Ryan Bohnsack, AgSales, 2020

Everyone sells at some point. You may need to sell yourself and your business to a (potential) landlord, banker,
employer, employee, or (potential) client.

In the private sector, you either: Generate revenue, or Support those who do. Generally, those who generate
revenue are much more highly compensated. As a sales manager, it wasn’t uncommon for those who worked for
him (salesmen) to be earning more than he was.

His job is about 50% generating business and 50% more traditional paperwork, etc.

Each banker has their own individual profit and loss statement. This is the basis for his bonus.

You should have goals starting with an annual goal, and then breaking it down to what you need to do this
quarter, then this month, and each day.

Ryan indicates the most important trait for sales is passion.

• People who care about what they do and how to help people are much more successful.
• Why should people do business with you?
• Why should people give you their money?

K-Mart credit card selling story (not an example of good sales) versus Toys are Us and Toys for Tot donation (good
example of making a connection and passion for what you are selling).

He indicates that listening is a very close 2nd (maybe tied for 1st)

He shared the sales process as: Prospect; Profile; Solve; Close; Enhance relationship. It may take years to get to
the close. He used the analogy of dating.

Prospecting Tips
• Get face to face appointment – Holy Grail
• Cold calling generally ineffective (warm lead can be much better)
• Joint calls: Advantages are that it holds people accountable, can keep the conversation moving, and gives
you an opportunity to learn from the person you ride with.
• Make calls early in the day if possible (less chance they will reschedule because something came up).
• BE PREPARED – pre-call, research, have a plan = confidence. Show the customer that you took the time to
get to know a bit about them and their business. People appreciate that.
• Have a goal (e.g., find out where they bank and why). Step by step you work to make a prospect a
customer.
• Ask questions: be curious, sincere and enthusiastic. Have that childlike mentality.
• Learn when to be quiet and be quiet a lot.
• Ask open-ended questions
o Tell me about…your business, your farm, etc.
o What are the most important things to that person?
o What do you like/don’t like about your current (fill in blank)?

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Learning the “why” or “story behind” can be helpful. It may be that the customer says interest rate is the most
important thing to them. This may not be true or the whole story, but you have to investigate to find out.

Solve: Working through objections

• Press for specifics
• Paraphrase or empathize for understanding
• Respond with appropriate facts or benefits
• Test for reaction
• Solve a problem or need: be a consultant and add value to the relationship

If you can provide feedback / product to the customer, it is important. They might not even know they have the
problem. Examples
• Do you know that we can deliver seed right to your farm? Put it right in your tender.
• Can save them money. Why do you plant 180,000 plants per acre? Dad did. Research shows you can
reduce to 140,000 without a decrease in yield.

• “If I/would you?” – very powerful, e.g., “If I matched the rate, can I have your business?”
• Breakdown value in dollars or return on investment; sell money
• Don’t be afraid to challenge the client. If there is a better way, tell the client. Say “have you thought about
this?”
• Do not bad-mouth the competition. Tell the client how you and your product/service/firm are different.

Close: “Can I have your business?”

• Ask for the business: probably most important step that is most often missed
• Do not talk yourself out of the sale. Don’t say, e.g., “can you meet with me Monday for lunch? I
understand if you cannot.”
• Trial close: Might be easier for the prospect to digest.
• Close and be quiet
• If the answer is “no”, circle back and to the step of profile or of solve (e.g., “What did I miss about your
business?”). Sometimes them saying no helps you move on or identify an objection so you can overcome
it with more information or correct a misunderstanding.

Enhance
• Handling problems: Separate yourself from the problem - the triangle. Separate, e.g., me/you from “the
farm” and “the bank”. For example, “the bank could lose money if things don’t go well so we will need to
find collateral for this to work.” You want to be part of their team to solve the problem.
• In any long-term relationship, there are likely to be problems. It is how you handle the problems that will
really set you apart.
• There should be no surprises
• Ask for referrals: “Who else can I help?” Looking for warm leads.
• Think long-term, not short-term profit
• Be there when people need you
• Under-promise / over-deliver. It is a lot better for customer satisfaction if you promise five days and it
takes three than if you promise two and it takes three. Make sure you follow through on what you
promise.

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Other
• Advertising by itself is not really effective. If the firm is advertising / promoting locally, you can use this as
part of your strategy.
• Have good knowledge of your product
• Be a good negotiator. For example, don’t just give them something (e.g., lower their rate) without
something in return (e.g., more information, more collateral).
• Know yourself inside and out.
• Surround yourself with successful people. Successful people tend to run in packs, so if you have a
successful client, you will be close to others.
• You represent your company, so behave out there.
• Don’t bad mouth the competition.

Ryan’s biggest challenges?

Sales: Building confidence and getting used to rejection
Banking: Good mentor
Farming: Transitional process; learning to make decisions on your own.

Recommends an off-farm job (insurance, and other benefits)

Be transparent about how much time you can give your clients if they are taking more than perhaps warranted
given their contribution to the bank’s bottom line. For example, “This is how much the bank is compensating me
per hour. When I spend a lot of time with you, I cannot do business with others, including business development.
The company is paying me to generate revenues and I owe it to the bank to use my time wisely.”

Banking is unique because you are selling a product you want back. You don’t want to sell just to sell because you
need the customer to be successful so they can give it back.

Learn not to take things personally.

As an entry-level agricultural lender, you will do:

• File review (what information do you need to document financial healthy, collateral, etc.?)
• Farm calls
• Learn other functions of the bank (e.g., teller-line, documentation)