Closing the gap between sales and execution

In a recent blog, we explored why segmentation often falls short in ag sales, highlighting the common disconnect between marketers creating strategy and salespeople executing it.

So, how do we close that gap? The answer is in effective sales enablement. Specifically, tools that turn abstract segments into practical, in-field conversations. In B2B markets, salespeople often rely on transaction history and personal familiarity to tailor their approach. While that knowledge has value, it’s not enough. A stronger, more customer-focused approach begins with helping sales teams differentiate between “my customers” and customers across various segments. The most critical step is providing segment-based sales enablement tools that empower reps to engage customers based on their unique needs.

Here are a few enablement tools that work:

  1. Farmer Archetypes: Simple profiles that describe behavioral cues like “Sustainability Seeker” or “Analytical Optimizer”
  2. Conversation Guides: Prompting questions and objection-handling tailored to each segment
  3. Proof Point Libraries: Case studies, trial data and testimonials sorted by crop, geography and buyer type
  4. Dealer Quick Cards: One-pagers that align segments with suggested messaging

But here’s the catch: these tools only work if they reflect what dealer reps actually see on the ground. Dealer sales reps are positioned to know when crop planning happens. They know what a customer’s biggest constraint is – whether it’s labor, logistics or weather.

Dealer marketers need to pull in that insight to create more effective campaigns. When sales teams see their feedback come to life in marketing efforts, they’re more likely to engage.

Marketing support: Empowering the dealers' voice

Most independent dealers don’t have robust marketing teams. But as dealer networks consolidate, some are building capacity. That creates new opportunities for manufacturers – if they recognize the dealer’s unique voice.

If you’re a manufacturer, consider:

  • Offering customizable, co-branded campaign materials
  • Hosting micro-targeted events for each segment (e.g., “ROI workshops” for large farmers, “Coffee Chats” for mid-sized ones)
  • Creating simple “marketing-in-a-box” kits
  • Helping dealer marketers localize messaging to reflect real-world conditions 

If you’re a dealer or retailer:

  • Establish regular feedback loops with your sales team to understand what farmers are asking, resisting or responding to
  • Create farmer personas based on actual operational and strategic behavior
  • Adapt manufacturer content to make it your own and reflect local needs

Research from Narus and Anderson (1996) shows that shared marketing responsibility increases coordination and sales effectiveness.

Why segmentation falls apart

In B2B industries like agriculture, where nearly all revenue is generated through human sales interactions, segmentation strategies must be executed by salespeople. And here’s the problem: good salespeople serve customers individually. In fact, their value often comes from knowing how their customers don’t fit the mold.

From a marketing and manufacturing perspective, grouping customers helps with scale. Advertising, support materials and product development all rely on patterns. Looking at averages of how customers respond in three or four segments gives a clearer picture than looking at how customers respond in their entirety. However, the clearest picture comes when we recognize that every customer is a segment of one. Salespeople create value when they bridge that strategic framework with what they know about each individual customer, effectively treating each one as a unique case, even within a segment.

It’s really expensive to put a salesperson in front of a customer. Salespeople differentiate customers to deepen relationships. If everyone uses segmentation the same way, there are cheaper, more scalable alternatives than putting a salesperson in front of a customer. The value of salespeople lies in personalization.

Even the most well-designed segmentation strategies often collapse at the point of sale. Dealers might get marketing kits from multiple manufacturers, each segmenting farmers differently. The dealer marketing team is left to guess which message to use, often prioritizing convenience over customer relevance.

Peer-reviewed research backs this up. Dibb and Simkin (2008) found that while B2B segmentation strategies are often sound at a strategic level, they frequently fail due to lack of communication and limited involvement from the frontlines. In agricultural markets, salespeople often rely on what they’ve personally used or what other farmers recommend. That’s a recipe for misalignment. (Anderson, Cespedes & Dubinsky, 2006).

From segments to personalization

Ultimately, segmentation is only the beginning. True adoption and impact happen when you personalize at the point of sale, which requires:

  • Stronger collaboration between marketing and sales
  • Deeper engagement between dealer and manufacturer marketing teams
  • Continuous, two-way feedback from the field

Sarah – our sales specialist from Part 1, who had been struggling to prioritize and localize a range of marketing support kits – starts joining field visits and equipping reps with conversation guides. One skeptical rep gives it a try with a grower who typically says no. This time, they uncover a specific challenge with residue breakdown. Sarah shares relevant trial data. The grower agrees to try 40 acres. A month later, the dealer orders 20 more gallons. Meanwhile, a localized marketing campaign draws five new inquiries.

That’s segmentation at work – turning strategy into results.

Want to build segmentation strategies that actually drive adoption and market share?

Join us October 7-9 at Purdue for the Strategic Agri-Marketing workshop. We’ll dig into practical approaches to positioning, customer targeting and creating value through aligned marketing and sales strategies.

References

  • Anderson, J. C., Cespedes, F. V., & Dubinsky, A. J. (2006). Working with strategic accounts. Harvard Business Review.
  • Cespedes, F. V. (2014). Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors that Drive Effective Selling. Harvard Business Press.
  • Dibb, S., & Simkin, L. (2008). Market segmentation success: Making it happen. Journal of Marketing Management, 24(9–10), 775–802.
  • Narus, J. A., & Anderson, J. C. (1996). Rethinking distribution: Adaptive channels. Harvard Business Review.
  • Shadbolt, N., & Apparao, D. (2019). Adoption of new technologies in agriculture: A case study of biological inputs. Agricultural Systems, 176, 102672.