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| I want a company with good seedsmen out in the field. The dealer has a lot more to do with my decision than the seed company. Seems to me that the many of the smaller seed companies hire second rate or inexperienced DSM's. They then go out and recruit any farmer that will listen to be a dealer. A year or two later, there's a new DSM either because the first one wasn't good and got fired, or he was good and moved on to something better. The farmer dealers they recruited haven't sold any seed to anyone but themselves, and now have someone new to deal with. I don't particularly like farmer dealers. Most are too busy farming to do a good job servicing their accounts. Seems that every time I've bought from a farmer dealer and been switched out of their "hot"number because there wasn't enough supply, I see several fields farmed by that dealer with signs up with that number. Hmmmm....wonder where my seed went. Don't like having to pick up seed on their schedule, especially when I might just need a bag or two to finish. Like being able to get a weigh wagon or some other service when I need it. IMO, the smaller seed companies should bypass the DSM and have full-time pro dealers with a larger territory.
I have a very good pro dealer, and maybe that is not the norm. Things he does well. Knows his agronomy. Delivers seed. My corn is always in my shed when I start planting. My beans are delivered to my tender with a bulk delivery truck when I need them. He watches out for my overall business. Gives me a heads up on ground for rent or tells me what he knows about some ground if I ask him. Lined up some custom work for me. I talk or text with him every week or two. Maybe not always about his products, but he know I exist even when its not sales season. Has shown up for an afternoon to drive tractor when we needed an extra hand. Has given me a quick ride from one place to another when needed. Always has a cooler with pop and goodies in the fall (I know, I'm indirectly paying for it, but its the idea that he's willing to part with a few of his own bucks that he wouldn't have to).
One thing most dealers could do better is to know their competitor's products as well as their own.
Brandon | |
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What do you look for in a seed company?
