00 Initiativworkshop Marketing und Sales

FarmFacts‘ target groups are mainly farmers, distributors and contractors. For every target group there is a seperate strategy how to reach this target group.

Farmers: Every farmer in the market

Distributor: Dealers for agricultural engineering, Dealers for agricultural ressources (to develop a system of services, e. g. site specific seeding), breeder, …

Contractors: contractors use our solutions and are multipliers for them as well

• Focus on existing seed machine customers and the benefits for variable rate control, fertilizer and section control
• Additional potential for disc harrow (Scheibenegge) customers for depth control
• Once feedback from the test customers and testimonials have been gathered, additional communication material will be generated for use in the markets

• Alle Landwirte; Hauptsächlich konventionelle Ackerbauern, die Wert auf Genauigkeit legen und bereit sind, Geld für Technik auszugeben. Können genauso Großlandwirte sein, wie auch kleine und mittlere Betriebe
• Überbetrieblicher Maschineneinsatz Maschinengemeinschaften, die den Düngerstreuer gemeinsam nutzen und sich dadurch aufwändigere Technik leisten können. Lohnunternehmer ist da eher eine Randzielgruppe

• Our main target group are farmers.
• Our main use case for the farmer is on the possibility to automate the documentation of the work done in the field to reduce the amount of time needed afterwards in the office.
• The live-view of the machine can also be a valid argument for the software, but our own program Krone Smart Telematics has many similar functions, so we will push this feature for two programs at the same time.

• Farmers without a FMIS yet.
• distinguish in 2 age groups.

• important to get directly to the farmer.
• 2 different customer journeys with corresponding touchpoints. (digital and analog one)

There are two channels towards our end customers (farmers):

Sales Team: Farmers can buy our solutions by contacting our sales teams. The sales teams are enabled to react professionally on questions regarding all our solutions, to prodivde services and process every step for purchasing on their own. To generate demand, they are supported by marketing.

Online: The NEXT Farming LIVE functionalities can be bought online within our own „App Store“. After testing the function the customers can easly unlock the full scope of functions and use it as long as they do not cancel the booking. Therefore we need to be well repared with comprehensive instructions and communication contents, which are also used for marketing purposes. If this is not enough, our support is trained to answer questions. Additionally the NEXT Farming LIVE functionalities are available from our sales team.

• Es gibt kein Direktverkauf
• Es gibt aber direktes Endkundenmarketing

• The customer registers himself and his machines at our online portal mykrone.green to use the wide range of after sales services of krone.
• Via the E-solutions-shop he can buy additional software licences for his machine, e.g. the licence for the NEXT Machine Management.

• webshop which can be linked to all marketing material – digital and analog.
• For our dealers we will have a package to promote the licences, also in the SmartPack together with the CCI terminals.

• SocialMedia
• Events
• Dealer
• Website
• Other customers
• Magazines

There is a seperate team (Key Account Management) that is in charge of supporting all the distribution organization to be successful with the NEXT Farming products.

There are several strategies:

• Acquiring and serving dealers („dealer“ from our point of view) with a standardized process, contract and price list. The request is to bring existing solutions into market with higher sales power
• Acquiring and serving cooperations and finding individual business models, pricings and processes. Therefore we use our own ressources but our sales team, too.

• In der Preisliste ist das Produkt mit Artikelnummer und Preis aufgeführt
• Alljährliche Produktschulungen informieren die Händlerverkäufer darüber
• Der Händler/Importeur bestellt die Artikelnummer – Lieferung - Berechnung

• The new pricelist gets published in august 2020.
• Based on this the sales-representative of the dealer can then sell the NEXT Machine Management as part of a machine or as a separate licence.

We have several communication channels, that are all communicating with the farmers:

Homepage, newsletter, flyer, sales teams, etc.

The communication towards our distribution organization is seperated. We use newsletters as well as individual communication by Email, phone or even meetings.

A own communication towards the distributor‘s customer depends on the contractual relationship. We do have both variations, supporting the distributor with marketing material and transmitting our arguments for the distributor to create his own material.

• Target groups within the defined markets will receive marketing communication based on the most effective communication methods for that particular market and target group.

• For example: some markets will need machine and software demonstrations before interest will be generated, others will see advertising and contact their dealer for further information or contact us as the manufacturer directly to inquire about a test license.

• Jedes Land hat seine eigene Kommunikationsstrategie
• Es gibt einheitliche Produktbroschüren in Landessprache und einen zentralen RAUCH Internetauftritt der begleitend durch die jeweiligen Landesauftritte auch überall genutzt werden
• Internetauftritt, Broschüren, Händler-Verkaufsraum, Messen, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube-Videos

• Our main focus is on the target group of farmers.
• Our distribution partners in other countries have the possibility to create their own communication if it fits better to their market than the communication created in Spelle.

• Since this is one of the first software / application solutions we will promote and sell we do not have detailed
  information about the sales cycle and timing
• However, we do expect the process to remain similar
  • Interest through advertising
  • Presentation through demonstration at show or in field
  • Individual research from customer
  • Contact with existing customers
  • Trial period
  • Detailed price information
  • Purchase decision
  • Support
  • Cross-selling

Schwer zu sagen. Im Schnitt ca 4-6 Wochen

• Kunde meldet sich mit Kaufwunsch beim Händlerverkäufer oder im Werk
• Händlerverkäufer macht persönliches vorab Gespräch
• Beratungsgespräch Händlerverkäufer mit Werksvertreter beim Kunden
• Angebot durch Händlerverkäufer
• Preisverhandlung
• Bestellung

Regarding our overall solutions, there is no other company that can offer such a broad spectrum of solutions to a farmer. But if you have a closer look to some specific solutions, there are some players on the market that have at least similar offers

• A easy-to-use interface and cross manufacturer data are the two most important factors in our opinion.
• End customers have many software solutions to choose from and although it is difficult given the amount of data and information displayed in solutions like NEXT Farming, the interface must remain simple and easy to use.
• In addition, we need to focus and push more about single source for all machine data regardless of manufacturer. Other platforms do not have this connectivity yet and it is clear difference to communicate more on behalf of NEXT Farming and also from each participating machine manufacturer.

• Bei 70% unserer Angebote sind wir mit Amazone konfrontiert und sind schätzungsweise gleich stark.
• Warum sind die so efolgreich? Gute technische Lösungen, besserer Preis, starke Marke, breites Produktspektrum, aggressive Werbung

• They are important to generate first impressions and build brand awareness, however sales success lies in clear definition of customer’s problem and clear communication through marketing across all channels

• Die meisten Landwirte wollen die Maschine sehen und am besten in der Praxis fühlen, bevor sie kaufen
• Da nicht viele Händler unsere speziellen Produkte auf Lager nehmen, sind Messen, Feldtage und Vorführungen sehr wichtig für uns

• We sell these licenses as part of a machine. We don’t sell the machines for the sole purpose of creating data.
• In my opinion special sales events or trade fairs are nice to have but not the most important thing to be successful in the market.
• We well get more done if we focus on the everyday sales business of the sales team and don’t invest everything in an special one day sales event for our self and some journalist.

1. Creating a good product.
2. Sales training → We need to enable our sales personal to get the complete story of the NEXT Machine Management to the customer. A salesman for Krone also needs to be able to talk about application maps to convince the farmer/contractor to switch their operation to NEXT Farming.
3. Special sales events are nice to have, but if we get the first two points right, then every conversation between a sales-representative and a farmer/contractor can be a sales event.

• Business Models
• Combination with existing products
• Success Stories
• Trainings

• Clear branding and communication strategy between NEXT Farming and all other NEXT modules. Top down as NEXT Farming or
  bottom up through the modules? Microsoft 365 is a good example. Do we want to push the modules Excel, Word, Powerpoint in
  the communication or Microsoft 365?
• Keep it simple – break it down to simple examples of the daily work life of the farmer e.g. saving fertilizer, saving pesticides,
  variable rate control
• Putting the customer benefit on top – what is the benefit for the farmer – easy, catchy, simple -> not too much for salesmen or
  customers to remember
• Cut it down to simple explanations – short videos, testimonials, stories, posts, one-pager prints

• Die meisten Händlerverkäufer sind Eisenverkäufer. Jetzt sollen sie auf einmal Software verkaufen. Die kann man nicht greifen und handelt sich nur Ärger ein.
• Und wo verdient der Händler da sein Geld? Wenn er 10% daran verdient, dann sind das 25-30 Euro – dafür hängt sich keiner rein.
• Druck muß vom Kunden kommen, der möchte das kaufen. Also ganz klarer Fokus auf Endkundenmarketing. Händlerverkäufer muß dann in der Lage sein, das zu erklären und eingängige USPs zu kennen.
• Verkäufer kommt deshalb nicht zur Schulung → einfache Online-Erklärvideos; eingängige Userstories

• FarmFacts and the machine manufacturers need to agree about a central story for the entire system of NEXT Farming and NEXT Machine Management.
• Many times the sales representatives of the dealers are selling machines of more than one aag member, e.g. AGCO, Lemken & Krone. If they visit these companies the story of the NEXT Machine Management and NEXT Farming needs to be similar at each company (not equal, but similar). That means that Krone needs to talk about application maps and Lemken also about harvesting and baling.
• A comparison between NEXT Farming and its main competitors in the markets Germany, France and Great Britain would be highly appreciated. With this we could enable our sales team in this markets to sell the NEXT Machine Management more efficient.

• Trainings
• Test accounts
• Numbers for argumentation

• Trainings
• Klare Verkaufsargumente
• Marketingmaterial oder Inhalte
• Online Videos
• Wettbewerbsvergleiche

→ NMM Schulungsportal? Partnerportal mit internen und externen Inhalten?

Ggf. Zunächst dargestellt auf Owncloud oder als versteckter Bereich auf Homepage? Oder Confluence? (Kann später weiter ausgebaut werden)

• Business Models
• Trainings

• Clear communicated process for all dealers. 
• sales training and information for dealers and salesmen about benefits of NEXT Machine Management and NEXT Farming. They are the "one face to the customer"

• We need a testimonial (written or as a video) of a farmer or contractor who uses machines of many manufacturers. Ideally it should provide also a machine made by John Deere included in the program. This machine could use a CU of a third party provider to enter their data into the agrirouter and from there into the NEXT Machine Management / NEXT Farming.
• In a perfect world we could base this testimonial on the production of a chosen crop like wheat or corn. Then we could report about all the single production steps (seeding, fertilizing, plant protection, harvesting) with the machines of the member-companies of the aag as well as the documentation with the NEXT Machine Management. This way we would talk in the same languages as our customers.

• Trainings
• Test accounts
• Numbers for argumentation

• Consistent communication
• Better presentation of NMM on homepage
• Difficult for customers to understand the difference between Machine Connectivity und Machine Management
• Use the diagram/graphic of the website to make customer understand the difference between NEXT Farming and
  NEXT Machine Management. Branding and naming must be clear to understand for customers. They have many
  options and the purchase process begins with those that you have heard of.

• Provide training to the sales trainer at each member company of the aag as a „train-the-trainer“-training.
• Provide a basic training for NEXT Farming [approx. 45 minutes]. This training could than be used in the datamanagement- trainings of each member [+15 minutes to talk about the highlights in combination with our own machines]. This would give us a 1 hour block of training which would be similar at each member and present a uniform look of the product to the sales team if they attend training at multiple partners.