Q & A with your Ag customer

How to answer important questions from your customer

I spend a lot of time training salespeople on how to ask questions. Good questions, great questions, high-value questions, open-ended questions, and so on.

It is the top-selling skill needed to accomplish everything when selling, when cold calling, to determine a customer’s needs, to close a sale, to develop relationships, to solve customer problems, etc.

However, I have failed to spend enough time on the selling skill of answering questions. When your prospect or customer asks a question, all of your senses should set off an alarm. That alarm should be telling you to stop thinking of whatever it is you are thinking about. Focus all your attention on the question that you were asked.

Even a fairly basic question can signal a very important issue. For example, “Do you guys own your own trucks?” Sounds like a basic “yes” or “no” question. Maybe. Maybe this customer is just doing some kind of random survey of Ag suppliers’ delivery truck ownership (that’s sarcasm in case it didn’t come through). Not likely. Most likely, this customer has had a problem with contract haulers from other suppliers. Time to dig into this question with your questions and comments.

For example, you might reply:

“We do own our trucks. Is that something that is important to you or that you are looking for in your suppliers?”
“Yes, we do. Seems like you have a reason for asking that?”
“We do hire contract haulers. Have you bought from suppliers that use contract haulers?”

When a customer asks a question, it’s always been my experience that there is a lot of meaning behind it. There is a selling point to be uncovered if you recognize it in the moment. If you get curious about why they asked that specific question.

Here are a few other questions that customers may ask with hidden issues to uncover:

Do you guys deliver on weekends?
What’s your pre-pay program?
How much do I have to take on each order?
Who do I work with when there’s a problem?

Another category of questions that customers ask is more about them controlling the conversation. Ag customers work in a high-volume, low-margin business and can get frustrated with salespeople calling on them, especially if those salespeople work for a large agribusiness company (big Ag). In an effort to put a salesperson in their place, customers might start the conversation by blurting out question #1 below.

Question 1: “What’s your price on ……?”

In this example, I am referring to producers who ask this question too early in your sales call. Producers will ask this style of question with several objectives. First is the most obvious. They are frustrated with high prices, they need a load quickly, and just want to know what your price is before you start talking about other topics. Another reason producers may ask this question is to put you on your heels and gain some control of the sales call/cold call.

The answer to this question depends slightly on the products you are selling. If it is a true commodity, such as N, P, K, fuel, corn/bean basis, or a specific branded product that everyone sells, then you can use one of the replies listed below. However, if you sell with a more consultative and long-term style, then you can still use one of the replies below. However, it’s best to move off of that subject and onto how your style of selling has helped producers like them.

Possible replies:

“I can get a sharper quote, but we’re somewhere in the $400-520 range, depending on trucking, quantities, and time frames. Is that in the ballpark of what you’ve been hearing?”
“We do sell those for sure, and I can get a quote, but we’ve been focused on helping producers in a few other ways.”
“Well, it depends on when you need your next load and how much you are willing to lock in”.

As you make your way through your sales calls today, look closely at those questions you are asked. Customers who ask questions are interested and trying to rule you in or rule you out as a supplier. Dig just a bit deeper when they ask you. Focus on understanding how your answer is either helpful or hurtful to them when buying from you.