- Independently calls on existing customers and prospective customers to generate sales, answer questions about products, recommend solutions, and support customer success.
- Develops and maintains customer relationships to support customer retention and sales growth.
- Identifies and pursues new business opportunities within an assigned territory.
- Partners with General Manager and/or Assistant General Manager and Operations Managers to coordinate sales efforts, develop prospect lists, provide market intelligence, and coordinate product delivery schedules.
- Participates in local community meetings such as grower meetings, USDA and Extension meetings, and is active on county extension boards or Ag-related councils.
- Provides technical assistance and related information to customers regarding best management practices. Assists customers with weed and pest identification and recommends appropriate SSC products and services.
- Coordinates resources needed to address customer questions, concerns, and complaints. Works with Product Specialists, Buyers, Agronomists, Vendors, and corporate management staff to resolve issues and provide solutions.
- Maintains professional relationships with state land grant universities and local county extension personnel.
- Uses CRM tools to maintain accurate customer records, prospect lists, and sales activity reports. Transmits required reports and expense documentation.
- Plans and coordinates commodity and grower meetings with current customers and prospects.
- Promotes the use of John Deere Financial, GrowMaster, and other company programs as tools for supporting customer relationships and sales efforts.
- Represents the Cooperative in a professional manner by wearing approved company uniform and maintaining a neat and well-maintained vehicle.
- Attends schools and training sessions on selling and servicing accounts and stays current on industry trends and SSC products and services. Utilizes available resources to improve sales effectiveness and customer support.
- Pursues continuing education by attending Crop Certification seminars where applicable and may possess CDL license and other agriculture-related certifications.
- Performs other responsibilities and duties as assigned by supervisor.
Preferred Qualifications
- 3-5 years of agronomic sales experience preferred.
- Experience with field scouting and making sound agronomic recommendations.
- Experience developing customer relationships and supporting business growth preferred.
- Knowledge of Crop Precision Ag programs (GPS, gridding, mapping, precision crop plans).
- Ability to sell a complete line of fertilizer, seed, and crop protection products.
- Ability to develop sales strategies and techniques to increase sales and achieve sales objectives.
- Ability to learn and present programs to Growers/Producers in group or individual settings.
- Effective communication, organizational, relationship-building, and presentation skills.
- PC proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Ability to travel up to 95%, with limited overnight stays.
Southern States Cooperative, Inc., is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against individuals based on their race, color, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, family medical history or genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws, or regulations.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, functions and skills required for this job. Functions and requirements may change at any time with or without notice.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, or equivalent combination of training and experience
- 3-5 years of agronomic sales experience
- Experience with field scouting and making agronomic recommendations
- Experience developing customer relationships and supporting business growth
- Knowledge of crop precision agriculture programs, including GPS, gridding, mapping, and precision crop plans
- Ability to sell fertilizer, seed, and crop protection products
- Ability to develop sales strategies and techniques to achieve sales objectives
- Ability to learn and present programs to growers and producers
- Effective communication, organizational, relationship-building, and presentation skills
- PC proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Ability to travel up to 95% with limited overnight stays
- Crop certification seminars or other agriculture-related certifications
- CDL license
Southern States Cooperative Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Southern States Cooperative and has not been reviewed or approved by Southern States Cooperative.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage sits alongside wellness, disability, life, AD&D, FSAs, and an EAP, forming a broad health and protection suite. Insurance quality is singled out positively in multiple roles.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, company holidays, and a vacation buy-back option offer meaningful time-away flexibility. PTO is characterized as better than average in several accounts.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match and a long-standing savings and retirement plan for certain employees support long-term financial security. These programs are regularly highlighted as core elements of total rewards.
Southern States Cooperative Insights
What We Do
Welcome to Southern States Cooperative's Company Page! You can also visit www.southernstates.com for special updates, our library of articles and more! Ask us for expert advice on farming, raising livestock, gardening and more. Our Mission Our mission is to be customer-focused and the best at providing products, services and growing solutions for farms and around the home...Farmer owned since 1923. Our Values Embrace our agricultural heritage. We recognize the deep roots we share with the farming communities in which we operate. As such, we will continue to embrace the people, the rural way of life, and the leadership opportunity we've been given for the stewardship and preservation of farming, the environment and our rural communities. Do our best, no matter what. Determination. Initiative. Reliability. The cornerstones of a good day's work. We recognize the trust our customers place in us and we realize there will always be challenges. With this in mind, we never let obstacles get in our way and we hold ourselves accountable as we strive to do our best every single day. Always be neighborly. We are committed to honor and practice the values we share with our farming communities: integrity, high ethical and moral standards, and respect for the land, patrons and for our associates. -- Southern States Cooperative reserves the right to collect User Generated Content such as submitted photos and videos to use in marketing materials where appropriate and to remove any and all inappropriate post content. Our team strives to answer your questions as quickly and accurately as possible through all of our social networks.
