Program Overview

Managing key accounts requires a diverse skill set — skills often more closely aligned with management than traditional sales. During Precision Selling: Building Relationships with Large Farmers, Dr. Scott Downey will lead you in specifically addressing strategies for working with large-scale producers in the evolving agricultural marketplace. You’ll explore complexities of working with growers and delve into the areas of strategic account planning, resource allocation, information analysis and the use of sophisticated selling tools.

This program is especially beneficial if you are responsible for, or have similar responsibilities to: serving and selling to key accounts, managing relationships with key clients, serving local and regional markets, developing strategies for evaluating customers on profit and growth potential, and integrating technical and sales efforts with customers.

For questions about this program or more information on who should attend, please contact Aissa Good at aissa@purdue.edu or (765) 496-3884.

“Precision Selling exceeded my expectations. The presentations were fantastic, and the information is immediately applicable. The hospitality was great.”
– Noelle Harding, District Sales Manager, Westway Feed Products

Key Benefits

During this seminar, you will:

• Establish a framework for handling key accounts;
• Create a plan for developing one key customer relationship and outline necessary action steps;
• Participate in a live interview with large-scale farmers and immediately put into practice the tactics learned in the classroom;
• Learn how to build stronger partnerships with customers;
• Review best practices and characteristics of high-performing sales professionals.

Program Content

Precision Selling: Understanding Market Dynamics

Changing producer preferences have shifted in the market from responsive to proactive selling. Looking ahead, we anticipate dramatic changes in the factors that influence agricultural purchasing—not the least of which are those involving large operations.

The Discovery Process

The complexity of large farm operations requires a unique approach to conveying ways that sellers can provide value. Large-farm operators have needs that extend far beyond the basic products, services and information that are provided to traditional customers. They also are heavily influenced by technical experts and advisors on and off of the farm. During this session, faculty will walk through the ways the needs of the farmer and the influencers have to be intentionally explored in order to discover actionable seller goals.

The Farmer Interview

Two large-scale producers will be invited for an interview session about how they make decisions for their operations. Participants will prepare discovery questions for the farmer guest and Purdue faculty will facilitate the discussion. Following the interview, the group will debrief what was learned about factors that influence farmers’ decisions.

Prioritizing and Targeting Prospects

Customers are too complex to invest in every opportunity and need. When determining which customers to spend time with, sellers need to consider profitability and the ability to foster a positive gain for the farmer, along with operation size, growth potential and management ability. Purdue faculty will walk you through the Prospect Priority Index tool to help identify where to focus your efforts.

Strategic Account Planning

Purdue faculty will lead you through the development of a strategic account plan for a key customer identified in the Prioritizing and Targeting Prospects session. As this plan is developed, you will use the concepts you learned about the discovery process, how to work with influencers and the resources and steps needed for an action plan. This plan will include specific steps with questions and call objectives. This process will give you an actionable tool that can be put into practice as soon as you return to the office.

Co-Creating Value

Value is easily measured as price, but is much more difficult to measure as a benefit. Sellers can identify means of co-created value through a four-step process of identifying resources, making competitive comparisons, locating differentiation points and mapping to customer preferences.

Program Agenda

*A printable pdf of the agenda is available for download here.

Tuesday, August 8

8:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introductions

Implications of Evolving Ag and the Sales Process

The Discovery Process

Living Case Introduction

12:15 p.m.
Lunch

1:15 p.m.
Discovery Preparation

Live Discussion with Producers

Living Case Implications – What Have We Learned?

5:00 p.m.
Wrap Up Day 1

Wednesday, August 9

8:00 a.m.
Coffee House Chat – Debrief of Day 1

Targeting the Right Customer — Prospect Priority Index

12:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m.
Prioritizing Prospects

Individual Strategy Development

Individual Strategy Presentations

3:45 p.m.
Debrief and Concluding Comments

4:00 p.m.
Wrap Up Day 2

*Schedule is subject to change

Travel and Information

San Luis Obispo, CA

Hotel San Luis Obispo (Meeting space – Seven Sisters A)
877 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Hotel

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel San Luis Obispo. Please contact the Hotel San Luis Obispo at (805) 234-9391 to make your reservation. Be sure to mention you are with the Purdue Precision Selling West program to receive the $279/night room rate. Hotel check-in time is 4:00 p.m. PT and check-out is 12:00 p.m. PT.

Hotel San Luis Obispo
877 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Meals

Please plan to eat breakfast before attending the program. Lunch will be provided for you both program days (August 8 and 9). Beverages and refreshments will be available to you throughout both days.

What to Wear

Attire for the program is business casual. The month of August in San Luis Obispo has an average high temperature of 80 degrees and a low of 54 degrees.

Materials

Materials will be provided for you throughout the program.

Seminar Payment/Cancellation

Payment for the program is due upon registration. Please refer to our cancellation policy for full details and information.

For more information, contact:

Khyleigh North
Customer Relationship Manager
(765) 494-4328
northka@purdue.edu

Program Cancellation Policy

If a participant is unable to attend a Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business program, the participant may choose to: 1) transfer their registration fee to another participant within the same company, or 2) choose to receive a credit for the same program or another program that takes place within the 12 months following the originally booked event. However, a request to use a credit must be received no less than 30 days prior to the program start date, otherwise the credit will not be valid. No refunds will be issued regardless of cancellation date.

The Center for Food and Agricultural Business reserves the right to cancel a program due to low enrollment or other circumstances which would make the program non-viable. If a program is cancelled, registrants will be offered a full refund. Should circumstances arise that result in the postponement of a program, the Center for Food and Agricultural Business has the right to either issue a full refund or transfer registration to the same program on the new future date. The Center for Food and Agricultural Business will not be responsible for reimbursement of any participant expenses related to the cancellation or postponement of an event.

TRAVEL AND INFORMATION

Program Location

Purdue University
Beck Agricultural Center
4550 US 52
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Hotel

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Union Club Hotel located at the heart of Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette. Contact the Union Club Hotel at (765) 494-8922 or click here to make your reservation. Remember to mention that you are with PRECISION SELLING 2024 to receive the $169/night room rate. Check-in is 4:00 p.m. and check-out is 11:00 a.m. The room block and discounted rate will expire at 5:00 on June 17.

Union Club Hotel
201 Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN
(765) 743-2100
Across the street from Krannert
Locate with google maps

GETTING TO PURDUE UNIVERSITY: DIRECTIONS AND MAPS

Parking during the program

Parking during the program will be available in the Grant Street Parking Garage (101 N. Grant Street). You will take a ticket upon entering the garage and be given a swipe ticket to get out of the garage. The Grant Street Parking Garage is a 1-min (0.1 miles) walk from the Krannert Building.

Meals

Please plan to eat breakfast before attending the program. Lunch will be provided for you each day. Coffee, soft drinks and refreshments will also be available throughout each day.

What to Wear

The attire for the program is business casual. The average temperature in West Lafayette in July ranges from a high of 85 degrees to a low of 66 degrees. Layers are recommended for the classroom.

Materials

Materials will be provided for you throughout the program. All of the presentations will also be emailed to you following the program.

Seminar Payment/Cancellation

Payment for the program is due upon registration. Please refer to our cancellation policy for full details and information.

For more information, contact:

Cooper House
Event Manager
(765) 418-6993
chouse@purdue.edu

Travel and Information

Hotel

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Courtyard San Luis Obispo. Please contact the Courtyard San Luis Obispo at (805) 786-4200 or click here to make your reservation. Be sure to mention you are with the Purdue Precision Selling West program to receive the $199/night room rate. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. PT and check-out is 12:00 p.m. PT. The room block and discounted rate will expire at 5:00 p.m. PT on July 15, 2024.

Courtyard San Luis Obispo
1605 Calle Joaquin
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Getting Around San Louis Obispo

Courtyard San Luis Obispo is conveniently located just 5.1 miles from the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport.

Rideshares (Lyft & Uber), rental cars, and taxis are available for travel to and from the airport.

Parking

Self-parking is available for $15/day.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch will be provided for you on both days (July 30 and 31). Beverages and refreshments will be available to you throughout each day as well.

What to Wear

Attire for the program is business casual. July in San Luis Obispo has an average high of 79 degrees and a low of 53 degrees.

Materials

Materials will be provided for you throughout the program.

Seminar Payment/Cancellation

Payment for the program is due upon registration. Please refer to our cancellation policy for full details and information.

For more information, contact:

Taryn Nance
Associate Director
(765) 714-2771
tnance@purdue.edu