Starting as a Shop Hand, moving up to a Turf Sales Representative and now an Agricultural Sales Representative, David is proof that you can start at the bottom, and with hard work and a passion for what you do, you can earn greater opportunities.
David is currently an Agricultural Sales Rep out of our Barrhead dealership, but his history with Martin Deerline started long ago when he joined the team as a high school work experience student. His role as shop hand was to assist the service technicians and keep the yard and shop clean – many hours were spent pushing the broom!
Upon graduation David was lured into the oil and gas industry looking to make money to invest back into a farm. And while it proved to be lucrative, once David had a young family and some land, the desire for a job that allowed him to be home every night brought him back to Martin Deerline.
He returned to the John Deere dealership in 2008 as a Turf Salesman, it was the perfect fit for his social personality! David spent the next 13 years excelling at selling lawn mowers, compact utility tractors and his favorite piece of turf equipment – the Gator. As he recalls, “I remember when they came out with the new 825i Gator in 2011 it really changed the side-by-side game. I sold 35 units in one year!”
In 2021, David was promoted to Agricultural Sales Rep, giving him a new challenge of selling the big equipment. “When I started here in high school the biggest piece of equipment was the 9600 combine. Over the years the machines have changed so much in size and technology, it has really changed the way of farming. It’s not just about the family farm anymore, farming is a business that is constantly evolving for greater efficiencies and productivity.”
Although there have been many changes in farming, one thing that has not changed over the years is the satisfaction David gets when he delivers a piece of equipment to his clients. Whether it’s a brand-new customer or a long-time client, David’s favorite part of the job is delivering a new unit out to their property and seeing the expression and excitement it brings to the new owner. “The ag sales are the most exciting as you typically work for a long time to make a deal!”
David has a knack for selling and likes the flexibility the agriculture sales role gives him to get out of the office, to connect with his clients in their element and on their farms. Being a salesperson means to learn more about your customers operations and hear about their specific needs and try to overcome their challenges. It is important to make sure salespeople are “on-call” at all hours of the day to keep their customers’ needs met, which is exactly how David operates. When asked what his biggest piece of advice to other employees would be, he said “Show the customer you care and understand that the customers success is what keeps us in business!”
At Martin Deerline, we hold ourselves to a higher standard of customer service, and thanks to employees such as David, we know our clients are in great hands. Thank you David for your many years of dedicated service!
*Disclaimer: Martin Deerline merged with Agland as of July 31, 2024, and is now known as Horizon Ag & Turf