Agri-Insights Issue 17 | Page 7

HOW TO ZERO IN ON WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS VALUE MOST According to an article from Purdue University*, you should find out what your customers value most about your products or services by asking questions like these: 1. How do farmers compare product performance versus price? How do volume or quantity discounts figure in? 2. W  hat is important to farm customers in terms of delivery time, fin ancing, technical support and warranties? 3. What does service mean to them? • D  o they see it as traditional services, such as fertilizer applications? • Do they want data support and analysis? 4. Are they loyal to a brand? Which brand? How loyal? 5. How important are the relationships with their salesperson? As you face economic challenges, rethink how you position your products and services. From a marketing standpoint, this impacts what you say … and how you say it. 8.7% According to the USDA’s February 2017 Farm Income Forecast, net farm income will decline by 8.7% this year. The folks at VistaComm have always been committed to “getting it right.” Whenever we have to revise or even restart a project to get it right, they have risen to the challenge with a positive attitude. They also understand that our business has budget constraints and they work hard to bring projects in under budget and to communicate openly with us about billing. Mac Ehrhardt, Owner/President Albert Lea Seed House | Albert Lea, Minn. *SeedWorld, December 2016, “Navigating a Tough Ag Economy” VISTACOMM.COM ISSUE 2 2017 AGRI-INSIGHTS 7