Crop Specialist - New Century FS - Rockwell City, IA

New Century FS is headquartered in Ames, Iowa with branches across Central to Northwest Iowa and Southeast South Dakota. The company employs approximately 330 employees (including seasonal workers) and serves over 13,000 customers, offering energy, agronomy, agri-finance, precision agriculture, nutrient management, feed, grain, and turf products and services. New Century FS is part of the GROWMARK System, an agricultural cooperative serving more than 100,000 customers across North America and Ontario, Canada.

About the Role

Sells and markets the following products and services to new and existing customers: crop inputs (such as fertilizer, crop protection pesticides, seed products), service income, technical services, and Ag-finance programs.

Responsibilities

• Implements marketing plans and develops sales strategies that generate profitable sales in the assigned territory.
• Travels to client locations within assigned territory to establish the GROWMARK brand and obtain orders for products and services.
• Utilizes target marketing and professional sales techniques, including the FS sales interview road map, cropping programs, emphasis of appropriate features and benefits, and contact management system when calling on patrons and prospects.
• Adheres to GROWMARK’s sales and marketing strategies and attends GROWMARK sales trainings as offered.
• Responsible for meeting sales goals as established by supervisor.
• Develops territory and competitive analysis to maintain a current knowledge of the marketplace and the competition.
• Provides value-added agronomic products, services, and recommendations to patrons and prospects.
• Schedules product delivery and application to patron locations.
• Conducts regular patron meetings on product and technical information to develop customer relationships and drive sales.
• Provides customer service by using soil testing, crop scouting, and other programs, follows up on customer complaints, and seeks a reasonable “win/win” resolution.
• Ensures the credit worthiness of customers, quotes prices and credit terms, and prepares sales contracts for orders obtained.
• Promotes the use of credit programs as a sales tool and helps provide the required information to establish credit.
• Maintains the assigned vehicle according to company standards, adheres to the uniform policy, and maintains the appropriate professional image.
• Ensures field signs are displayed on all customers’ fields to promote FS products.
• Completes and updates profile information sheets on all key accounts and targeted prospects.
• Collects for sales of all assigned products according to company credit policy.
• Attains and maintains technical and sales skills to certification standards.
• Follows GROWMARK’s Code of Conduct and Corporate Compliance Program, Environmental Health and Safety, OSHA, and DOT policies and procedures, as they apply.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Daily independent travel within the trade area with occasional overnight stays.
• Minimum of an Associate’s Degree in agriculture, marketing, or business, or equivalent, and 2 years or more of related work experience to demonstrate knowledge of production agriculture.
• Must possess or obtain a seller’s or solicitor’s license where required by law.
• Demonstrated GROWMARK essential abilities including business knowledge, collaboration, communication, customer focus, decision making, and skill development.
• Understanding of GROWMARK agronomy products, services, and programs preferred.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the appropriate driver’s license and satisfactory driving record for the type of vehicle required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain applicable professional certifications associated with the agronomy industry (e.g., CCA, CCS, CPAg, Commercial Applicator with applicable categories).
• Ability and willingness to work extended hours during peak seasons.

Working Conditions

• Occasionally exposed to extreme weather conditions (hot, cold, wet, etc.).
• Noisy conditions.
• Working conditions may include dust, fumes, chemicals, and electrical hazards with appropriate safety measures.
• May be required to work at varying heights.
• Ability to lift 51-75 lbs.
• Ability and willingness to participate in required training that may include education on GROWMARK’s policies and procedures and additional training as it relates to the requirements of the position.