We are delighted today to share further exciting news about November's Service Dealer Conference.

The organising team have now revealed who will be delivering the 'customer insight' portion of the day's proceedings - and it really is a stellar lineup.

We are lucky to be joined by the custodians of two of the highest profile, most prestigious, professional sporting venues in the country - if not the world. Service Dealer will welcome to speak to our dealer delegates, representing commercial customers, the head groundsmen of the RFU's headquarters, Twickenham Stadium and the MCC's home of cricket, Lord's. Jim Buttar holds over 25 years of experience of hands-on management in sportsturf, whilst Karl McDermott has an in-depth knowledge of turf management to achieve perfection on his hallowed ground.

Whilst to represent farming customers, Jim and Karl will be joined by Andrew Ward, one of the most prominent faces in UK agriculture. Andrew received an MBE in 2014 for his services to agriculture and is a strong advocate for sustainable farming.

These top professionals in their fields, whilst clearly having their own fascinating tales to tell about their own personal careers, are of course also representative of all professional customers who frequent dealerships everywhere. Hearing their wants and needs, as well as their expectations of what their local machinery specialist needs to deliver in order to maintain their patronage, will make for fantastic understanding for all dealers.

Listen carefully

I think business experts would be in agreement that for any independent retailer, carefully listening to your trusted customer base is a vital skill set to acquire. So much can be learnt of direct, practical benefit to the business by taking on board and reacting sensibly to constructive pointers from clued-up individuals who use your services. 

In the first instance, dealers who are seen to be taking on board feedback from valued customers should find they are building trust and loyalty. It seems fair to assume that customers who feel heard and respected are more likely to return to the same dealer for future purchases and recommend the business to others. Dealers will know only too well the rapport and friendly relationships they build up with regular customers - allowing them to understand their needs and make future purchase recommendations.

Customer feedback can also be helpful in refining a dealership's product offering. By understanding what customers like or dislike about certain products, dealers can adjust their inventory to better meet demand.

Similarly, with constantly evolving technological trends in all the sectors that our dealer readers represent, listening is vital to understand the local market's shifting preferences. For example if enough customers are saying they are interested in smart, connected devices that can be controlled via apps, dealers can explore partnerships with manufacturers offering these solutions.

It seems fair to assume that other natural benefits that can be picked up by simply listening to customers could include an increased level of customer service - always an important differentiator for specialists - and a strengthening of ties to the local community.

Of course everyone reading this will know that, unfortunately, not all customers are helpful fonts of knowledge and wisdom! It's only natural for any retailer to have a moan about certain individuals on occasion. We're talking about those customers who may have the propensity to be - let's be polite - slightly awkward. However, seasoned dealers will be savvy enough to recognise genuine constructive feedback when they hear it and adapt accordingly.

So come November, hearing these top-level professional customers speak at the Conference about how they use their local dealers and what they expect from that relationship, will be of great benefit to all delegates. Whilst not everyone in the room will have the ability to provide services to Lord's or Twickenham, the principals of what these guys say will be applicable across all dealers' circumstances.

These are sessions not to be missed and will be jam packed with insight and valuable takeaways.