George Russell, Currie Management Consultants, answered the question of how the evolving precision farming type of dealer is changing expectations and definitions of all dealers in farm equipment.

“The trend is clearly selling more than iron; it’s selling knowledge,” he says. “Even on pure iron-selling today, the expectations regarding agronomics and the advice side are greater. The traditional iron-selling dealer is struggling to move beyond being just an iron merchant. What they need to be doing is selling ‘smart iron.’

“That’s how the precision farming development is changing the industry. You’ve got to offer something different from the old selling style of a slap on the back and a kick in butt. It’s about smartphones, yield maps, etc., and the whole sales approach is entirely more collaborative.”