b'Why Biostimulants are a Main Feature SHAWN BROOKand no Longer Just an Add-on PRESIDENT, SEED WORLD sbrook@seedworldgroup.comseedworldgroup.comAS WE CONTINUEto progresstunity in our industry in 75 years. within the agriculture industry, weveSea Beyond aims to address the noticed there remains a misconcep- challenges faced by the agricultural tion that performance and sustain- industry such as climate change. We ability are mutually exclusive. Thatdo this by developing technological eco-friendly products cannot deliversolutions that respond to the needs ofFinding Your Teams the crop performance growers need.agricultural production systems. The At Acadian Plant Health, were chal- vision of Sea Beyond is to go beyondSpark Againlenging this conventional thinkingthe traditional limits of the agricultural and doing so with proven scienceindustry and bring innovative solu-from the past 40 yearsbiostimu- tions that can help farmers cope withITS A COMMONdiscussion being had in lants can deliver stronger results in athe impacts of climate change onmanagement teams universallysales are soft. sustainable and regenerative manner. crop productivity. So why are sales teams underperforming? Some Acadian Plant Healths recentlyAcadian Plant Health is known formight attribute it to the effects of the pandemic or announced Sea Beyond rebrandingits sustainable biostimulant productsmaybe its just complacency thats happened over is a nod to this vision of reconcilingthat are made from seaweed extracts.time. Regardless of the why, we can all agree we the trade-off between performanceAt Acadian, were creating meaning- want to activate our teams again for success. and sustainability. With collaborationful value for multinationals, formula- Activating your sales team involves ener-and innovation, we believe we cantors, distributors and farmers. Weregizing and mobilizing them to take action and continue to develop solutions thatdoing that by providing tools that canachieve their goals. To do this though, we need meet the growing demand for foodsit alongside and complement exist- to empower them to engage and help remove while also preserving our planetsing technologies. some of the real or perceived roadblocks in the natural resources. We aim to build on our existingprocess. Often this comes down to building clarity Our industry has a long historyposition in the global biostimulantand defining the sales processgiving your team of regarding biological crop protec- sector and develop innovative solu- a benchmark to track their activity and identify tion productsnaturally occurringtions that can manage abiotic stresswhere perhaps they are struggling to close sales.materials that optimize crop produc- factors like drought, heat, cold, salin- So, what are some of the characteristics of suc-tionwith suspicion. The agriculturality and nutrient deficiencies. cessful, activated sales teams? inputs industry needs to see beyondOur industry is faced with chal- 1. They know their goals and expectations: the current state of agriculture andlenges brought by unprecedentedDoes your team have a clear roadmap so that they offer sustainable solutions that pro- change happening the world over.understand the goals, targets, and budgets they vide high-value crop productivity.That means changing things on aneed to achieve?Biostimulants should no longer beglobal scale. Lets see beyond the2. They have defined metrics: What does suc-viewed as a peripheral add-on but asconventional and work together tocess look like for your sales teamare there clear an essential component of sustain- advance sustainability, for the benefitleading and lagging metrics?able agriculture. of plant and planet. 3. They are well equipped: If you asked your To turn this vision into reality weteam do they feel they have the tools, technology, need deep and lasting changes to ourand resources they need to perform their jobs global food and agriculture systemseffectively? This includes your CRM, sales materials to unleash the most important oppor- and presentations, training, and understanding the marketing plans that support the process.4. They feel supported and connected: Do you encourage collaboration among team members so they can share advice and best practices? Are JAMES MAUDEthere regularly scheduled management check-ins SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT PORTFOLIOto discuss progress, identify areas for improve-DEVELOPMENT, ACADIAN PLANT HEALTH ment, and provide guidance? jmaude@acadian.ca Remember, activating your sales team is an acadianplanthealth.com ongoing process. It takes work to keep the spark@AcadianPlant alive.36/ SEEDWORLD.COMJUNE 2023'