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| Good luck on this. I am sure you will learn some basics with research from the sites that have been posted. To really learn marketing is by doing. I found that teaching marketing is harder than learning. In the past I have had the opportunity to teach various audiences. One of my first was teaching grain elevator operators and producers the basic of options. (this was in 1984 when they were last introduced for grains and oilseeds). I could teach them the difference between puts and calls whether long or short. Many of these people still did not "get it" until they used them. Some never did learn. The second, chance was when I started a few producer marketing clubs. That was quite a challenge. Either I was a bad teacher or they simply could not learn without doing. Many did figure it out once they traded and marketed for themselves. One thing I found out from a former K State professor was to make sure there was at least one woman in the club. ( in those days women were not expected to know anything about grain marketing ) Why was this important? They asked questions. They were curious. I surmised that men would rather stay stupid rather than look stupid by asking what they thought was a dumb question in front of their neighbor. (apparently they were telling their neighbor that they were smart at marketing) The third chance I had to teach was a night class at the local university. Same results as earlier classes only a more diverse group. All in all, I do think some gained some insight and certainly learned lots of terminology. I liken it to telling you how to ride a bike. Until you try it physically. neither you or I know if you can actually ride that bike.
Again, by doing things we tend to learn from those experiences. I remember telling farmers how PIK swaps worked. They were like a deer in head lights until they did it. After they had, I would hear them telling others how to do it and how easy it was.
I could keep telling lots of stories from my 44 years in the grain business and 26 years of being an introducing broker. (IB) I take you as a very curious guy. My suggestion is to find a mentor. Someone that does not want anything from you in the way of compensation. Only to see you do well. Start by studying, do some marketing, bounce ideas off your mentor. study more and market more. Your marketing will not be perfect but you will do fine. Oh and make sure you plan your marketing based on cost of production and profit goals. Go for it.
Last bit of advice: Make sure your mentor does not appear to be a know it all. This market has a way of proving they do not. I have the paperwork to prove it.
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Marketing 101
