We live in a very crowded industry called agriculture. Super competitive, right? You are often competing for land, negotiating with absentee owners and even building relationships with your neighbors to ensure they respond well when you change practices or there is a problem to remedy. All of these types of people are your customers.
Since you already know the above, let me be a tad blunt: Do your customers value you?
Before you answer back with a (slightly offended) “yes,” consider the following.
What People Value Constantly Changes
For example, if we say customers value our service and the ease of doing business with us, that’s great. And they probably do — or at least they did — before they got used to what you offer being the norm. Ugghh.
When we have consistent good experiences with a product or service, or even a relationship, we begin to see that as the minimum expectation. To steer away from it is a disappointment and one we likely won’t tolerate for long. Further, when consistently receiving what we originally thought of as excellent or highly valuable becomes customary, well, it can actually get a bit boring.
Don’t get me wrong, consistency in brands and in dealing with people is essential to value because customers need expectations met. But your customers are bombarded by other options; they are always being offered new things. The competition is not consistent, the global environment is not consistent, and your landowners are likely changing very soon if they haven’t already. So, those external factors and your every individual’s s own set of changing needs and preferences make value a constantly shifting proposition.
Accidental Complacency
If you’re not regularly checking in on value, something sneaky happens. It’s called accidental complacency. As I said, when you consistently deliver good value, your customer gets accustomed to it and they may even become lazy! After all, you do a lot for them! (Ever had one of those??) That laziness leads to an openness to whatever is new.
Next thing you know, another farmer has rolled into your landowner’s drive with a shiny new thing that piques their interest or they email out an offer with a price point that is lower. Suddenly — BAM! Your very reliable customer starts to say things such as:
- Well, your price is too high.
- Actually, we could get a little more than you are paying.
- They are offering me x, y, z to go with them.
Now, you’re shocked because that customer, who may also be your friend or relative or neighbor, is suddenly shopping around and you never saw it coming. Why? Because they never complained. But, again, to be blunt – did you ask them what they valued?
Like it or not, delivering consistent excellent value is foundational but not transformative. So, we must always seek to be emerging and changing with our customers and constantly checking in to make sure what we offer is still at the top of their always-changing value list. It’s not magic and it’s not that difficult; simply talk to your customers and do the value check-in before harvest this year.
