2010 June

Monthly Archives: June 2010

June 30, 2010

It’s A Bird. It’s A Plane. It’s A Technekes Ag Services Rep.

You never know where the Technekes consultative sales or marketing reps might turn up – on the phones, or in the fields, or, as it turns out, up in the air.

These past few months have found our folks:

• Walking cotton fields in eastern North Carolina, to help growers better understand the best timing for applying growth regulators.

• Identifying weeds in sweet potato and soybean fields

• Touring facilities here in North Carolina, to better understand product staging.

• Assisting aerial applicators keep their planes in the sky, as summertime applications increase.

• And, of course, on the phone in the MIC (Marketing Interaction Center).

Any sales and marketing rep can “talk the talk.” But to be the best, we figure we’ve got to “walk the walk” first. That’s why you’ll find our folks taking on so many challenges. Everything, that is, except flying the plane.

So far.

Author Ashley

June 28, 2010

Cultivating a Career

We often boast about our depth and breadth of experience and expertise here at Technekes, but when it comes to ag resumés, it’d be hard to top Nick Flanigan’s.

Nick moved here a few months back, braving snow storms and tornadoes en route from Amarillo, Texas, and he’s got ag experience by the bucketful. Not only did he grow up on a farm, he’s got a degree in Ag Business and Marketing and an MBA. While in college, he twice received the Wayland “Excellence in Ag Business” Award.

Plainly, he was a guy who knew how to watch where he stepped. After graduation, Nick went on to work as a Resource Specialist for the High Plains Underground Water Conservation in Lubbock, and later, joined Richardson Seeds in Vega, writing contracts for hybrid sorghum seed production, inspecting fields and making chemical recommendations for herbicides and insecticides.

We feel pretty lucky to have snagged Nick from the field to work on Sales Support in our Ag Practice Group, where he helps extend the reach and frequency of field sales reps.

And although he may miss pheasant hunting in Texas, we’re guessing he’d pick Carolina blue skies over Amarillo dust storms any day of the week.

Welcome aboard, Nick!

Author Ashley

June 21, 2010

It’s How We Play The Game.

The good news is that the Technekes softball jerseys, designed by our own Alison Hoskins, are among the best-looking in the league. The other news is that, as team leader Michelle Stowe reports, “Y’all – we had so much fun.”

Yep. We have yet to pick up a win. But we sure look good.

After only two games, all is far from lost. The Gear Heads have made some spectacular defensive plays and benefit from a very enthusiastic dugout. We’re getting our bats on the ball, too. We just need to find away around those straight “Adam” hits. By that, we mean “at ‘em,” as in “at” the pitcher and “at” the shortstop.

Still, the team’s having lots of fun. And did we mention how good we look in our spiffy jerseys?

We’d love to see you at tomorrow night’s game, because as Michelle points out, we’re having lots of fun — the way we always do at Technekes.

Author Cheri

June 15, 2010

And In Her Spare Time, She Sings And Rides Combines

We’ve told you about Diana, right? Our Ag Services Account Supervisor, known for her drive, energy and crack-of-dawn emails? Then you’ll love this one.

A few weeks back, while singing at a local country and western joint (did we not mention that, in addition to her very full-time job here that Diana’s also a singer?), she made the acquaintance of a local grower. Turns out, he’s not just any grower, he’s got 15,000 acres and one of the top five operations in North Carolina.

Well Diana couldn’t let that opportunity slip by. After all, she was our 2008 Top Gear Award Winner. She’s on top of things, and she knew full well it was time for winter wheat to be cut. So she wrangled herself an invitation and spent a recent hot summer evening on a combine, with a team of workers, cutting wheat and planting soybeans.

“I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she said.

The grower said, “I just told the guys we picked up a hitchhiker in Monroe.”

We don’t know what her mom would think of that last comment, but we were sure proud – and as always, grateful to be working with someone so dedicated and passionate about her work!

Author Ashley

June 14, 2010

Yin and Yang and Database Marketing

In business, as in life, balance is essential.

No, I’m not about to embark on some spiritual discourse about yin and yang and achieving zen (although I’d welcome a cup of green tea right about now).

However, as a marketer, I do know that there are only two viable ways for financial services institutions to grow – customer acquisition and customer retention.

For years, the traditional focus has been on acquisition — acquiring new customers, either individually or institutionally. Make no mistake, I’d be the first to agree that acquisition is essential to survival. However, for a financial institution to survive and thrive, there has to be balance.

There has to be retention. Indeed, I’d argue that, just as with yin and yang, one can’t exist without the other.

Client retention, of course, is more complicated in this time of severely limited resources and budget constraints – yet it is more vital than ever before. Forward-thinking financial institutions have recognized this and are already taking the leap, working with thought-leaders in marketing to develop innovative strategies and tactics to:

• Nurture existing clients
• Optimize existing processes
• Multiply quality facetime
• Extend the reach of top producers

Ultimately, retaining clients and deepening that relationship is cost-effective, profitable and brings balance to an institution’s marketing efforts.

Acquisition and retention. Yin and yang.

Would you care for a cup of green tea? I’m pouring.

Author Scott