Village field sales executive: how to train and review the role
Visits villages, dealer points and farmer meetings to sell tractors, implements or farm inputs. Runs demonstrations, collects enquiries and follows up on finance and delivery. Reports to the branch manager and works largely alone on rural roads.
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Share your requirementsWho usually fills this role
Usually agriculture or science graduates, diploma holders, or experienced rural sales people from other dealers or companies. Some are local farmers' sons with strong village contacts. At hiring, test local language and road knowledge, ability to explain a machine's benefit in a farmer's terms, and honesty in reporting visits.
Skills ladder
Stage 1
New joiner
- Visits assigned villages and records each contact
- Explains basic product features and price lists
- Fills an enquiry form correctly
Stage 2
Independent
- Plans a village route and meets key farmers and dealers
- Runs a field demonstration with support
- Follows up on finance and subsidy papers with the back office
Stage 3
Senior or lead
- Builds a village network of reference farmers
- Closes larger deals and negotiates exchange
- Coaches new executives on the field
Training path
First weeks
- 1
Product and price briefing
The branch manager and a senior executive explain the range, price list, finance options and standard terms. The joiner is checked with a short oral question round before any customer visit.
- 2
Visit recording
Teach the joiner to log each visit, farmer name, village, need and next step in the daily visit sheet or app. The manager checks entries each evening for the first weeks.
- 3
Ride-along visits
The joiner rides with a senior executive on village visits and a demonstration, noting how the senior opens a talk, handles objections and closes the visit.
First year
- 1
Demonstration skills
The workshop supervisor teaches safe demonstration of the tractor or implement, including setting, hitching and field checks. The executive leads a supervised demonstration and the supervisor signs off.
- 2
Finance and papers
The finance staff teach what documents a farmer needs, how subsidy and loan files move and common reasons for rejection. The executive prepares two files that finance reviews before submission.
- 3
Village mapping
The executive draws a map of villages, key farmers, rival dealers and fair days. The manager reviews it and agrees a visit plan for the season.
Towards senior
- 1
Negotiation practice
The manager role-plays price and exchange talks using real past deals, then reviews recorded outcomes. The executive learns when to hold price and when to call the manager.
- 2
Handover to service
Teach how to hand a sold machine to the workshop and delivery team with complete notes so the farmer's first experience is smooth. Checked through delivery complaint records.
- 3
Coaching new executives
The senior executive takes a new joiner on route and gives written feedback. The manager reviews the feedback and the joiner's progress.
Performance review
A fortnightly call or meeting on visits and enquiries, plus a monthly 1-to-1 and a written half-yearly review that includes a season-end look back.
What to measure
| Measure | How it is seen |
|---|---|
| Visit discipline | Daily visit sheet or app entries matched with a few spot checks by phone or on route |
| Enquiry follow-up | Enquiry register showing next action dates met or missed |
| Demonstration quality | Manager or workshop observation and farmer remarks |
| File quality | Finance and subsidy files returned for errors |
| Conversion and exchange handling | Enquiry-to-delivery record and reasons for lost deals |
| Farmer relationships | Reference farmers, repeat enquiries and complaints |
Evidence to bring
- Daily visit sheet or app log
- Enquiry register with follow-up dates
- Finance file return notes
- Lost-deal reasons
- Demonstration feedback notes
Questions to ask in the review
- Which villages gave you the best enquiries this season and why?
- Which deals did we lose and what did the farmer say?
- Where did finance files come back to you?
- How did a demonstration go that you remember well?
- What stops you from visiting your full route?
- How do you handle a rival dealer who cuts price?
- Which village needs more of my time or more support from the branch?
Pitfalls
- Judging only on sales when a season has poor rains and credit tightens
- Never checking visits, so records become guesses
- Sending an executive to demonstrate without workshop sign-off
- Keeping finance file errors hidden instead of coaching on them
Questions about this role
Use dated visit logs, a few spot calls to farmers and route-based checks. Do it openly so it supports coaching rather than distrust.
Pay design is your call and should be confirmed with your adviser. Whatever it is, review quality of advice and paperwork too.
Keep village contact data in the branch record and rotate relationships between two people. That reduces dependence on one person.