New Year’s resolutions are really easy to create. It’s the work involved in trying to accomplish them that is difficult. We seem to create resolutions for our own personal lives, but what about our business? Do we make a list of things we want to accomplish in our business lives? We should – not a lot, maybe two or three items that we want to accomplish in 2016 that will make our business better than it was in 2015.

Some examples might be:

1.  Create a Business Plan

It’s simple. There are numerous examples online as to how to build a business plan. For US Farm Data, we look at the 4 P’s (Product, Pricing, Promotion, Personnel. You can also add a section on Competition, etc.

2.  Add Something to Your Product that Your Competition Does NOT Have

This can be anything – from expanded customer service hours to something more tangible. “Our product has this! Our competition does NOT!

3.  Don’t Overload Yourself

You can’t do everything. You can’t be everything. Some questions we ask are:

“How do we want the product to improve?”

“What’s the revenue goal?”

Easy things to do, but no doubt, takes some work to make them happen. Set objectives that will push your company forward, and at the same time, can be achieved with some good ‘ol fashioned hard work and planning. It’s not too late.

Good luck to all of you. Feel free to call US Farm Data (www.usfarmdata.com) if you want to discuss your business, and how we can help you grow.

In the meantime, we wish you all a very profitable 2016.

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” – William Blake

If you are marketing to farmers, you may feel that approaching them in the winter gives you your best chance to reach them. This is true in large part because farmers traditionally have more free time in the winter months.

That is not to say that farmers do nothing in the winter, especially those who raise livestock. But even farmers who strictly grow crops keep busy with other farm-related tasks. And while the days are shorter and the fields wet or frozen, many farmers are working on their books, ordering supplies and making sure their tractors and other farm equipment is in working order.

Everyone knows that time is money, and even though their hectic schedules may have slowed a bit, you never want to waste your customer or prospects time. So how can you let farmers know you value their time? Here are some surefire ways:

1. Be direct. If you have done your homework, you know what your customers and prospects need. When you speak to them get right to the point. Offer them the best products at the right time. Farmers will appreciate your straightforwardness and the fact that you know they have an operation to run.
2. Pay attention. If your customers or prospects are not responding to you, figure out why and make the necessary adjustments. When you continue to approach farmers in ways that aren’t working, you are wasting their time and yours. If, after you have adjusted your approach, they still aren’t interested it is time to back off.
3. Reach out in the right way. Do your customers or prospects prefer to connect with you in person? On the phone? Do they prefer email? Are they most comfortable on their mobile device? Are they comfortable being on mailing lists? These are the things you need to know before you spend too much time reaching out to them in the wrong way.

Farmers may have a little more time to spare in the winter months but chances are if they do, they don’t want to spend all their extra time talking with salespeople. Always remember that in spring, summer, fall or winter, farmers need to know that you value their time.