I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but I have one that I implore everyone — regardless of your role in the organization — to adopt for 2025. Rid the words “I’m just…” from your vocabulary. Those words have never advanced anything.

Sitting through author Todd Cohen’s presentation at the Pioneer Equipment Dealer Assn.’s Annual Convention in Fargo, N.D., in November, I found myself nodding with nearly everything he said. 

While his overarching theme was culture, the big takeaway was that no matter the job title (or type of business) everyone plays a role in sales. “Does everyone in your organization,” he asks, “understand that everything they do is a selling moment?”

He went on to explain that every interaction a customer has with any of your people is a buying moment. 

Meaning, it has an impact on their overall impression of the business and whether to do, or continue to do, business with you — which will certainly be critical with another challenging year expected (Click here for the annual Dealer Business Outlook & Trends Report). 

This is where “I’m just…” comes into play. No one is just a parts person, just a receptionist, just accounts receivable, just a service tech. The customer hears “I’m just” as a foretelling excuse and a reason to go elsewhere. 

No one knows how to handle every question or situation, but it’s the initial response that makes the difference. “No one is exempt,” he says. “No one gets to say ‘that’s not my job; that’s a sales problem.’” 

This is something we stress with our own staff ahead of all of our national events — if you don’t know the answer, the only suitable response is to say, “Let me find the answer for you.” 

Adjust the Mindset

Does everyone know how they fit into the customer decision and their value to your unique selling proposition? Your USP isn’t a part or a piece of iron. It’s something far greater than that.

You might need to spell it out for some, but when they know how their actions help the overall business they’ll repeat it. And if they don’t, you’ve got another conversation. 

Silos are a mindset, Cohen says, and lead to the “that’s not my job” attitude. Often, those with that attitude don’t understand how important they are to the whole organization, he says. 

There are 3 conflicting mindsets that slow everything down: I’m just … it’s not my job … we’ve always done it that way. All three are barriers to serving the customer and convincing them to do business with you. Silos paralyze the customer’s ability to make a decision, Cohen says. “The ultimate competitive differentiator is always people’s mindsets,” he says.

With a shift in mindset, and an absence of silos, everyone is then working toward creating an easy and positive experience in every customer interaction. Cohen declares that most needn’t do anything different; they need to think differently about what they’re doing. 

Let’s start 2025 with a new mindset — every interaction we have with the customer, regardless of job title, is a buying moment. 

From all of us at Farm Equipment, we wish the best to you, your employees, your customers and families in 2025!