Open Discussion

[TheTractorPlug]

I would study your equipment weight, lift capacity, etc and know about the most comparable JD and like capabilities and construction. One big Kubota plus is that the smaller machines have cast steel axle and transmission cases unlike the aluminum found on the lower end JD units. Also no plastic fenders and hood on the Kubota.

I will say, I like the metal hood on Kubota. Pros and cons to both, but something about metal just hits home with longevity.

 

[jyoutz]

I will say, I like the metal hood on Kubota. Pros and cons to both, but something about metal just hits home with longevity.

Plastic doesn’t stay flexible after much sun exposure. Or high elevation UV exposure.

 

[TheTractorPlug]

Plastic doesn’t stay flexible after much sun exposure. Or high elevation UV exposure.

Yeah any aged machine on the lot, would look pretty worn down and I wasn't a fan. I located a machine for a customer form a dealership in Georgia and when I got it, the thing looked like a WW2 relic.

 

[85Hokie]

I would study your equipment weight, lift capacity, etc and know about the most comparable JD and like capabilities and construction. One big Kubota plus is that the smaller machines have cast steel axle and transmission cases unlike the aluminum found on the lower end JD units. Also no plastic fenders and hood on the Kubota.

To add to what is written above -

When you DO NOT know the information - tell the person that you will find out and get back to them with the info.

THEN find the info - email, call or text the person back - it will mean MORE to that person than you can know!!!! Communication is the absolute key to being successful when selling.

 

[GrassLakeRon]

#1: Learn your product

You should know more about the tractors and implements your selling than anyone around you.
In other words be the smartest in the room.

It also wouldn't hurt you to know a little history about Kubota, it is quite interesting.

Amen!!!!!!

When I bought my tractor, the salesman had no clue other then it said kubota. I had questions he never answered.

 

[echobravo]

Short answer: Be available (including weekends for people who work), and deliver something you'd want to receive.

I bought my first tractor last fall. I bought brand new because I have so much old used stuff junk, I wanted something new and reliable that I can just use and not need to spend a hour fiddling with to get it started every time, or have it break down in the field. The sales guy never worked on the weekends and I had to take several days off to get the deal done and take delivery. Then when delivered the swift-tach loader was so out of adjustment we had trouble getting it off when I had him show me how it worked. I just told him I will figure it out and fix it myself. Then I noticed a few days later that the paint is flaking off the box blade big time. I love the tractor, but when I get a 3rd function kit and grapple, I will not go though the dealer.

 

[bird dogger]

My biggest disappointment with a salesperson (and usually when buying a big ticket item as in car, truck, etc.) is when within a few minutes of the opening discussion on what I'm looking for, the salesperson will ask "and how much can you afford for monthly payments?" As if the options wanted or total price of the item isn't important.....just that he can sell you something that will max out your monthly allowance. I always respond, "I can certainly afford to go to a different dealer, and that's exactly where I'm going now."

Regarding JD vs Kubota: I bought a new JD 750 MFWD in 1986. It was a great compact tractor for my needs.
I started having trouble finding some driveline parts for it after 4000+ hours and 30 yrs. I replaced it with the Kubota I now have.

The main reason: The JD dealership here was not very kind to the small customers after the initial sale. After scheduling appointments to have service work performed, they would take my tractor in and then delay the work when larger tractors would be brought in for service. This happened a number of times. So I would buy parts to do the service work myself. It was like pulling wisdom teeth trying to get the right part on order and being told that service work can only be done by pros. I proved them wrong and let them know.

It's most likely a local JD dealership issue here, rather than the tractor brand itself. But the Kubota dealership here was the exact opposite as far as business practices! And that, together with the OTT forum and family, was the primary reason to switch colors.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Lots of great answers here.

As a salesman many years ago, in my case there were 2 main types of customers:

1>Those who knew exactly what they wanted.
>They came to buy. If the price if honest, it was Closed and done.
>They usually knew more about the product than I did. I told them so sometimes.

2>Those who were shopping.
>You are the knowledge base.
>You have to sell.

Either way, the rule of thumb for me was make friends 1st, and then sell them quality. And follow up. Word of mouth is gold.

Know and believe in the product you sell, and in the value of friendships and honesty.

Good luck. Great post / question.

 

[GrizBota]

As has been said here “Let me get back to you on that.” Rather than making up some BS and then actually getting back to the customer will put you head and shoulders above most salespeople.

I expect you to know more about what you’re selling than I do, so read the brochures a dozen times so that you do. Know something about the competition, incase your asked how’s this compare to a JD xxxx or a NH xxxx?

Make sure you’re with a dealer that provides great after the sale service (find one that does if this is your true calling) or you won’t be getting many repeat customers.

Make sure the service guys actually set up the damn machine properly. You are the face of the sales transaction, regardless of whom might screw it up after the sale is made.

And don’t be stingy with handing out a hat or a calendar. That’s why you have a sales buget.

Make sure you know what your dealership does with liquid ballest. Is it included with all new sales? What product is used. Explain why a person would want it to the first time buyers.

Make sure your customer is getting the right equipment for the usage they have in mind. Don’t sell them a SCUT when they need an MX or M or sell them R14s because they’re new and look cool and you have them in stock when the customer actually needs R1s.

Don’t behave as though you’re doing the customer a favor to sell them something. They’ve done you the favor of stopping in and asking you to show them around. At the end of the month the customer base determines how the dealership does, not the other way around. There are other Orange dealers and other color tractors.

And never judge a book by its cover. That dusty fellow with a clapped out F150 might be able to buy two of the most expensive tractors you have on the lot with cash. The guy with the $100k King Ranch dingus extension might not be able to get credit on a lawn tractor.

Wishing you all the best with it and that your average customer is easier than I am to please.

 

[GeoHorn]

The Best Salesmen do not “sell” any thing. They listen to the customer and knows his product well-enough to know if he has a product that meets the customers needs.

If you know your product line thoroughly…. and if you let the customer tell you what he wants and needs…. then all the salesman need to do is show that customer the product which performs the job…. and the product will sell itself.

When I was in the market for a newer tractor I called around and visited the JD store and the salesman walked me out to the yard and showed me around and told me what his “best deal in the yard” was…

When I visited the Kubota dealer… the salesman asked me about my place and what I planned to do with it… and asked about the tractors I had experience with …(I had been using a 9N to mow about 20 acres for the past 15 years…. but needed to repair serious hog-damage and then keep it mowed going forward.)

The salesman asked where my place was….and set a time to meet me there so he could see the task at-hand. He showed up on time…. walked the areas I needed to work on….and made a recommendation...and informed me of the various options which I might wish to consider for additional utility.

I followed his advice and have been very happy. Whenever I need something related, He is who I call.

 

[PHPaul]

All great advice above!

I'll just add a point on something that annoyed me when I bought mine. Know your timeline and be honest about it.

I made my decision and plunked down a deposit and then I waited. And waited. And waited some more. I'd sold my previous tractor (a JD 750) to fatten the down payment, it was Spring and being tractor-less was becoming a huge pain in the derriere. Repeated calls to the salesman resulted only in "I'll call you when it's ready."

Had I known, or even had reason to suspect it was going to take six weeks, I'd have made arrangements to keep the JD a bit longer.

To top it all off, when it finally DID come in, delivery was "probably next week some time."

Eff dat, I hooked up my trailer and went and got it.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I marvel at those of you that are good at sales. I really do.

I wish I could help but I can't give much advice cause I am the "Worlds Sh!ttiest Salesman" ...I couldn't sell ice water in Hell. But at least I knew it from a very young age.

Give me your broken thing, a tool box, a torch and welder, and step the F off.....I'll call you when its done.

God I hate trying to be nice to people. Most of the time about 30 seconds into a conversation my eyes glaze over and a mental image of me strangling that person pops into my head......

I do like dogs though....maybe I could sell dogs. But only Bulldogs and Labs, none of those ankle biters.......

 

[BAP]

Don’t talk bad about your competition, instead, point out features that are better on a Kubota. Bad mouthing competition is a turn off and to me really means that you don’t know what you are talking about and don’t know your product, so it is easier to just talk trash about the competition.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

And never judge a book by its cover. That dusty fellow with a clapped out F150 might be able to buy two of the most expensive tractors you have on the lot with cash. The guy with the $100k King Ranch dingus extension might not be able to get credit on a lawn tractor.

LOL. So TRUE! The very rich sometimes show up in rags and beater trucks.... They have to impress nobody.

Don't let the King Ranch or Platinum truck fool you... he might be broke with his $1,500 truck payment and 500 credit score!

 

[Yooper]

Here is another perspective. The reason I bought a Kubota is every person I talked to that owned one just loved it! Couldn’t find one person out of a half dozen that had anything bad to say.

 

[D2Cat]

You want to be an effective salesman, I'll give you an example of what NOT to do.

We live out in the country on three acres. When we moved in we bought a 10 HP Craftsman mower from the guy who did some landscaping and used it for three years. At that time we got 3-4 snow events each winter and I had no way to clear the driveway, so decided to get something bigger. A Sears 18HP mower with a front blade was $3200 so I decided to look for a used small tractor.

After a few weeks of looking decided I'd go to town to buy something. Went to the Ford dealership. They had half a dozen used small machines setting just outside their entrance. This was a Sat. morning. I walked around those machines probably 15 minutes waiting for someone to come out. After that time I went inside. Smelled coffee, saw three guys over at a desk chatting. Poured a cup of coffee and walked around inside looking at bolts, nuts, filters, fluids, etc. and finally went back outside. Kept walking around and about 10 minutes a person comes out and ask if he can help me. I said sure, I been here for a while and thought maybe you guys were closed, taking inventory or something and customers were welcome today. He mumbled something and I asked him, "Who is your stiffest competition?" He said Kubota. I asked where they were located, and said just down past the cement plant. I told him thanks I'd go down there and see if they have any customer service.

Went down there and bought a new B6100 that morning!

 

[Rdrcr]

Welcome!

My advice….Be sincere. Be honest. Listen to your customer.

Mike

 

[Chanceywd]

I marvel at those of you that are good at sales. I really do.

I wish I could help but I can't give much advice cause I am the "Worlds Sh!ttiest Salesman" ...I couldn't sell ice water in Hell. But at least I knew it from a very young age.

Give me your broken thing, a tool box, a torch and welder, and step the F off.....I'll call you when its done.

God I hate trying to be nice to people. Most of the time about 30 seconds into a conversation my eyes glaze over and a mental image of me strangling that person pops into my head......

I do like dogs though....maybe I could sell dogs. But only Bulldogs and Labs, none of those ankle biters.......

Amen brother RWS! I can't stand a BSer and I have a couple for sibblings. They are the ones that call me when they have a problem at home or a vehicle. The 3 of them keep spotless workshops and all own tools but no talent. I have a large garage with a lift but a bit of clutter inside and out but I always do all my own repairs. I do try to give my vehicle inspection guy a little work doing oil change etc so he makes more than the sad NY $21 inspection that ties up his lift for nearly a half hour. Treat people like you want to be treated and just walk away from the fools.
Oh and I like my dogs!

Bill

 

[GeoHorn]

Yep… NEVER badmouth the competition. They are your BEST sales tool. Show how your product Excels…without mentioning the other brand by name. “Our tractors don’t force you to use proprietary software”… “Our engines are made by Kubota not outside providers.’…..etc.

There is a small restaraunt near us that makes pretty good food….but after two visits there in which the proprietor talked very ill of other cafes in this small town…. We will never eat there again.
We go out to eat to have a pleasant experience …Not to hear complaints and criticisms.
We never eat there anymore.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

Sometimes the competition really is a POS.

Nuff said.