uses their CRM for. Then simply vote with your wallet. Modern CRM’s once set up take no time at all to maintain. Buying history, business history can be very powerful

 

[Will 1594]

Many farms are very lonely places,and as you mentioned they have not seen a visitor for many weeks.A lot of farmers that I visit ( before covid 19) enjoy a chat and a cup of tea/coffee.The days of "rural repping" are long gone in this part of the world.

Uztrack i think @Clive , needs to pull some one elses boots on for a week or two ,,

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Is CRM the one where you spend all of your time putting in information and no time actually doing the job? Then congratulate yourself with all of the graphs you have created whilst not getting back to customers in a timely fashion?

Yep [emoji106]

 

[Clive]

No a CRM is essential for future planning and to remain in business. In sales in ag the staff turnover is low compared to other business but it’s also high in certain brands. Without a portal to store vital data then your business becomes in danger of losing precious abs expensive customer data should a rep leave. Every time a rep makes a visit I believe it costs £200 at least. Some companies use CRM’s very well just like some farmers use planning abs accounting software very well. If you have a bad experience and you believe that is all a dealer or manufacturer uses their CRM for. Then simply vote with your wallet. Modern CRM’s once set up take no time at all to maintain. Buying history, business history can be very powerful

I'm not sure how anyone runs a business with more than a dozen customers without a good CRM

 

[Clive]

Yep [emoji106]

Reps usualy hate them because it can often expose they are not doing everything they should be doing or where / when they should be etc

Business owners love them as it creates better customer service and higher sales volumes


Most importantly they facilitate better customers service, My original comment on them in this thread was how is it even possible for a enquiry to be missed or not followed up if a supplier is using a CRM properly ?

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Reps usualy hate them because it can often expose they are not doing everything they should be doing or where / when they should be etc

Business owners love them as it creates better customer service and higher sales volumes


Most importantly they facilitate better customers service, My original comment on them in this thread was how is it even possible for a enquiry to be missed or not followed up if a supplier is using a CRM properly ?

I would hazard a guess, many farm machinery dealerships are not using CRM?

Would be an educated guess............or just a wild guess?

 

[Cowabunga]

I would hazard a guess, many farm machinery dealerships are not using CRM?

Would be an educated guess............or just a wild guess?

I believe that only a small minority are using such [essential?] technology even today. Most don't know what's out there for managing reps and to help reps do their job to the employer's advantage and will not pay for it. Or will not pay for it at the front line or put the necessary time into managing systems of information at the back office. Not unless they are shown how it would pay for them.

 

[Clive]

I would hazard a guess, many farm machinery dealerships are not using CRM?

Would be an educated guess............or just a wild guess?

no idea how many do / don't but I can't see the likes of John Deere being impressed by a dealer that doesn't use such customer service and sales tools


In fact I would be surprised if the big manufactures don't make use of a CRM system compulsory ?


As per my original speculation and back to the title of this thread maybe this is one of the reasons JD are reducing dealerships and rationalising their network ?

 

[Cowabunga]

no idea how many do / don't but I can't see the likes of John Deere being impressed by a dealer that doesn't use such customer service and sales tools

Maybe that's the reason they are taking control of so many larger dealerships through one means or another? They may wish to improve customer retention, repeat and conquest sales through more effective and efficient management practices both through sales and after sales departments. There's a whole lot of scope there in most dealerships.

 

[marcot]

Ok I've got to ask am I the only moron on here that has absolutely no idea what CRM is?
I will take a wild guess and go for Call me Repeatedly Mate ?
Oh and am I the only one on here who can abide acronyms? I blame the Yanks for this they bloody love them!

 

[Sid]

Ok I've got to ask am I the only moron on here that has absolutely no idea what CRM is?
I will take a wild guess and go for Call me Repeatedly Mate ?
Oh and am I the only one on here who can abide acronyms? I blame the Yanks for this they bloody love them!

Crap rep mode?

 

[thesilentone]

Is CRM the one where you spend all of your time putting in information and no time actually doing the job? Then congratulate yourself with all of the graphs you have created whilst not getting back to customers in a timely fashion?

No, only if you don't know what you're doing.

The original database is taken from the Company accounting system and/or marketing database (if yo have one). So, all names addresses, postcodes, tel no are added automatically. In fact the right system will automatically include mapping (taken from the postcode)

The information added manually to update the system is selected from a drop-down menus, takes at least Oh, two minutes.

But the really tough bit for many reps (not all) is adding a note such as: ' Quoted for a JD999 @ £99,999 ' or ' call again on 15-12-2020 to discuss changing combine' or ' customer has bought from the competition, the basxxrd 'etc. All information you would be writing in a diary anyway.

Oh, and not forgetting to press the ' ENTER ' button.

No chance of never getting back to anyone late or forgetting again, as the system will constantly remind you to do it.

In today's businesses no other system should be used, and if you're not, your ten years behind the times. All emails, meeting, webinars, diary entry's, flights, trains, travel, etc to do with business can be managed via CRM, no need for any other system. It doesn't matter if you're the Chairman or the junior rep, everyone should use it.

Most importantly, nothing gets missed or forgotten, and the reports produced for management are an invaluable tool for business planning.

Sure you could manage that barleybasher ?

 

[thesilentone]

Ok I've got to ask am I the only moron on here that has absolutely no idea what CRM is?
I will take a wild guess and go for Call me Repeatedly Mate ?
Oh and am I the only one on here who can abide acronyms? I blame the Yanks for this they bloody love them!

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