Opinions & Columns

Business of Selling

Sales Metrics to Monitor: Turnover

By Dr. Jim Weber posted on February 1, 2014

Once the dealer and sales manager acknowledge the importance of monitoring their departmental sales mix as well as the sales mix between their new and used equipment sales, as outlined in the previous two columns, then it would behoove them to turn their attention to the subject of turnover.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7

From the Desk of Kim Schmidt

The Future of Unmanned Robotic Tractors

By Kim Schmidt posted on January 20, 2014 | Posted in Product Innovations & Introductions

Source: Farm Equipment

Before too long, you're going to need techs to repair your techs. The other day, I came across an article from an Irish newspaper that said remote controlled robotic tractors and combines could be the future of farming, according to a top agricultural engineer and professor at Harper Adams Univ. in the U.K.

From the Desk of Dave Kanicki

Kicking Off Another Year

By Dave Kanicki posted on January 6, 2014 | Posted in Data & Forecasts

It's 2014, so we might as well kick the year off and talk about what the expectations are for the year.

Technology for Profit

Using Technology to Connect & Collaborate

By George Russell posted on January 2, 2014

My last article was titled “Technology to Exceed Customer Expectations.” In it I cited 5 different real world examples that show how farm equipment dealers use technology to better serve their customers and to improve their dealership’s performance.

Ahead of the Curve

Sprayers Get Bigger, But Precision a Priority

January 2, 2014

Bigger farm sprayers with wider booms continue to generate sales across the U.S. and European farmscape, but farmers and engineers in the nutrient and chemical application business are increasingly taking a serious look at "what comes out of the sprayer" and how best to maximize the effectiveness of that output.

Business of Selling

Sales Metrics to Monitor: News & Used Wholegoods Sales Mix

By Dr. Jim Weber posted on January 2, 2014

After monitoring the overall wholegoods sales mix as a percent of total dealership sales, the next wholegoods metric that should be continually measured, monitored and managed is the new and used wholegoods sales mix as a percent of total wholegood sales.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7

From the Desk of Dave Kanicki

Update on Brand Loyalty

By Dave Kanicki posted on December 19, 2013 | Posted in Manufacturer & Dealer Issues

When we published the results of our first brand loyalty survey in 2011 (Brand Loyalty: Is It Dead?, Farm Equipment, January 2011) we said it would lay the groundwork for future surveys to monitor farmers attitudes about their preferences when it came to the equipment they were buying.

From the Desk of Dave Kanicki

The Culture of the Business

By Dave Kanicki posted on November 11, 2013 | Posted in Best Practices

If forecasts for 2013 net farm income and cash receipts are accurate, it looks as if the ag equipment business could see its first softening since 2009. In this business, that's a pretty good run of solid sales years for both dealers and manufacturers.

From the Desk of Dave Kanicki