Do's and don'ts in your relationship with the farmer

The whole of the Netherlands will be in front of the TV on Sunday evening to see farmers and candidates struggling with their feelings. What does a farmer really think is important in a relationship? Herman Bodewes of CRM Partners gives tips for a successful (business) relationship.

This season, the popular Farmer Searches Woman program again attracted millions of viewers. During this television show, single farmers look for a partner in front of the camera to share their lives with. Most participants of the program do everything they can to win the heart of their favorite farmer. Seduction tricks, flirting techniques and good topics of conversation are used to impress the farmer. But what do farmers really think is important in the relationships they enter into? To answer that question, in this blog I will give a look at the business relationships they maintain.

the dos
A strong relationship between the farmer and his suppliers is very valuable and contributes to the success of the farm. But how do farmers value this relationship? And what exactly are they annoyed about? To find out, at the beginning of this year, in collaboration with CRM Partners and AgriDirect, I conducted a international research from among 503 farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and England.

And guess what? Traditional values ​​still reign supreme. Issues such as trust (52 percent), good communication (29 percent) and extensive knowledge of the sector (19 percent) are mentioned by Dutch farmers as the most important factors for a good relationship. This top 3 looked different in 2013, when CRM Partners conducted the same survey. Back then, 70 percent of the farmers indicated that delivery reliability was the most important thing.

My tip to the candidates for the next season is therefore: make sure that your farmer trusts you, communicate clearly with him and also show that you have knowledge of his field of work.

And the don'ts
In the close relationships that suppliers maintain with the farmers, some friction sometimes arises. But of course no supplier wants a customer to be annoyed by him. It is therefore important to know what is on the list of annoyances of the agricultural entrepreneur.

Dutch, English and German entrepreneurs unanimously agree: failure to comply with agreements is the number one annoyance. That's not surprising, because farming goes on day and night and time is money. In the Netherlands, farmers are also annoyed by pushiness and poor advice. To the follow-up question of what could be a reason to end the relationship, non-compliance with agreements is decisive.

My second piece of advice for future candidates is therefore: a date is a date. So make sure you keep that appointment, that you arrive on time and that you don't push back.

Personal relationships
Armed with the insights from the research, anyone can build a successful relationship with a farmer. Be it a business relationship or a love affair, I believe relationships are more successful when they are personal. Personal relationships ensure mutual connection and involvement. They are also a breeding ground for loyalty, with which the relations also contribute positively to the growth and development of the chain.

For suppliers and for future participants of Boer Zoekt Vrouw this means that they must tailor their approach to what the farmer considers important. For example, it is important for suppliers in the agricultural sector to provide customers with the right advice, at the right time, through the right channel and in the right way.

And for the women? Above all, they must keep to their agreements, not push back and build a relationship of trust. Success guaranteed!

Download here the full research report 'Customer relations in the Agri.

Herman Bodewes

Herman Bodewes is a senior account manager at CRM Partners, a specialist in customer relations in the agricultural sector. His vision is that the sector can be even more successful if everyone works together and shares information.

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