1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148 
The Technique of
Page 85
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Selling Tractors
An Unusual Subject Covered in Detail by an Expert. Points That Every Tractor Dealer and Salesman Should Watch The Importance of a Representative Having a Thorough Knowledge of Farming Practice and of the Mechanical Side
By Our Agricultural Correspondent IN a recent interview -with our agricultural correspondent a leading dealer in farm tractors and implements gave what he considered the most important points to be observed by dealers in selling agrimotors to farmers. In the first place, he said, it had, in the past, been a custom amongst many dealers periodically to assign to one of their motorcar salesmen the work of selling tractors. The idea was always present that tractors eventually sold, but the salesman considered that he was tackling a most distasteful job.
There was some justification for the latter view, inasmuch as the farmer, in the first instance, is a man most difficult to approach. Secondly, when an article is offered to him at a certaiu price, the old stock-dealing trait shows itself, and he will persist, if allowed, in bargaining indefinitely, or try to make a "deal." When the farmer realizes, however, that no price concession will be made, he will "climb down."
The old sales plan has now, fortu nately, almost ceased. Most dealers recognize that it is to their advantage to employ a special tractor salesman, but many still overlook the fact that he should be most highly trained.
Knowledge of Farming Essential.
It is a waste of time for a tractor salesman to call on a farmer unless he thoroughly understands not only his own side of the case, but also has a good general knowledge of farming practice. A tractor salesman worthy of the name should be able to take an agrimotor and any item of farm equipment and get the best out of it. He should realize that it is the quality of the work performed by the implement behind the tractor, when used in the field, that decides the sale of the outfit.
A farmer has every respect for the man who understands his work, and the salesman will find that, when he has proved this, half the battle is won.
We will assume that a dealer has reached the point when he intends seriously to sell tractors and implements. He has engaged a salesman, but is not certain how to start. In the firet place, the salesman should spend some time in travelling round the district, calling on agriculturists, making their acquaintance and collecting local data, such as the sizes of the farms, number of acres under cultivation, number of horses and cattle, a farmer's financial position, whether he has sous, and so forth.
After an exhaustive round of calls he should pay a second visit to the farmers who gave him the impression, in the first instance, of being likely buyers, and try, if possible, to arrange demonstrations. If they will not consent at first, they should be called upon again and again. .
Arranging Demonstrations.
At the end of two or three months, all the best farmers and most likely purchasers will be known, and it will then be an easy matter to arrange demonstrations if the salesman has convinced the agriculturist, in his earlier calls, that he can carry out efficiently any task that the farmer puts up to him. The first series of demonstrations in a district is the acid test of a tractor salesman's ability, and he will stand or fall by the local opinion then formed.
,The task invariably selected by the firmer for demonstration work is ploughing, and, of course, he chooses his most difficult field. If the ploughing be to his satisfaction' it is seldom that he asks for anything further. The farmer knows that it is impossible for him to obtain a good crop unless the land is properly ploughed. Furthermore, if the quality of the ploughing be indifferent, all subsequent operations on the land are practically wasted.
It is safe to say that A) per cent. of farm demonStrations are given with the plough. Other implements are equally important for the purposes that they serve, but good ploughing is of vital importance in the first instance.
Many dealers can recall demonstrations that have ended in failure, owing to their having attempted to use implements that have been either hopelessly out of date or so heavy in draught as to make the farmers say—particularly those who have heavy land—that the tractor has not quite enough power for their purposes.
Many Implements Available.
Fortunately for the tractor salesman, there is no difficulty in making a choice of implements. Manufacturers with a world-wide reputation and experience have placed on the market a range of high-class implements which is really "made to measure" for the agrimotor. The main advantages in putting before the farmer these special tractor implements are : They are light in draught. are designed to give just the (Ansa of work required, make an ideal one-man outfit, and, last but not least, are soul only through agrimotor dealers.
With reference to the last point, many dealers overlook the fact that when a farmer buys a tractor it is possible to sell him twice its value• in implements. In other words, the tractor is really only the first purchase.
Assuming that the salesman has, at this stage, "combed out" the best of his prospects, he should make a general survey of his territory with a view to locating any obstacle that may interfere with his demonstrations and ultimate sales. The first thing to be done is to make a note of the number of tractors already in farmers' hands, of the general condition of the machines, and so forth. It is possible that he may find one or more cast aside. The owner should be approached and persuaded, if possible, to have these derelict tractors again put into use. In the event of a refusal, they should be purchased, reconditioned and again sold. Secondhand tractors now command a good price.
A derelict machine should be acquired from the farmer at all cost, otherwise it will become the centre of adverse criticism and will, to a large extent, prevent sales.
Creating a Good Impression.
The next point is to visit each a the other tractors when they are in service and ascertain whether the work is of standard quality. It may be that some of the tractors are pulling obsolete implements. If so, it is an easy matter to remedy. If nothing else be achieved, the salesman will create a certain amount of goodwill by proving to the owner that he is out to serve him.
• When holding a demonstration on his own account, the salesman should arrange for it to be staged on the farm of his best prospect, if that be at all possible. Five or six other prospects should then be notified and arrangements made to convey them to the demonstration field. It will then be tha duty of the salesman to prove to the farmers present that their margin of profit can be considerably extended by adopting agrimotor power, which will reduce the cost of crop production to an astonishingly low level.
It has been noted at a number on demonstrations that many farmers would not "enter the lists " when various comparative points were raised, because they knew that the salesman had every argument on his side.