Training Creates Knowledge, Confidence, Solutions

Ian Henderson has a mantra: “Training creates knowledge. Knowledge creates confidence. Confidence creates solutions. Solutions resolve our customers’ challenges,” says the manager of training for Brandt Agriculture in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Henderson trains team members and customers on Brandt and John Deere agricultural equipment. Team members include Brandt parts and service professionals, sales professionals, Precision Ag Specialists, and optimization specialists. Once the team is comfortable with the equipment, they can train customers and address daily challenges. “I never want our staff to shrug and say, ‘I don’t know.’ I want them to have a general idea of everything customers do, so when a customer comes to the counter, they get a solution,” remarks Henderson.

In 2022, more than 2,000 team members and customers attended Brandt agricultural equipment training. “By increasing the knowledge of our team members, their engagement with our customers increases, and our customer satisfaction grows,” says Henderson. This year’s goal is to have a customer-specific event in each region—Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Central Alberta—to focus on sprayers, air seeders, and combines.

Training is based on the four phases of the John Deere farming cycle—prepare, plant or seed, crop nutrition and protection, and harvest—and focuses on the machinery needed for each. These include tractors, sprayers, high-speed discs, air seeders, and combines. Staff and customers are also trained on the equipment’s technology in the winter, so they’re up to speed and ready to go for spring.

“Training customers before their use cycle allows them to get a head start and helps them get through the cycle. If we do a great job of that, the customers will be more successful,” Henderson notes. “If the customer, Brandt, and John Deere are successful, that’s three wins. That’s the partnership.”

Why do we do training? “It builds confidence. If I can create more knowledge in our team, they’ll have more confidence to work with a customer when they have a problem and need a solution. And we’ll be able to do a better job of that solution,” Henderson concludes. “It’s about the company supporting the customer, so if I can help our team do a better job of supporting the customer, I’ve met my goal.”