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    <title>Business of Selling</title>
    <description>
      <![CDATA[
<hr /><br>For more content like this, check out:

<ul>
	<li><strong><a href="https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/17548" target="_blank">8 Factors for Cultivating &amp; Promoting a Professional Culture of Excellence</a></strong><br />
	These facets&nbsp;are all tied closely to developing your dealership&rsquo;s image, which in turn goes hand-in-hand with high customer satisfaction.</li>
</ul>]]>
    </description>
    <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/rss</link>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <item>
      <title>Looking Back &amp; Going Forward</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While last month’s column focused on some of the ups and downs that afflicted the agricultural equipment industry over the past 40 years, this column will take a look at what one can expect over the next several years. But first, it should be apparent after reading the previous column, that one of the primary drivers for the demise of manufacturers during the aforementioned time period was their feckless hiring of top management that were either devoid of pertinent and relevant experience, or their background was from the financial side of the business. Concerning the latter, when that is the case, management will generally save themselves into bankruptcy rather than marketing themselves into prosperity.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/12126</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2015 00:01:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/12126-looking-back-going-forward</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Looking Back and …</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Nearly 40 years ago, I was hired by a consulting firm whose major client was International Harvester, the once venerable leader in agricultural equipment sales. This consulting firm had designed the XL program for IH that recognized and rewarded their dealer organization for implementing a series of sensible, yet stringent, operational and financial standards.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11972</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2015 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11972-looking-back-and</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Call Reluctance and Slumping Sales</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[After a succession of years where equipment sales continued to increase, not because of dealership marketing efforts or sales force contacts, but rather because of increasing commodity prices and end-user ebullience, many dealership sales forces now find themselves in a sales funk.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11835</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2015 00:01:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11835-call-reluctance-and-slumping-sales</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Ensuring Territorial Coverage</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Two of the most important responsibilities of an equipment salesperson are to maintain relationships with existing customers while simultaneously securing new customers. One of the primary responsibilities of the dealer/sales manager, therefore, is to see that those responsibilities are done efficiently and effectively.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11725</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2015 00:01:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11725-ensuring-territorial-coverage</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Leading from the Front</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While previous articles have addressed dominating a market, initiating a strategy and executing with speed, all using the precepts of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” this column will use the same source to identify the leadership attributes necessary to win a protracted war of attrition.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11590</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11590-leading-from-the-front</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Executing with Speed</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While my last two columns focused on “Dominating the Market” and “Initiating a Winning Strategy” by utilizing the principles of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” this column will address similar precepts necessary to execute a strategy with the alacrity necessary to be victorious.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11465</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2015 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11465-executing-with-speed</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Initiating Winning Strategy</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[As Sun Tzu wrote over 2,000 years ago, “Now an army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness.” Dealers interested in capturing a market would be wise to heed those words and to attack a competitor’s weaknesses by capitalizing on their own strengths while simultaneously overcoming their own weaknesses.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11468</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2015 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11468-initiating-winning-strategy</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
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      <title>Dominating the Market</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[A year ago I wrote a column entitled Gathering Storm Clouds. That was followed up by last month’s column articulating the nine steps that should be undertaken during the turbulent times that lie ahead for equipment dealers. While some may be too timid to call a war a war, make no mistake about it, what equipment dealers will experience over the next 5 years will be a “war of attrition.”]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11471</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11471-dominating-the-market</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>These are the Times</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[As of this writing, dairy prices are at record levels and livestock prices are rebounding, but grain prices are trading at 50-60% below their record levels of a few years ago. As a result, farmer income is now expected to be down 14% this year.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11474</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11474-these-are-the-times</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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    <item>
      <title>The 10 Commandments of Selling</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Written on tablets of corn, wheat, beans, rice and cotton, and delivered by a peripatetic sojourner dressed in jeans and wearing a cap with an indistinguishable equipment machinery logo and with dairy cows in tow, the following Commandments were unexpectedly received with gratitude.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11477</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11477-the-10-commandments-of-selling</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: Getting the Most Out of Your Sales Department</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[In addition to those metrics identified in previous articles, this column will address additional metrics that should be on the radar screen for any dealer/sales manager interested in getting the most out of their sales department.<br><br>	<a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11498" target="_blank">Part 1</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11495" target="_blank">Part 2</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11492">Part 3</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11489" target="_blank">Part 4</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11486">Part 5</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11483">Part 6</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11480">Part 7</a>]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11480</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2014 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11480-sales-metrics-to-monitor-getting-the-most-out-of-your-sales-department</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: Sales Personnel Compensation</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[In addition to monitoring their sales mix, their new and used inventory turnovers, and their gross margins for new and used equipment, dealers interested in optimally managing their sales department should also continually monitor their sales personnel compensation.<br><br><a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11498" target="_blank">Part 1</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11495" target="_blank">Part 2</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11492">Part 3</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11489" target="_blank">Part 4</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11486">Part 5</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11483">Part 6</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11480">Part 7</a>]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11483</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Jun 2014 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11483-sales-metrics-to-monitor-sales-personnel-compensation</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: Causes of Low Gross Margins</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[This month's column will continue to explore other causes of low gross margins in an equipment dealership.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11486</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11486-sales-metrics-to-monitor-causes-of-low-gross-margins</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: News &amp; Used Equipment Gross Margin</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[In addition to monitoring the department sales mix, the equipment sales mix, and the new and used equipment turnover, dealers and sales managers should also vigorously monitor their new and used equipment gross margin.<br><br><a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11498" target="_blank">Part 1</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11495" target="_blank">Part 2</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11492">Part 3</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11489" target="_blank">Part 4</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11486">Part 5</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11483">Part 6</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11480">Part 7</a>]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11489</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 01 Mar 2014 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11489-sales-metrics-to-monitor-news-used-equipment-gross-margin</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: Turnover</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Once the dealer and sales manager acknowledge the importance of monitoring their departmental sales mix as well as the sales mix between their new and used equipment sales, as outlined in the previous two columns, then it would behoove them to turn their attention to the subject of turnover.<br><br><a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11498" target="_blank">Part 1</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11495" target="_blank">Part 2</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11492">Part 3</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11489" target="_blank">Part 4</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11486">Part 5</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11483">Part 6</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11480">Part 7</a>]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11492</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11492-sales-metrics-to-monitor-turnover</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: News &amp; Used Wholegoods Sales Mix</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[After monitoring the overall wholegoods sales mix as a percent of total dealership sales, the next wholegoods metric that should be continually measured, monitored and managed is the new and used wholegoods sales mix as a percent of total wholegood sales.<br><br>
<a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11498" target="_blank">Part 1</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11495" target="_blank">Part 2</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11492">Part 3</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11489" target="_blank">Part 4</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11486">Part 5</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11483">Part 6</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11480">Part 7</a>]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11495</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jan 2014 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11495-sales-metrics-to-monitor-news-used-wholegoods-sales-mix</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Sales Metrics to Monitor: Overall Wholegoods Sales Mix</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Dealers and sales managers planning for the long haul would be prudent to continuously monitor a series of metrics that could portend success or failure for their sales department. The Oxford dictionary defines a metric as “a set of figures or statistics that measure results.”<br><br>	<a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11498" target="_blank">Part 1</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11495" target="_blank">Part 2</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11492">Part 3</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11489" target="_blank">Part 4</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11486">Part 5</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11483">Part 6</a> &bull; <a class="button" href="/blogs/6-farm-equipment-columns/post/11480">Part 7</a>]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11498</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11498-sales-metrics-to-monitor-overall-wholegoods-sales-mix</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Cultivating Customer Share</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Rather than waiting for a potential customer to get a flat tire in front of the dealership or chasing low margin roll-over customers to amp up the dealership's volume bonus, dealers and sales managers, together with their salesforce, would be far better served developing meaningful and lasting relationships with the overwhelming number of customers that are seeking such a partnership.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11502</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 19 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11502-cultivating-customer-share</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Gathering Storm Clouds</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Fifteen years ago during a series of speeches I delivered to various equipment dealer associations throughout North America, I predicted that the agricultural equipment industry would lose between 25-40% of its dealers during the first decade of the third millennium.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11500</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11500-gathering-storm-clouds</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Nurturing Customer Share</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Unprecedented commodity prices that have led to a sustained demand for agricultural equipment over the past 4 years have resulted in two types of regrettable sales techniques. First, because many end-users are flush with cash, many sales people in turn believe they can be successful by just sitting in the dealership and waiting for their next victim to waltz through the door.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11503</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11503-nurturing-customer-share</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>Realities of Market Share</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While last month's column looked at "The Myth of Market Share," this column will address the realities of market share.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11505</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11505-realities-of-market-share</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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      <title>The Myth of Market Share</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Record farm income and never before seen low interest rates over the last several years have enabled many dealers to make more money than they have ever made. Barring unforeseen economic and/or political events, all indicators point to continued prosperity for those dealers committed to managing their business successfully.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11506</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11506-the-myth-of-market-share</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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    <item>
      <title>Problems with Pre-Selling</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[At the turn of the 21st century as the dot-com bubble came to a screeching halt, all eyes turned to the burgeoning real estate market.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11508</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11508-problems-with-pre-selling</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Consider an Ancillary Compensation System</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While a survey of dealers revealed that 98% of respondents paid their sales personnel either on the basis of salary (30%), cash difference (28%), salary plus commission (19%) or gross margin (21%), the remaining 2% of dealers paid their sales staff utilizing an undisclosed form of compensation. This column, the last in a four part series on sales personnel compensation, will explore possible compensation systems that may have been used by one in 50 dealers.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11510</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11510-consider-an-ancillary-compensation-system</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>4P = Au</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While next month's column will continue to explore compensation systems for salespersonnel, the focus of this column will address those winning attributes that were personified by each of the Olympic athletes as they participated in their individual and team events during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. Whether Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, the U.S. women's soccer team, or any of the other hundreds of participants, four attributes emblematic of gold (Au) medal play stood out; namely, purpose, passion, perseverance and pride, and each of those attributes are similarly applicable to a successful career in equipment sales.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11514</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11514-p-au</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Why Sales Compensation Based on Gross Margin?</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While previous articles is this series have addressed the two most prevalent types of sales personnel compensation — salary and cash difference — this column focuses on a system that is not used as frequently, yet should yield significantly greater results. It is a sales compensation system based on the equipment gross margin.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11512</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11512-why-sales-compensation-based-on-gross-margin</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>What's Wrong with Salaried Sales Compensation Plans?</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[While the last installment of this column documented the general characteristics of a well thought out compensation plan, this column, and a few to follow, will address the three most prevalent forms of salespersonnel compensation. The series will conclude with a radical approach for progressive dealers who want to "think outside of the box."]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11518</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11518-whats-wrong-with-salaried-sales-compensation-plans</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Cash Difference Compensation Plan = Low Margins</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[In a survey conducted several years ago on how equipment dealers compensated their sales personnel, it was revealed that 30% of the dealers paid their sales personnel on the basis of salary while 28% of the dealers paid their sales force on the basis of "cash difference." While salaried sales compensation was the basis of last month's column, this column will explore the nuances associated with paying sales personnel on the basis of the cash difference that is "drawn"? on each transaction.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11516</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11516-cash-difference-compensation-plan-low-margins</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Compensation Systems</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[In addition to hiring the right person and clarifying the requisite objectives, tasks and responsibilities of the sales staff, another critical responsibility of the modern day sales manager is to develop a cogent and lucid compensation system that is easy to understand and rewards overachievers for their performance.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11520</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11520-compensation-systems</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
      </media:content>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Sales Responsibilities</title>
      <description>
        <![CDATA[Once the sales department culture is set in motion and the sales department philosophy has been established and agreed upon, the next step in managing the wholegoods department is identifying and embracing the responsibilities of both the sales manager and the wholegoods sales personnel.]]>
      </description>
      <guid>http://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6/post/11522</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>https://www.farm-equipment.com/blogs/6-opinions-columns/post/11522-sales-responsibilities</link>
      <media:content url="https://www.farm-equipment.com/ext/resources/images/Authors/Jim_Weber.webp?t=1427661397" type="image/jpeg" medium="image" fileSize="15984">
        <media:title type="plain">Dr. Jim Weber</media:title>
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