SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

ANDREW CONROY
AEB3341
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
OCTOBER 11, 2019
NOVEMBER 3, 2019
 Andrew Conroy
October 13, 2019
AEB 3341

Shadow Experience Report

Sales Professional

The sales professional I shadowed was Mr. Scott Kerr, the harvesting and fruit

procurement professional with IMG Citrus. Scott not only coordinates all activities related to

procurement of their products, he also assists in the company sales and assures that the products

they are selling are at the correct price, delivered on time, and meet the company quality

standards. Scotts family has been in the agricultural industry for multiple generations dealing

with every aspect from sales, to care taking and customer relations.

Relationship/Introduction to Sales Professional

Scott has been a longtime friend to my family and has been a mentor to me for a major

part of my life. Having this background with him allowed my experience and the information he

provided me to be far more genuine. He shared with me his honest advice, the positives and

negatives associated with this career path, and gave me a clear understanding of not only what a

typical day looks like but how to be successful at it. When I first reached out to Mr. Kerr about

shadowing him for this project, he was happy to help and to provide me with the opportunity.

Lessons Learned

After spending a day with a long-time agricultural sales professional like Mr. Kerr, I

learned numerous valuable lessons to ensure I am successful in my future career. A common

topic throughout the day was the importance of knowing your products. In any industry it is

important to know what you are selling. The professionals who attempt to fake or falsify their
 Andrew Conroy
October 13, 2019
AEB 3341

product knowledge are easily recognizable to both customers and other professionals in the field.

Knowing all you can about the products gives you a sense of confidence to help sell. Although

knowing your products are important, he also advised me to know the customer and their needs.

Successful salespeople are able to define their relationship with a customer and their customer’s

individual wants and needs to meet them. In addition to this, Mr. Kerr emphasized that the

market is no longer local but global and to remember that going forward. Especially considering

the advancing technology, the market is expanding.

Things Done Well

I recognized that Mr. Kerr was extremely skilled in maintaining customer relationships

and personal selling their products through effective use of communication. He was raised in a

small agricultural town and knows many of the people in the industry. By knowing his customers

and having an understanding of their needs and wants he effectively sells them products. I

observed his skills when he spoke over the phone to customers and how he approached their

conversations. As referenced in chapter one, Mr. Kerr effectively communicates with his

customers to come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Chapter one also discusses the diverse set

of roles a salesperson is expected to preform and that holds true about him. Scotts daily routine

varies, and he handles a wide array of tasks to produce and sell their products.

Things to Improve

As a sales professional, Mr. Kerr could improve on differentiating his product to separate

his company for the competition. Although he does position his product to maintain a positive

perspective from customers I didn’t recognize him differentiating the product from others to
 Andrew Conroy
October 13, 2019
AEB 3341

customers in the short time I spent shadowing him. This could give him an advantage in selling

more products and satisfying more customers for a win-win scenario.

Relevance to AEB 3341

Shadowing Mr. Scott Kerr, the harvesting and fruit procurement professional with IMG

Citrus, allowed me to observe and learn from a professional in his daily work environment. It

was a hands-on experience not possible in the classroom setting. Shadowing him I had the

opportunity not only learned about the field but relate course content to real life scenarios. On

the job many things don’t play out to be textbook, many scenarios require problem solving and

quick thinking. The chapters covered so far in this course, like chapter one relationship selling in

the information economy, came to life during this experience. Learning valuable lessons and

clarifying covered course topics was a great advantage but also confirming my career choice

with work I enjoyed gave me excitement for my future career in agriculture sales and the future

topics we cover in AEB 3341.

Andrew Conroy
101 NW 28th Terrace
Gainesville, FL 32607

October 5, 2019

Mr. Scott Kerr

Harvesting and Fruit Procurement
IMG Citrus
2600 45th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32967

Dear Mr. Kerr,

I greatly appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to give me the opportunity to shadow
you. The time we spent together gave me a better understanding of the role and responsibilities
an agricultural sales professional has at IMG Citrus. The information you provided me gave me
real insight into this career and reassured me I’m working towards a career I will be happy in
after college.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about your career and experiencing a typical day on the job. Your
advice about agriculture, sales, and being successful in this industry was very beneficial for me
moving forward.

Thank you for allowing me to have this valuable learning experience.

Sincerely,

AJ Conroy, Student
University of Florida
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

Company Background

Family owned and operated for the last 35 years, IMG Citrus is one of Florida's largest

distributors of quality citrus year round. From growing and packing their products to marketing

and distribution, IMG Citrus is involved in every step of the fresh citrus merchandising process

ensuring quality and cost effective products for their customers. Being a part of the IMG citrus

family is rewarding as they offer great career opportunities with a commitment to the industry,

environment, and their employees.

IMG Citrus is a vertically integrated company that offers a variety of fruit such as

grapefruit, lemons, mandarins, and oranges to domestic and international markets. Although the

company operates on a global scale with an office in Europe, the sales territory would be in

Indian River County, Vero Beach Florida. The products are produced, packed, marketed and

exported by the company. This allows them to ensure they provide the best quality possible to

their partners and customers.

Florida is a world leader in citrus production and its a $10 billion dollar industry with

obvious competition. IMG is an industry leader in the state of Florida and has continued to be by

identifying new market trends and finding new ways of doing business, especially considering

the difficulties citrus has faced with greening over the years. In the Indian River County sales

territory, Wonderful Citrus and Costa Group are rivals and competitor companies to IMG Citrus.

Although both companies also deal with food production their products and services span to

other produces beyond citrus. IMG Citrus currently has a market share value of 37 percent and

has a leading market share in other countries.

SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

Business/Customer Profile

Florida’s Natural is a major consumer of citrus

products in the state of Florida. Located in the heart of

Lake Wales, this company most commonly distributes

orange juice. IMG Citrus is able to provide the fruit

necessary for production and distribution, making this

nationally known company an ideal buyer. Because

Florida’s Natural has an extensive list of clientele, such as commonly known grocery stores like

Publix Supermarkets, they need to provide the product. Florida’s Natural has growers at their

Central Florida Location, but local help from IMG can allow the company to produce more

product while eliminating the need for growing, an extra step in the production process.

Florida’s Natural can be contacted using the phone number (863) 676-1411. They are

located at ​20205 US Highway 27 North, Lake Wales, Florida 33853. While there is no initial

contact name listed on the website, IMG would be able to call the number and ask for the sales

department. Since IMG is an established citrus producer in the state of Florida, Florida’s Natural

would be able to detect reliability and loyalty.

The need for Florida’s Natural to buy from IMG is stated briefly above; an extra step in

the production of orange juice, growing, can be eliminated so the company could focus solely on

the product and distribution which are the major parts of their business. Since Florida’s Natural

is a major company that produces orange juice nationally, there is definitely authority for them to

buy IMG’s product. Florida’s Natural will be looking for ways to speed up mass production

while still relying on taste and freshness of the fruit going into the product; IMG can deliver this
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

to Florida’s Natural, making the decision making process easy. To accomplish this sale, IMG

will provide a majority of the fruit utilized for the product, which Florida’s Natural will buy. To

reiterate, they are a major company that is still local, so they do have the means to buy the

product from IMG to utilize for a more efficient path of production. Since IMG would be

meeting the need for Florida’s Natural as another local citrus grower, there is establishment for a

reliable resource that would meet the goals for Florida’s Natural, in addition to IMG’s own profit

and sales goals. The communication style should remain professional, but down to earth. This is

about the sale of citrus to better the production of a major, local company. There needs to be an

emphasis on local as well. While other major competitors for Florida’s Natural, such as

Tropicana, might rely on mass production from various states, Florida’s Natural will be utilizing

local product to ensure the quality of the product, which IMG can guarantee, providing a trust

factor. From one grower to another, IMG would just like to help relieve the stress of growing the

product by still providing quality citrus for Florida’s Natural to utilize.

Sales Call Strategy

Opening:

To open the sales call, I initially would greet the operator on the other side of the phone

and ask to speak with a representative in the sales department, since I could not verify a direct

phone number on the Florida’s Natural website. Once connected with somebody in sales, I would

greet them kindly and introduce myself and my company, maintaining the “down to earth”

charisma. I would say something like, “Good Morning, my name is Andrew Conroy. I am calling

with IMG Citrus based in Vero Beach. Is this an okay time to talk, I have an idea for
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

collaboration.” Instead of stating something like, “I have product you would be interested in”, I

think it would be better to emphasize collaboration as the goal for our success and their success.

Next, I would lead with the background of IMG to establish rapport. I would discuss how this is

a business that values family connections and a commitment to excellent citrus product. I would

say something relating to how IMG grows, packages and distributes citrus to major markets in

the South East of the United States. In addition, I would add that IMG has been owned and

operated by family for 35 years. Then, I would address my position with the company in addition

to how I got involved in the industry.

Since citrus traditionally carries on legacy, I would state ethos for my passions with

citrus, but specifically IMG. I would then follow by stating how we could help Florida’s Natural

with growing by eliminating the need for them to grow all of their product, and utilize a business

that is reputable and can provide the citrus they need to speed up mass production. I would

discuss how IMG would grow the citrus needed while maintaining quality, to then deliver the

citrus to Lake Wales personally. I would talk about how we would be able to work together to

manufacture a product that can be enjoyed by millions of Americans, starting with the growing at

IMG, right in Vero Beach, Florida, only a few hours away. Finally, I would address how IMG

would see this not only as business, but a way to expand the local citrus industry, nationally.
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

Presentation

Selling Point #1

Feature:

The first selling point as an IMG Citrus Salesman would be that the company is vertically

integrated. By this, I mean that IMG not only grows the citrus they produce, they package it,

distribute it, and are in charge of their own marketing. Vertically integrated companies tend to do

better financially, which can provide in-house cost structures to allow success with their partners.

Benefit: ​This provides a sense of relief for companies that want to utilize IMG’s produce

because this company is financially stable. With the stability of this company, partners can

guarantee that they will be provided with adequate costs and no overcharge. They can also count

on IMG to deliver quality product due to the company being in charge of all aspects of

distribution.

Proof: ​See Value Analysis Below.

Conviction: ​I will gain conviction by asking the sales representative at Florida’s Natural if he

agrees that my product will remain at a low cost.​ ​IMG​ ​Citrus is a citrus production company that

is known for being vertically integrated. What does this mean? This shows that every single

piece of citrus that is grown in their facilities is inspected, packaged, marketed, and distributed

by IMG, leaving out third parties. This can guarantee costs will remain low while quality stays

high.
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

Trial Close​: Do you feel confident that IMG will deliver a quality product at a low cost? If so

can we close the deal?

Selling Point #2

Feature: ​IMG Citrus has been in the industry for 35 years and has progressed to having state of

the art facilities. These include electronic pre-grading, a d-pack packaging machine, a 12,000

square foot distribution facility, and lastly an in house food safety lab. These facilities will

ensure quality in the citrus they produce from growth to distribution.

Benefit: ​Having state of the art facilities ensures that our citrus will be of high quality. With food

safety labs in our facilities in addition to temperature controlled rooms, IMG can attest that the

citrus grown and produced from them will always be top of the line. With Florida’s Natural

using IMG’s citrus, they will always have the best citrus to utilize for their product, never

forgetting quality taste.

Proof: ​IMG works hand in hand with major food safety corporations to create an award winning

program. This consists of Primus Labs, Tesco Nature’s Choice, Global G A.P., and the Global

Food Safety Initiative who can all attest to providing the best and safest facilities for IMG.

Conviction: ​I will gain conviction by asking the sales representative at Florida’s Natural if he

agrees that my product will be of quality. With these award winning food safety initiatives and
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

the state of the art facilities, IMG is dedicated to providing the best of the best in the citrus

industry.

Trial Close:​ Do you feel confident that IMG can provide quality services to your company? If

so, let’s close this deal.

Value Analysis

Company IMG Citrus Wonderful Citrus Costa Group

Red Grapefruit Size 56 $14 FOB Size 56 $13 FOB Size 56 $14.50 FOB
Pricing Size 48 $16 FOB Size 48 $15 FOB Size 48 $17 FOB
Size 40 $18.50 FOB Size 40 $17 FOB Size 40 $19 FOB

The table above displays the comparison of red grapefruit pricing from IMG Citrus,

Wonderful Citrus, and Costa Group in the South Florida sales territory. The pricing for this

product is based on the fruit quality defined by size. All of the pricing also includes Free on

Board (FOB), which means the buyer receives free transportation of the product to their

specified location. The business model of IMG Citrus provides its customers with all in house

production pricing and financial stability to ensure quality products to customers and partners.

Vertical integration provides IMG with complete operational knowledge of their products, such

as the red grapefruit. Every process is done to the highest standards to ensure product quality and

fair pricing.
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

Handling Objections

Objection 1:

If the customer has an issue with pricing, I would revert to agreeing and neutralizing the concern.

In order to handle this objection I would start by listening carefully to the customer while they

express their concerns and then restate their objection to the price to maintain clarity with them.

After we have clarified their objection, I would continue by being understanding that our prices

are not the lowest compared to some competitors. Then I would neutralize the objection through

justification explaining our partnerships our built on mutual understanding, open and honest

communication, and a passion for quality taste and fruit. We have state of the art facilities and

have an award winning food safety program to provide our customers with the best product

possible. After handling the objection I would verify with the customer that the issue had been

resolved as IMG’s culture is based on win-win solutions.

Objection 2:

If the customer was to bring up a concern with receiving the products in a timely manner for

mass production, I would use the boomerang strategy. To handle this objection, the first step is to

listen to the customers objection and restate the concern to them for clarification. Then to address

their concern, I would inform them that our company provides its customers with year-round

service and our vertically integrated company in close proximity would allow for speedy export

and mass production. Once I’ve finished handling the customers objection I would confirm with

them that they are satisfied because IMG is based on a win-win solution culture.
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

Closing the Sale:

To close this sale, I would start off by asking if the representative from Florida’s Natural

had any remaining questions for me that I would be able to answer. These might include direct

pricing, date and times of deliveries, or even logistics regarding other companies that buy from

IMG. Next, I will reiterate the need for our services which would ultimately be to eliminate the

need for them to grow all of their product, and utilize a business that is reputable and can provide

the citrus they need to speed up mass production to increase their revenue. IMG would be able to

deliver these services especially because of their state of the art facilities and certifications in

food safety that deliver quality citrus. In addition, IMG is vertically integrated, meaning the

company is in charge of everything from growing to distribution and marketing. This eliminates

the need for a third party, allowing prices to remain low for Florida’s Natural. To finish, I would

ask for the order and wrap up the call.

SMACT:

My sales call objective is to get a major brand, like Florida’s Natural on board to use

IMG’s citrus product. I would be ​smart ​in that I would utilize IMG’s long history in the state of

Florida producing citrus. By this, I mean I would state that citrus production is what IMG values

and has built a legacy on to establish credibility. I would have ​measurably ​guaranteed that IMG

gained Florida’s Natural as a customer and in change they will purchase all citrus products

through us, such as oranges and grapefruits. This goal is ​attainable​ as IMG strives to be a

vertically integrated company, reducing the excess third party costs and maintaining

transparency. Florida’s Natural will notice that these goals are​ realistic ​as IMG does everything
SALES CALL STRATEGY REPORT: IMG CITRUS

they can to deliver quality. This is proven through the corporations that work to establish

adequate food safety, such as the Global Food Safety Initiative. Lastly, IMG will provide product

in a ​timely​ manner. Logistics will be figured out to deliver a set schedule for delivery and will

send updates to Florida’s Natural on production.

Ensuring Customer Satisfaction

Once the sale is closed we want to ensure that the customer is satisfied and maintain open

communication with them. I would follow up with the customer to express appreciation for the

purchase and determine how satisfied they are with our products and services with a handwritten

letter. Continuing to follow up and make sure the customer feels no remorse for their decision to

work with IMG Citrus.