Networking Breakfast (Included)

Fill your plate, grab a cup of coffee and meet someone new.

Dealer-to-Dealer Panel: Banking on Billable Service for Sustainable Precision Profit

Market saturation and competition are contributing factors to decreasing revenue on precision products. While precision service can be an equally competitive market, it is also one in which dealers have had success separating themselves from the competition and capturing more lucrative margins. Dealers don’t want to become one-stop shops in the sense customers come in once and never return. They need recurring customers to build recurring revenue and much of that is rooted in being able to effectively bill for precision support, whether it’s per call, per are, per hour or per year.

During this dealer-to-dealer panel discussion (with Q&A time built in), hear 3 precision farming managers share their foundational and progressive approaches — effective and experimental — to making billable service a bankable part of your precision business.

3 Things You'll Learn from this Session

1. Methods for implementing, tracking and growing billable precision phone support
2. Lessons learned on whether to expand or expire annual service contracts
3. How to leverage billable services as conversation starters for additional equipment and technology sales

Lanty "Spud" Armstrong
Precision Farming Manager, Ag Technologies

Ed Pollock
Sales Manager, SDG Precision Ag Services

Devin Dubois
VP Integrated Solutions, Western Sales Ltd.

Roundtable Discussions (2nd Set)

1. Dialing Up Dollars with Precision Phone Support
2. Turning Precision Interns Into Productive Hires: Do’s & Dont’s
3. Cross-Training Departments to Sell & Service Technology
4. Getting Off the Ground with UAV Services
5. Proving Product ROI: A Show & Tell Approach
6. Successful Strategies for Selling Precision Online
7. What’s My Role in Selling, Supporting Agronomic Services?

View the 2019 Program for additional information

Networking Break

Continue discussions from this afternoon's roundtables and get ready for another round of educational general sessions

Roundtable 2-Minute Recap

Our roundtable moderators hit the stage to share a recap of the shared insights, questions and peer interactions traded during the roundtable discussions.

Panel Presentation: Delivering Data-Driven Solutions: Scope, Scale & Security

More dealerships — either by choice or by directive — are incorporating agronomic services into their businesses. Results of the 2018 Precision Farming Dealer benchmark study showed that nearly half of dealers require agronomic training for their precision specialists — the highest total in the history of the study. But breaking into this business can still be a hard sell — at least initially. Some dealers admit that early entry into agronomic services was seen as more of a burden than a benefit. Those dealerships that have been receptive to adding prescriptive farming options to complement machinery and component sales have gradually been able to gain traction with customers.

During this diverse panel discussion, hear 3 perspectives on how dealers are incorporating data-driven services for profit, along with best practices for collection, storage and analysis of customer data.

3 Things You Will Learn from this Session

1. Tips on pricing and promotion of data-driven services and how to set incremental revenue expectations
2. The competitive and long-term value of investing in experience when adding agronomic services
3. Cautions and advice on strengthening customer relationships via safe, secure handling of precision data

Craig Benedict
Ag Technology Solutions Manager, Reynolds Farm Equipment

Ryan Powell
Information Services Manager, Ag Info Tech

Todd Janzen
Attorney, Janzen Ag Law

Networking Lunch (Included)

An opportunity for you to refuel for the homestretch and digest the discussions and presentations you’ve heard so far and compare notes at your table.

Roundtable Discussions (3rd Set)

1. Per Acre, Per Hour, Per Year? Best Service Billing Options
2. How to Implement a CRM System for My Precision Business
3. For Independent Precision Dealers Only
4. Reboot or Recycle? Strategies for Selling & Servicing Used Technology
5. Password Protected: How to Keep Dealer & Customer Data Safe
6. Conquering Compatibility: Success Stories & Pain Points

View the 2019 Program for additional information

Roundtable 2-Minute Recap

Our roundtable moderators hit the stage to share a recap of the shared insights, questions and peer interactions traded during the roundtable discussions.

Dealer-to-Dealer Panel: Developing Precision Depth: Proven Practices for Recruiting, Retention & Advancement

How dealers view future revenue opportunities is evolving, but their top priority for where they plan to invest in precision growth remains the same — employees. Nearly 75% of dealers responding to the 2018 Precision Farming Dealer Benchmark study say employee training is their most important area of emphasis to build precision revenue. But staff recruitment, development and retention are also among the greatest challenges, with precision specialists averaging less than 2 years of employment at a dealership.

Plan to take plenty of notes as 3 precision farming managers share their proven methods and cautionary advice for creating a stable precision team, including incentives for retention, how to mentor new employees and creating a culture of advancement.

3 Things You will Learn from this Session

1. The value of communicating a direct pathway to advancement for precision staff
2. How to transition and retain young, inexperienced employees into “rock star” specialists
3. How depth and versatility within a precision department can compensate for losing an employee

Joe Sinkula
Integrated Solutions Manager, Riesterer & Schnell

Arik Witker
Precision farming Manager, Redline Equipment

Seth Conway
Precision Product manager, Monroe Tractor

Summary, Next Steps & Adjourn