CROP ADVISOR

It is Centra Sota Cooperative’s vision to improve lives and create a more vibrant future for farmers, families, and communities in Central MN. We are a people-focused cooperative offering honest and helpful information, innovative products, and exceptional service from a reliable team of experts who care.

Position Summary: It is the primary responsibility of this role to provide crop consultation and account management services by applying fundamental sales techniques while utilizing product, customer, company and industry knowledge. Typical duties include carrying out retail sales at the producer level, representing the cooperative while calling on current and prospective customers, preparing proposals, studying market and industry trends, and building positive customer relationships. This person must have excellent and effective communication and interpersonal skills. In addition, this person must be committed to excellence and high standards of providing outstanding customer service, problem solving and managing difficult customer situations.

Essential Functions: (The responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to the following)

• Provide crop consultation and account management services
• Achieve profitability goals and increase market share through account planning, cross selling, customer educational events, and monitoring competition strategy and local markets
• Prospect, build and maintain positive working relationships with current and potential customers
• Assist customers with the development of annual business plans
• Introduce new products, programs and services to current and potential customers
• Make sound customer recommendations to improve their operation while understanding the value proposition (seed, fertilizer, crop protection, precision products and services and financing)
• Develop regular sales call strategies for current accounts and potential prospects
• Represent yourself as a subject matter expert and problem solver to provide value added solution
• Create and implement customer retention and development strategies
• Provide superior customer service and resolve customer complaints efficiently while maintaining open communication with the operations team
• Project a positive attitude and image to customers, business partners and employees at all times
• Proactively manage receivables in accordance with our credit policy
• Inform all customers of safe product handling
• Provide backup for other Crop Advisors as needed.
• Demonstrate a commitment to doing what’s right, a solid work ethic, a strong sense of ownership, a passion for agriculture, and genuine respect for others
• Practice safe behavior while following all safety policies
• Observe and enforce all company policies
• Perform other duties as assigned

Job Requirements/Qualifications:

• Excellent, effective communication skills including oral, written and presentation form
• Strong teamwork, listening and interpersonal skills, with an ability to inspire trust and respect
• Assertive, approachable, tactful and possesses an ability to build strong business relationships
• Ability to remain flexible in a rapidly changing environment
• Commitment to excellence and high standards of providing outstanding customer service, problem solving and managing difficult customer situations
• Resourceful, self-starter who works well with minimal supervision
• Good independent, ethical, decision-making ability
• Excellent organizational skills including detail oriented, multi-tasking, planning, and prioritizing
• Results-oriented, accurate, and thorough with a commitment to accountability
• Experience understanding customers’ unique problems and determining the best fit for their needs
• Understands and actively works with basic business concepts (budgets, profit margins and revenue)
• Strong technical competency with an interest in staying current on leading edge precision technology
• Excellent computer skills with the ability to learn other key operational computer programs
• High school graduate or GED equivalent
• Must comply with current driver qualification requirements and our Drug and Alcohol Policy

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in an agricultural environment utilizing agronomy related products and services
• Associates degree in closely related field
• Previous experience utilizing Agvance

Physical Demands: The demands described are representative of those to be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time, use hands or fingers to reach or handle, to talk or hear and regularly operate a computer and cell phone. The employee is often required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 60 pounds. All vision abilities are required to encompass close-up and distant work. Must be able to tolerate and endure extended seasonal hours and maintain alertness to meet deadlines. Must be able to operate a vehicle to travel to customer sites and other locations on a frequent basis.

Work Environment: The environment described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to machinery and moving parts, airborne particles including grain dust and hazardous materials or fumes, which will require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The employee is exposed to adverse weather conditions, high, precarious places and confined spaces. The noise level in some of the work environments may require the use of hearing protection. While performing the duties of this job inside the office, the employee is frequently exposed to normal working conditions for an office environment with a noise level that is usually low to moderate.

Disclaimer: This job description is not a complete description of responsibility, but reflects the general duties, qualifications and requirements necessary to perform this job. Centra Sota Cooperative reserves the right to revise the job description as circumstances warrant.