You may remember last week an anecdote that one of the dealers who are part of our group of women working in the sector related to us.

She was talking about how the advantage that greater diversity in the workplace brings, had been recently illustrated with a conversation she'd had with a female customer.

“This customer had told me,” she related, “how pleasant it was to be able to speak to a female member of staff in a dealership as she didn't feel intimated or out of her depth because she wasn't a machinery expert. She then felt comfortable spending time in our showroom talking with me.” 

Interactions like this, we felt, should kick-off a productive, and hopefully long-term, working relationship. Which is what being an independent specialist is all about.

And perhaps the bigger win here is that customers who have good experiences in the dealership like this, are likely to subsequently become a vocal advocate for the business.

I think all reading this today will agree just how crucial a tool ‘word of mouth’ can be for promoting the dealership locally. Certainly, whenever we survey you, our dealer readers, asking what you feel are the most effective means of marketing your company, this idea of the organic spreading of customer testimonials always features highly.

Nowadays of course, word of mouth isn’t simply neighbours talking over the garden fence either. Perhaps more importantly, it’s all the online interactions that your customers will naturally engage in as part of their everyday lives. If they happen to mention your business within their circle of contacts in a positive light, that is a trusted recommendation that can prove invaluable.

Arguably in fact, it has far more persuasive weight in convincing a new person to enter your dealership for the first time, than any traditional advert ever could.

Generating loyalty

It reminds me of an email I received from a dealer reader once, who got in touch to point out that when you spend your working day doing the right thing, there are customers out there who genuinely appreciate your efforts and are willing to go out to bat for you.

They detailed an example of how one of their satisfied customers who was particularly pleased with the service they had received from two members of the dealership’s staff when they came in to buy a chainsaw, had contacted the dealership to let them know how satisfied they were – and importantly, what they were going to do next.

Not really knowing what he required, the customer talked about how the range of chainsaws was explained to him, indicating their pros and cons. He explained how the dealer wasn't pushy and offered to leave him to think about it, resulting in him buying a new chainsaw - with guidance then given on how to sharpen and care for its chain and bar.

A different member of staff then took the customer outside and showed him the correct way to use and care for his chainsaw.

The customer concluded their thank you message to this dealer saying, "I have already spoken amongst my friends as to how impressed I was. It is word of mouth that brought me to you, and I shall spread that word further. Please forward my thanks to your staff and long may your ethics continue."

I don't think it can be over-emphasised how this promise to spread the word further is such a valuable tool for independent, specialist retailers. Treating every customer to the highest level of service will go a long way to making sure this form of viral marketing is always bubbling along in the background.

The next step of course, is doing everything to guarantee that the customer returns to the store again and again. I found a great blog post on this subject from our friend and previous Conference speaker, Bob Clements.

Called Building Long-Term Relationships it’s only a brief piece but it’s well worth checking out. Bob explains that successful sales people understand that the only way to consistently generate orders and increase business is through customer loyalty. This loyalty, he says, is built by continuing to monitor and cultivate the customer’s satisfaction.

He then goes though a series of procedures which he believes will aid dealers in this quest.

It's well worth a few minutes of your time today to have a quick read. 

Now in its fourth year, the Technician of the Year Competition backed by the land-based engineering training and education committee (LE-TEC) is returning, under the We Are Land-based Engineering campaign.

Previous winner, James Hood of Manitou UK

 
LE-TEC say whether you’re an apprentice technician just starting out, or a master technician with years of experience under your belt, they are looking to hear from you.

To enter, record a short video telling LE-TEC:

• Who you are and what you do, how you got into this industry?
• What makes it so rewarding?
• Why do you think others should consider it as a career.

Prizes so far confirmed include:

• A Makita UK Job Site Radio MR003GZ
• A Makita UK 221 Piece Tool Kit E-10883
• A STIHL 100 Plus Control Pressure Washer

In previous years this competition has uncovered talent such as James Hood of Manitou UK, Brad Smith of B&B Tractors, Laura Bassnet from Ernest Doe and Will Twigg from Farol. 

A spokesperson for LE-TEC said, "By entering this competition, not only do you stand a chance at winning some fantastic prizes, but also, you’ll be helping to shine a light on this incredible industry by telling your own story and sharing your journey."

To enter, submit your videos directly to info@wearelandbased.engineering or message them to 07851 251 157. 
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Closing date is 31st May 2023.

PSD Groundscare have announced Lister Wilder as a new dealer for the full range of Stella products.

L-R: Oliver Gerrish and Phil Turner, area sales managers, Lister Wilder

From their branches across the south of England the dealership will be supplying and promoting the range including the Racoon ride-on flail mowers and the URS remote-control tracked mowers.

Phill Hughes, sales director at Lister Wilder said, “We believe that both our professional and private customers will recognise the engineering quality that’s built into the machines, and the products have a position within our portfolio that we were previously missing. We’re really looking forward to showing customers new and old the benefits and quality that the Stella range offers, and have invested in a fleet of demonstration machinery to do so."

PSD sales director Stuart Mercer added, “We have worked with Lister Wilder for many years and it’s great they have joined the growing dealer network offering the Stella range of mowers. When we showed the Lister Wilder team the machines in action they were blown away and were excited to be able to offer it to their customers.”

Equip Exposition, the international trade show that is taking place from October 17-20 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, has announced their entertainment lineup for this year.

Third Eye Blind will headline a “thank you” concert at the KFC YUM! Center on Thursday, October 19, for the event’s first-ever arena concert.

Equip say this special arena concert acknowledges their many significant friends and partners that have welcomed the trade show to Louisville for 40 years, and promises to be a "rocking great time" for Equip Exposition attendees. 

“We’re celebrating our 40th anniversary of Expo, and we couldn’t have grown to this point without the support of thousands of people - from our attendees and exhibitors at the show to the bartenders and hotel staff throughout the city,” says Kris Kiser, President of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, which owns and manages the trade show.

“They all make the ‘Expo experience’ possible, and we want to say thank you with this concert.”

He adds, “The entire industry comes to Expo, and now everyone who participates can come to the party. It’s on us.” 

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Registered attendees and exhibitors for Equip Exposition may attend all three nights of entertainment for free with their registration badges serving as tickets.

In addition to the concert at the KFC YUM! Center, entertainment during the 2023 three-day event include:

• House band, The Crashers with a jamming Welcome Party at the downtown Kentucky International Convention Center on Tuesday night, October 17. Food and hors d’oeuvres will be provided and there will be a cash bar for drinks.
• A free Fourth Street Live! Concert by the Juicebox Heroes starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18 in Louisville’s historic downtown.
• World-champion, Kentucky-based chainsaw carver, Abby Peterson, at the Kentucky Exposition Center, October 18 - 20, to carve a statue of TurfMutt Foundation spokesdog, Mulligan the TurfMutt.

“Equip Expo offers a week-long experience for a range of interconnected industries - including outdoor power equipment, landscaping, hardscaping, tree care, design, lighting, irrigation and more,” said Kris. “While business is going on, fun is definitely part of the equation.”

Equip Exposition hotel reservations are open and making plans early on where to stay is strongly encouraged. Registration to the show will open in April.

Equip Expo 2022 was the largest show in its 40-year history. "We sold every inch of both indoor and outdoor exhibit space last year, and, in fact, had a waiting list," said Kris. "I encourage anyone seeking to participate in this year's show to act quickly - starting with reserving your hotel room. If you're going to fly in, book it today."

The Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) say they fully support the new T-Level qualifications for the land-based sector that go live in September 2023.

IAgrE CEO Charlie Nicklin
 
T-Level courses in construction, engineering and manufacturing were launched in 2021 and the Technical Qualifications for Agriculture, Land Management and Production, covers land-based engineering.
 
IAgrE say the new T-Levels are technical-based qualifications in England that have been developed with employers and businesses with content that meets the need of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study. These are two-year courses equivalent to 3 A-levels and will eventually replace the National Diplomas in England. 
 
The two year programme will be delivered at local colleges and training providers. The courses will be 80% percent classroom based and 20% practical. Included in the course is a 45 day industry placement, which will give the student valuable workplace experience. The course content will be aligned to the current Level 3 land-based engineering apprenticeship standards. 
 
The government’s Skills for Jobs white paper reforming post 16 further education and skills is at the heart of the plan to create a technical education system. The aim is stronger links between the classroom and workplace, putting employers and standards at the heart of all technical qualifications. 
 
IAgrE CEO Charlie Nicklin said, “The introduction of T-Levels in England is a great opportunity to refresh full time land-based engineering education which is currently delivered through the existing National Diplomas. The content has been aligned with the well regarded level 3 land-based engineering apprenticeship standards. Involving industry specialists in its compilation ensures that the content is up to date with current technologies. It's important the industry gets fully behind the qualifications by supporting the work placements that will help to deliver the future technicians and engineers the sector desperately needs”. 
 
The primary aim of the T-Level learning programme is to provide students with entry to skilled employment within a specific occupation or sector, and to support further higher level training and progression to university. Students will develop occupationally focused skills and knowledge that are valued by employers as essential for employment and the industry placement will help them apply and refine their technical and practical skills, plus knowledge and behaviours to ensure they are ready for the world of work. 
 
They may have been designed for industry by industry but there are concerns that industry is still not demonstrating enough commitment to the roll-out.  IAgrE believe that if this vocational programme is going to succeed it will need the industry’s commitment and backing. 

Overton (UK) Ltd have announced Shinners Bridge Garden Machinery as their latest dealer for the electric Mean Green and Altoz tracked mowers.

L-R: Stuart Bruckner, commercial sales, Shinners Bridge GM; Richard Overton, md, Overton; Andy White, md, Shinners Bridge GM

Andy White the MD of Shinners Bridge said, "With our rapidly growing commercial range, these products fitted in particularly well with our business dynamic. With a customer base covering some challenging terrain, having now the option, of both battery and petrol commercial machines, we can provide satisfaction and quality of cut to all our end users.

"The added bonus, is the brilliant working relationship we have developed with Overton (UK), providing our staff with training and excellent product support. We look forward to working together on a long-term basis.”

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) is inviting entries for its Technical Innovation Awards.

Described as recognising design and innovation across the agricultural and rural sectors, organisers say the awards showcase inventions and innovations that demonstrate a positive impact on agriculture, horticulture, equestrian, forestry, renewable energy and estate activities.

Entries must relate to machines, appliances, technical components or important ancillary equipment and should be commercially available or prototypes in development. All entries are judged and benchmarked on individual merit. 
 
The judging format will be a hybrid of in-person demonstrations, user evaluation and electronic submissions. The entry deadline is Sunday 9th April and entries can be made via the Royal Highland Show website.
 
New for 2023, winners will be presented with their awards and have their winning products displayed in a new arena dedicated to agricultural innovation at this year’s Royal Highland Show in June. 
 
RHASS Chief Steward of Technical Innovation, Christopher Shepherd said, “There is a strong focus on agricultural innovation this year at RHASS and that will be reflected with the Royal Highland Show’s new agri demo arena. Innovations of all kinds will be on display there, with our award winners taking pride of place."

Fifty per cent of the proceeds of Cereals 2023  visitor tickets will go to benefit the Multiple System Atrophy Trust, a cause close to the host farmer’s heart, and a fundraiser will be held in the afternoon of day one,13 June in Sarah's Wood

The two-day event is being held at a new site this year - Thoresby Estate in Nottinghamshire - on 13-14 June. The 4,860ha estate has been in the Pierrepont family since the 1590s – and the current incumbent, Gregor Pierrepont, says he had no hesitation in choosing the charity. 

“It’s very close to our hearts as it was set up by my aunt Sarah, who was afflicted by this very rare disease,” he explains. The Trust provides specialist nurses and research to support people living with the disease, and Cereals will host a special fundraiser at Sarah’s Wood on 13 June.

Cereals say that as ever this year, they will showcase the latest developments in arable agronomy, machinery, technology and business advice. Exhibitor numbers are already 30% up, year-on-year, and the event will include four new features, says event manager, Alli McEntyre. 

These are an Energy and Biomass Hub; hosting seminars on how to navigate rising energy costs, the AgAnalyst Academy; which will explore how to get the most from precision agriculture, the Cereals Stories Stage; featuring guest farmers talking about how social media has changed their business, and the Bednar Arrive and Ride experience; this will give visitors the chance to ride alongside a selection of Bednar’s towed implements to see them up close and in action. And back by popular demand is the Isuzu Off-road Driving Experience.

Crop plots remain at the heart of the event, and this year will see five new crop plots as well as the returning wheat and winter barley feature. Curated by Ceres Rural, the feature will allow farmers to see a selection of leading Recommended List (RL) varieties side-by-side. 

Demonstrations will take place in the sold-out Syngenta Sprays and Sprayers Arena and expanded Drill Demos - and visitors will be able to check out Garford’s mechanical weeding demonstrations, as well as working demos by Bednar, Case, IH, Hardi, and New Holland. There will also be expanded Robotics and Automation Demos including the autonomous field robot Agbot by AgXeed.

 
“Cereals is set to host an impressive 400 exhibitors with 115+ new bookings,” says Ms McEntyre. “These include machinery specialists Weaving Machinery, Alpego, Vogelsang, and Bednar, as well as seed breeders RAGT, crop protection specialist Berthoud, and agri-business consultants Brown & Co."

Early bird tickets are £10 each until 13 April 2023. Thereafter, online tickets will be £15 each until 12 June 2023. Tickets purchased on the gate will be £20 each.

Henton & Chattell has announced the launch of its new ride-on tractors as part of its Cobra range. This comes as part of the 10-year anniversary of Cobra and is the biggest innovation for the brand yet.

This significant investment in Cobra marks the next chapter for the brand, reiterates its success over 10 years and bolsters its position in the marketplace as one of the leading garden machinery brands.

In launching the new ride-on mowers, Henton & Chattell has tapped into its 1500+ dealer network and utilised the companies’ unique position in the industry to gain an understanding of what customers want and ensure that the products are expertly based exactly on the needs of UK gardeners. 

As such, the range has models for both domestic and professional markets so creates ample opportunities for dealers for both sales and servicing. 

Discussing the new range expansion, Peter Chaloner, managing director of Henton & Chattell, commented: “We’re so excited for this next chapter for Cobra. We’ve been developing the new range of ride-on mowers for some time now and it’s a significant step in the brand’s history. We can’t wait to hear what customers think of them! We have further plans to keep expanding Cobra over time with more products already planned for the year. To support this and accommodate our growth plans, we have also doubled our warehousing facilities in Nottingham which will also help us to ensure that we continue to create business opportunities for our dealers.”

The ride-on mower line-up features eight models, all aimed at helping those with larger lawns to mow with ease and comfort, at an affordable price. The range starts with two rider models. These have a particular focus on manoeuvrability, allowing gardeners to flow and mow around the gardens, taking into account garden beds, curved edges and obstacles such as trees, patios and planting schemes as well as any other intricacies that make UK gardens so unique.

The two compact LT62 rider models each have a 24” cutting width and comfortable seat. Being smaller, these models have great manoeuvrability coupled with a 75cm turning radius. The LT62 is available with either manual or hydrostatic automatic gear change transmission, with the latter offering smoother usage and even greater manoeuvrability.

For larger gardens and paddocks to mow, there are six ride-on tractors available. With cutting widths ranging from 33” up to 42”, and choices again being manual and hydrostatic gear changing, as well as a twin cutting blade and the option to collect the cuttings, release them back to the ground or turn them to mulch. They also offer enhanced comfort with an ergonomically designed padded seat and easy electric key starting.

For further information about Cobra, please visit www.cobragarden.co.uk.

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