Summer is typically a prime timeframe for precision salespeople to engage customers on future purchasing decisions.

But with many regions dealing with delayed planting this spring, precision specialists have perhaps put off having conversations with customers about technology additions or upgrades.

Given the circumstances farmers are facing with late-emerging crops, there may be different in-season selling opportunities for dealers, particularly on the agronomic side, says George Russell, founder of the Machinery Advisors Consortium.

Aerial scouting, in-field sensing and agronomic services are among the technologies he cites as having growth potential as farmers look for ways to more efficiently manage their crops toward a profitable harvest.   

“If you're in the solution selling business, this is a target-rich environment to try to find different solutions. This is going to put some pressure — and good pressure — on those people who talk about solution selling to actually figure out all the different handles to pull and leverage to push and buttons to push to help a particular producer in many different fields, and different parts of the field, come up with the right solution. That's what we'll find throughout this season is that that type of approach this is going to test that concept of solution selling.”

Russell adds that the current market could also force some dealers out of their comfort zone, based on customer demand for in-season services, to expand their precision business or partner with outside companies for agronomic services.