Agriculture Sales

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University contact person:  Dr. Chuck Steiner

Information from related Sales events:

Contest Purpose:  To provide a competitive event for high school agriculture students, emphasizing sales skills in the agribusiness industry. The marketing of agricultural products is a key to profitability in today’s competitive economy, and agricultural sales play a major role in the marketing process. Through the Agricultural Sales event, students will have the opportunity to prepare for careers in sales by participating in a range of activities oriented around the total sales process.

Objectives:

  1. To provide high school agriculture students with agribusiness interests a practical experience that will enhance their ability to sell a product to an agribusiness customer.
  2. To develop students' skills in organization and communication.
  3. To develop student's skills in developing a product summary sheet.
  4. To develop student's skills in making a sale.

Event format:

The UW-Platteville Chapter of NAMA will assist in conducting the Sales Contest. It will be held on campus. Contestants will need to prepare some materials before coming to the contest.

What To Bring:

·         Official FFA Dress

·         All items and materials for sales presentation

·         Product Summary Sheets

·         Pencils

General Rules:

  1. A team will consist of three or four members. If four members are on the team, the top three scores will constitute the team score.
  2. Final scores will be standardized.
  3. The members are REQUIRED to wear official FFA dress.

4.      The contest consists of two parts. All team members will complete a 20 question multiple choice written test and make a sales presentation. The contest will consist of a total of 120 points (20 points from written test and 100 points from sales presentations).

5.      Should a tie occur in the team score, the tie will be broken by the highest sales presentation score.

Part 1: Sales Presentation (100 Points)

Contest Procedures- Note: Steps A and B are to be completed prior to coming to the contest.

A.    Contestants will select an agricultural product representing one of these instructional areas:

1.      Agricultural Mechanics

2.      Agricultural Production

3.      Agricultural Products and Processing

4.      Agricultural Supplies and Services

5.      Forestry

6.      Natural Resources and Rural Recreation

7.      Ornamental Horticulture

 

Contestants from a school may select their own product or they may all present the same product. Ideal products for this contest are small ticket items (under $500) that a customer could logically decide to buy within a seven minute presentation.

B.     Each student will present their one page product summary sheet at the time of the sale. The Product Summary Sheet items include:

1.   Contestant name/FFA Chapter

2.   Name of company you represent

3.   Product to be sold

4.   Statement of marketing situation: 

                                                                                   i.         Who is the customer?

                                                                                 ii.         Why would the customer want product? 

                                                                               iii.         Who are the major competitors selling a similar product to the customer?

5.   Features of the product

6.   Benefits of the product for the customer

7.   Warranty for your product (if any)

8.   Services available (if applies to product)

9.   Price per unit, price discount for volume purchases

 

The customer judge uses the product summary sheet to prepare for the presentation conversation with the contestant. The more complete the product summary sheet, the better prepared the customer judge will be for the sales presentation.

Click here for an example of a Product Summary Sheet

 

C.    Each student will make a sales presentation to panel of two agri-business judges. 

    1. One of the judges plays the role of customer for the student's presentation. The other judge scores the student's performance.
    2. The contestant will begin the presentation by presenting a copy of the product summary sheet to the judge.
    3. Contestants will have seven minutes to make a sales presentation to a customer (agri-business judge).
    4. The judge will play the role of the consumer and the contestant will attempt to sell the judge the product or service.
    5. The contestant will conclude the presentation by "making the sale" and taking an order.
    6. Use of note cards is permitted.
    7. A timekeeper will provide a standing warning at the five minute mark.

8.      No overtime penalty will be assessed. However, if the individual uses the maximum 10 minutes, he/she will be stopped.

9.      Up to 3 minutes of questions can follow the sales presentation.

 

Students should plan to accomplish the following tasks during the seven minute sales presentation. 

A.     Pre-approach (30 points)

1.      Product summary sheet

2.      Preparation for sale

3.      Product knowledge

B.     Sales approach (10 points)

1.      First impression

2.      Create customer attention

3.      Determine customer needs

4.      Establish rapport

C.     Demonstration (30 points)

1.      Relating feature to customer benefits

2.      Allow customer to participate

3.      Attempt trial closes

D.     Handling customer objections (10 points)

1.      Identify customer objections

2.      Handle customer objections

E.      Closing the sale (20 points)

1.      Ask for the order

2.      Recognize closing opportunities

REMEMBER: The sales presentation is a conversation with a customer, not a seven minute speech.

Part 2: Written Test  (20 Points)

The agriculture sales contest written test is designed to test team members' understanding of the professional sales process and role that selling plays in the marketing of agricultural products.

1.      Team members will work individually.

2.      The test will consist of 20 multiple choice questions.

3.      Twenty points are allowed for this section of the contest. One point per question.

 

 

Agriculture Sales Written Test Sample Question:


An effective sales person translates ___________ into buyer benefits.

a.       product features

b.      buyer needs

c.       buyer expectations

d.      buyer wishes