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What Rural Lifestylers Want From You!

This 'tale of two customers' reveals the drawbacks of cookie-cutter sales approaches, since no two rural lifestyle buyers walking through your front door may ever be alike.

By Mike Lessiter, Editor/Publisher and Ron Ross, Contributing Editor

When any two rural lifestyle customers arrive at your dealership, it's very possible that the only similarities they share are the front door they entered through. Recognizing this, say the dealers enjoying success in this segment of the equipment market, is an important step. While production farmer customers allow a certain profile of experience, knowledge and resources on which to design a sale approach, each rural lifestyle customer may represent an entirely different set of circumstances than the one you just dealt with.

Because of this, there's no cookie-cutter approach for the rural lifestyle customer, no magic bullet for succeeding with this segment. Instead, successful dealers hone up on welcoming them in, making them feel comfortable enough to talk and then truly listening to what they really need — not necessarily what they came in to look at.

"I'd caution any retailer dealing with folks like us to not take anything for granted," says George Dearborn, a Florida rural lifestyler profiled in the pages that follow. "Show a real interest in our goals. Some rural lifestylers are in it just for fun and want to buy everything on the lot. But it'll be a mistake to assume we all have the same long-term objectives."

This article, featuring our interviews with two rural lifestylers, illustrates just how wide the rural lifestyle spectrum can be. Despite very different ideas of what constitutes their unique rural lifestyle dreams, these buyers do share three common denominators when it comes to their expectations for dealers:

1. Make them feel welcome and not like second-class citizens to your traditional ag customers.

2. Don't oversell them with things they don't need.

3. Back them up with good customer service — defined by their own expectations, and not anyone else's.

Business Executive Seeks 'Deafening' Silence on 75 Mountain Acres

Meet the Rural Lifestylers: Bob Garner

Occupation: President of G.E. Forge & Tool, a manufacturer and marketer of hand tools for professional farriers (horseshoers).

Property: 75 acres (5 which are usable land) in the Cuesta Grade Mountain range of central California, 7 miles from the Pacific. Home built in 2003 is 4,000 square feet and valued at $3 million.

Equipment: Kubota L35 tractor with Kubota backhoe and loader, Gannon box scraper with top tilt and rippers, Chinese-made posthole digger; Gearmore Rototiller, Gearmore 60-inch rotary cutter and Kubota Rough Terrain Vehicle (RTV).

Animals: Two horses "mostly for lawn art" (three cutters and reiners are boarded offsite for competition), two dogs, four cats and eight chickens.

Small business owner Bob Garner found a piece of property that was literally worth moving over the mountain for. He had heard that a cattle ranching family's estate plan included the sale of 600 range acres. Catching wind of the sale, Garner walked away with a 75 acre-homestead, which included a 1,500-foot peak on which you can see the Pacific Ocean 7 miles away.

Other than the fact that his wife, Deb, rode horses as a youngster, the couple was getting its first touch of rural life with the purchase.

Initially, the family used the property for camping on weekends. "It was still basically an open cattle range," he said.

"We learned that the first order of business was fencing off the property, otherwise the cattle left their calling cards all over the place. Neighbors who didn't do the fencing early learned the lesson the hard way. When they came up on the weekends to check on their home construction, they saw cattle in their newly framed-up living rooms."

Assembling an Equipment Lineup

Before Garner could build his 4,000-square-foot home (that would eventually go up in 2003), he had plenty of work to do for land maintenance and landscaping. Having owned a 16-hp Kubota garden tractor in the suburbs, he soon decided on a 29-hp Kubota L35 tractor — packaged together with a backhoe and loader — and chased that purchase with a box scraper, post-hole digger and roto-tiller over the next 2 years.

In 2006, he purchased a rotary cutter to better clear the chaparral on the property, and last year, purchased a Kubota RTV with hydraulic dump capability. It is truly a utility vehicle on Garner's land, who called it the best wheelbarrow he's ever seen. "It's great for handling horse manure, landscaping, moving rocks, fixing the fencing and general farm maintenance," he says. It's also a recreational vehicle, as he and his wife often make the 10-minute drive from their house (at 600-foot elevation) to the 1,500-foot peak to share a sunset overlooking the sea 7 miles away.

While the ability for a quiet retreat drew the couple to the land ("the silence is deafening out there," he says), he's found great delight in working the land, too. "It's very satisfying," he says. He cites grading his dirt roads and using the backhoe to dig trenches for plumbing, electric lines and septic tanks as his most enjoyable tasks. Plus, with his history of making tools (he owns a tool-making operation in Grover Beach, Calif.), he gets to exercise his mechanical abilities in a new way. "Working out there is therapeutic, almost recreational at times," he adds.

When asked about his equipment purchases, Garner says he's spent more than he cares to know, but has no regrets — they're all purchases that add to his enjoyment of his investment in the property. With 100% of his neighbors also living the rural lifestyle, there's also a fair amount of equipment swapping, which allows him to test and use other types of equipment, like the flail mower he regularly borrows in exchange for his rotary cutter and roto-tiller.

While his neighbors' collection of implements varies, all bought a tractor as one of their first purchases. "We could host a tractor parade right up on the mountain," he says.

New Dealer 'Dealings'

When Garner moved over the mountain, he figured he'd find another dealer that was closer and more convenient that C&N Tractors (see article on p. 21), at which be previously bought his garden tractor. What he soon found, however, was that not all dealers were created equal. After a couple interactions with the new dealer he decided traversing the mountain was indeed worth the effort.

When asked about his experience at the new dealer, Garner says, "They made me feel invisible. I went in there just looking for parts, as I could do most of the service myself. So I stand there at the counter, people working all around me without any acknowledgement. All of a sudden, a big ag customer comes up and the dealer people stop, say hello, joke with him and say they'll be right with him."

Despite the poor customer service, he still brought in his tractor for service when the clutch failed. When he came to pick it up, he had to wait as the techs had trouble starting the engine before loading it onto his trailer. When he got the tractor home and looked things over in daylight, he saw that they put the low-strength bolts in the wrong place and washers were even spinning. "I took care of it myself, and then called the store to let them know about the problems.

"They apologized and assured me that I was an important customer to them. But looking back, all they did was glad-hand me, and didn't even fix the list of things they said they would."

Back to Stay

Garner talked with his neighbors and found they had similar experiences with the local dealers, who seemed more interested in the bigger, production ag customers. So, he returned to C&N Tractors. "Now, I'll drive 45 minutes over the mountain to do business with C&N," he says.

While Garner does a lot of product research on the internet, he puts great stock in the trusted relationship he has with C&N. "A few years ago, I planned to buy a flail mower. But once the guys at C&N took the time to understand what I needed to do — clear chaparral and sage on my hilly ground — they recommended a rotary cutter instead. They told me I can back into brush with the rotary cutter easier and knock down stuff that I wouldn't be able to with a flail mower."

And because C&N has taken the time to know not only Garner's land, but Garner himself, he's avoided some poor decisions. "I wanted to buy the plastic toolbox accessory for my RTV," explains Garner. "The salesman, who knew me, refused to sell it because he said he knew I'd overload it with all my tools and end up busting it. He told me to weld something up myself, which I did. I appreciated his advice, and he took some money out of his pocket by being honest with me."

And while he enjoys servicing his own equipment, C&N techs are there when he needs them. "When I need them to come out, they schedule it with other visits in the area and take care of the RTV and tractor at the same time." While Garner can't even recall what he's paying for their onsite service, he adds that "whatever it is, it's a good value."

And, he's not done with his purchases yet. With all the road-grading and maintenance on his hilly property, he expects a small bulldozer to be his next purchase.

Garner's Advice for Dealers

Bob Garner is different from most rural lifestylers in that he is capable of, and enjoys doing, his own equipment service. But when he looks at the biggest opportunity dealers have in the rural lifestyle segment, he's convinced that it's those who concentrate on service that will win.

He estimates that at least half of his neighbors (which include among other professionals, an Oscar-nominated film editor) are not mechanically inclined. They have the equipment and the income, he says, but little time to turn wrenches on their own equipment, even if they know how.

"One of the things C&N does well is sending a service reminder post card and then following it up with a phone call," says Garner, who notes that his equipment can sit for weeks without any use before seeing full-day use for a weekend. "I appreciated the contact, as I'm usually not even thinking it might be due. They told me to how to check the hour meter and helped me figure out when the tractor and RTV really needs to be serviced."

Second, he says demos are important to most rural lifestylers, particularly when the user is unfamiliar with the new equipment, such as he was with the backhoe. "I took the backhoe as part of the package just because I knew I was getting a great deal," he says, admitting he wasn't sure what he'd end up doing with it. "I just spent a bunch of hours digging holes until I figured it out. Now I'd never want to be without it."

Refurbishing Old Country House Step 1 in this Work-in-Progress Dream

Meet the Rural Lifestylers: George and Beverly Dearborn

Occupation: George: retired public accountant and corporate chief financial officer; Beverly: certified public accountant.

Property: 15 acres in rural Marion County, Fla.; also maintain primary residence in Cape Coral, Fla.

Year Purchased: 2004.

Equipment: Montana 57-hp tractor, Howse 10-foot mower, Howse 6-foot disk; Howse 6-foot box blade, Howse post-hole auger, and Montana 6-foot Rototiller.

Animals: Husky dog, Sophie.

When Rural Lifestyle Dealer interviewed George Dearborn, he had just finished installing new electrical wiring in a refurbished house on a 15-acre hideaway property he and his wife Beverly bought 4 years ago northeast of Ocala, Fla.

"Fortunately, I was born with the ability to read something in a book and at the same time visualize it," says the retired financial manager. "It's allowed me to do things inside the house and on the acreage I never dreamed of."

Parked nearby, outside Dearborn's "this old house" three-bedroom, three-bath project is a 57-hp Montana tractor and a lineup of small implements he and his wife purchased to "work their spread." Still a work-in-progress, they hope to turn the property into a profit-making enterprise one day, but one that won't interfere with their flexible lifestyle. "We primarily think of this property as a source of rejuvenation," says Dearborn. "It doesn't need to make us a living."

When they first bought the parcel, they planned to tear down the 2,000-square-foot house and rebuild. But after stripping off the cosmetic siding, tile and plaster, they discovered termite-free studs, rafters and hardwood floors. "Here was easily $40,000 to $50,000 worth of impossible-to-find lumber, and we decided we couldn't just throw it away," says Dearborn. "I'd often thought it would be a great experience to bring an old house back to life and so that's been my goal for nearly 2 years."

Classic Boomer Behavior

Dearborn is among a fast-growing number of "boomer" rural lifestylers who love to take on new challenges as they opt out of good-paying executive-level jobs that earned them the right — and the financial security — to exit their fast-paced professional lives and try something new. In 2004, Dearborn retired from his CFO position at age 55. Previously, he served 20 years as deputy tax collector for Lee County, Fla.

While still serving as board chairman at Camelot Community Care, a nonprofit child welfare and behavioral health organization, he plans to relinquish the role this year and move into "official" retirement. Beverly, meanwhile, plans to continue as a certified public accountant for Lee County. The couple maintains a primary residence in the coastal city of Cape Coral, planning to frequently "commute" up I-75 to enjoy their Marion County property.

"We've grown weary of the growing population, horrible traffic and a weather pattern of 'hot and hotter' in South Florida," Dearborn explains. "We love this area around Marion County. It maintains a slower-pace, has a rural flavor — the horse farms are drop-dead gorgeous — and land is still relatively affordable. We also enjoy a change of seasons, with much cooler winter and spring temperatures than down south. It's ideal for escape."

What to Grow?

With both Dearborns having "accountant mentalities," they'd like to see their land investment pay off — but with certain caveats. Most important is a product that can be easily grown and harvested without high daily maintenance or lots of hired labor. So far they've tried watermelons, pumpkins, cantaloupe and sweet corn, with plans to experiment with different crops and varieties for the next 5 years.

They couldn't believe how well watermelons grew on their loamy sand soils, compared to the marginal melons they got in their Cape Coral garden. "We wound up with over 5,000 melons last year with no real market," Dearborn recalls. "We had fun though. We gave a lot of them to Busch Gardens and Silver Springs theme parks to feed to wildlife. Elephants love melons."

This year, they'll expand the sweet corn acreage. Down the road, after they've gained more experience and determined their crop choices, they hope to develop contracts with local distributors for whichever crops they decide to pursue.

Choosing a Dealer

The Dearborns also applied that "accountant mentality" to selecting an equipment dealer. They approached their tractor and implement purchases like they would any good business decision, not with an attitude of "let's go buy some new toys."

Dearborn says they basically interviewed every tractor retailer in Marion County, explaining what they were planning. They weren't sure what they'd be growing or how much actual field work they'd do, and needed professional input.

"We were looking for cost-effectiveness, but it wasn't all about money. Attitude played a big part in our decision. We avoided dealers who sold too hard — some seemed to be mentally adding up the dollars on a big sale of shiny new machines," Dearborn explains.

They finally settled on Duggan Bros., Ocala, for three reasons.

John Duggan, Jr., the owner, and his staff seemed to be on the same wavelength as the Dearborns, giving them his full personal attention. "John seemed more interested in what we were doing and wanted than what he might think we needed. He didn't oversell. For example, other dealers tried to convince us we needed a front-end loader, four-wheel drive, an air-conditioned cab and a trailer. John suggested we take it slow, and that we could always add those things later."

Their first purchases included the 57-hp 2WD tractor, a 6-foot disk and 5-foot box blade.

Second, they compared prices and quality and were convinced Duggan's price on the tractor they were eyeing offered a lot for the money. "We got a tractor in the horsepower range we wanted for $10,000 less than other similar-sized tractor brands we'd checked out," he explains.

Third, Duggan Bros. makes a policy of prompt delivery of new equipment and pickup when repairs are needed. Repairs are done quickly and professionally. When a buried stump recently tore up Dearborn's disk, a Duggan Bros. truck picked it up and the shop had it back in working condition within a couple days.

"With that kind of service, there's no reason for us to invest in a trailer. Other dealers said if a piece of equipment needed repairs, we'd have to bring it to them," he recalls.

On the other hand, when, over the years, they decided they needed a bigger box blade, a 10-foot mower, a post-hole auger and a roto-tiller, they didn't hesitate to buy from Duggan Bros. And this year, the Dearborns are evaluating their option to trade in their 3-year old tractor for a bigger, 4-WD, 75-hp model — complete with a cab and air conditioning.

With their property still in its early stages, they may well add the front-end loader, trailer and other implements as their dream of rural life comes together.

Duggan Bros. Shares its Approach to Rural Lifestylers

John Duggan, Jr., 29-year old entrepreneur and owner of Duggan Bros., is proud of the way his business stands out along U.S. Highway 441 north of Ocala, Fla. Gleaming green and red tractors and assorted implements are lined up in perfect order. But it's not just ego and pride of ownership. He knows the attractive, eye-catching appearance of his dealership is the first major step to bringing rural lifestylers inside and consummating sales.

Duggan has been in business only since 2001 and only 2 years at the current location. In that time, he has consistently been the top-selling dealer of Montana tractors in a four-state region, finishing second and third for world sales in two of those years. The company also sells McCormick, TYM and Zetor tractors, Exmark and Dixon mowers, and a complete line of Stihl handheld tools.

What's behind the dealership's fast and record-setting growth? Duggan shares a few marketing tips:

Clean & Neat. "I'm fanatic about cleanliness — and it doesn't cost anything. When we built our new facility, we designed it to feel warm and comfortable. Our showroom has hardwood floors, and nice color schemes to match the equipment displays. Clean-and-neat carries over to our personal appearance, too. You won't find any dirty overalls, greasy hands, cigarette odors or old pistons made into ashtrays."

Full Inventory. "We try to keep at least one of every model tractor that Montana makes on the lot. Rural lifestylers have been trained by big box stores to believe they don't need to wait, and we're very aware of that mentality. You can't ship a tractor overnight. If you don't have the size they want, they'll buy from the dealer who does have it. Most of them are not brand-conscious. For the same reason, we display every available size of Exmark mowers in our showroom."

Service & Delivery. "You often hear 'it's all about service,' but that's only part of the story. We provide free delivery of all tractors and equipment, and pick up any machine needing repair that can't be fixed on-site. We promise fast service and follow-through. We maintain a fleet of clean, late-model delivery trucks carrying the Duggan logos, which is also good advertising."

Shift it Around. "We try to move equipment around on the lot once a week. If potential buyers see the same thing every time they drive by, soon they won't bother to look, or think we're going out of business. But if there is something new to see, they might pull in."

Be Gender Sensitive. "I've read that 80% of the country's money is controlled by women. It's another reason to have a clean, warm, selling atmosphere. When we discuss equipment with a couple, we make an effort to talk to both parties." Located in the heart of horse country, Duggan says his customer base includes a lot of single female rural lifestylers.

Know Financing. "Many of our sales are cash. But nothing makes you look like a small dealer quicker than not being able to explain financing options if they're considering a loan. We work with one lender and can tell the buyer immediately how much credit will add to overall cost."

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