Focusing on FAMs: How Farm Account Managers Can Help Your Farm Succeed
In this episode of the Direct Farm Podcast, we chat with Richard, a member of our Barn2Door Farm Account Manager team. We discuss the importance of Farm Account Managers (FAMs) and how they work closely with Farmers to increase their sales, access more customers, and save time.
www.barn2door.com/resources
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Garrett Arnold - B2D: Welcome to the Direct Farm Podcast. I'm Garrett, your host for today's episode. We've got a great conversation for you today with one of our Barn2Door Farm Account Managers, Richard Weisberg. Welcome Richard.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Hey Garrett.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: So tell me about your role at Barn2Door and how you work with farmers.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Well, as an Account Manager, our role is primarily to fill any product gaps. You know, making sure that the account and the farm is comfortable using the Barn2Door system, but a real bread and butter, is helping with online marketing, primarily social media marketing, and of course getting the most out of emails.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: And what does that look like from a day to day basis?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: [00:01:00] Oh, it's just it's a lot of great meetings. We connect with several farms we're working. Throughout the day. A lot of times it's back to back. So it's pretty nonstop, especially certain seasons when we can actually get on the calendar with some farmers, for sure.
But it's a lot of fun.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah, what kind of farms do you end up working with?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Ooh, what farms do I not work with? I work with a lot of producers. As you know, they could be as short seasonal flower operations to year round protein operations, fiber farms, I work with seafood producers and fishermen and women. Everything under the sun.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah, awesome. So a really big variety there. Is there something that you see more common than others?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah, absolutely. I'd say the most common would be protein producers and produce, you know, a lot of great varieties. Those are huge umbrellas as is. I work with lots of beef producers and CSAs, large scale CSAs quite often as well, but it's always fun getting these niche producers as well and raising market awareness for things like lamb or fresh salmon or even certain types of fibers and mushrooms and [00:02:00] whatnot.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah that's awesome. Why do you think it's so important to have Farm Account Managers when farmers are using Barn2Door?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Wow. I'm a little biased, of course, but really most agricultural folks they don't raise their crops. They don't you know, raise their produce and products with the intention of then spending their time on marketing or spending time on social media or making sure they're sending out emails in an appropriate and best practice way.
And so you may have heard the adage, you know, "do what you do best hire the rest." We're the rest. We come in we help communicate best practices and help develop habits, so these farms can take control of their businesses and the markets they reach out to.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah, cuz as we know farmers are just so busy. A big pull with Barn2Door is that we do a lot of that heavy lifting on the technical side and getting the website set up and everything for them. And so having those Account Managers is really great because you guys, again, are assisting them in a process that might be a headache if they were doing it solo, right?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. That's our [00:03:00] big goal really is to help save them time and make sure that, you know, what little time they do have left to market is used effectively.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: And it's gotta help with the experience to have somebody to help them step by step, you know, to have that voice, to have that name, somebody that they can connect to as they're going through this process. You know, how important do you think it is to be able to be that person?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: I think it's huge. You know, to have a relationship with someone who understands your business is not something that's common for any small business owner looking to expand or scale or really grow in a tenable way. You know, we really try to be the point of contact that they know us on first names.
They can reach out to us whenever and any time of day. We try to provide as much time as we can to help these farms and really, so they get the most for their time.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: so we have different types of managers here at Barn2Door, we have our Farm Account Managers, which we call our FAMs and then our Farm Onboarding Managers, we call our FOMs. And so obviously you are the FAM side of things, [00:04:00] but how does that differentiate from the FOMs, the Onboarding Managers?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Oh, great question. Our FOMs, the Onboarding Managers, are essential to the setup and understanding of the direction of the business. Coming into barn to door. I'm extremely grateful we have a huge awesome crew of people that are onboarding these farms. So they usually handle the incoming here.
They get a good understanding of the direction that the business wants to go and what their priorities are. Help get everything set up and establish, move forward with the website process, and make sure that the farmer has a solid understanding of using their account. Once the ball is passed to my court here, we can really expand on what the Onboarding Managers have pretty much laid out and worked with on the farmers and we can focus more on marketing and driving sales and growing the customer base.
I am extremely grateful that we have a FOM team to help take that burden off of the farmer's plates as well as our plates. So we can focus on, in what I believe is a little more fun, but it's a two person team and yeah, we're fortunate to have the onboarding team for sure.[00:05:00]
Garrett Arnold - B2D: That's awesome, and when you're dealing with farmers and the different accounts that you work with, do you stay with those accounts for as long as they need your service?
Does that ever get handed off to a different Account Manager? Cause I'd imagine there's a lot to do with again, the face and the voice. You know, someone that you're comfortable with working with your website, right?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah, absolutely and that's a terrific question. If the farm comes on board and they have a subscription that comes with an Account Manager, usually we try to stick with that account and that Farm Account Manager for as long as they're with Barn2Door.
We try not to rock the boat too much, but as our team grows, you know, the territories and the states that were allocated will change. And so there is always some flexibility that happens, but we try to keep that to a minimum. Sometimes we have to make one off changes. I recently had to forfeit one of my accounts, who I really quite enjoyed working with.
But they have an international team member who's helping them manage their marketing and with time zone differences, it just made more sense for them to go to our Nashville office. So I am keeping an eye on 'em cuz I really want them to [00:06:00] succeed as well. But sometimes there is a switch of Account Manager if it just makes sense for time zones and accommodating the needs of the farmer.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Do you ever keep in touch with those farms after they leave? They know your name and they've heard, they've been talking to you plenty of times. I'm sure you formed a connection with them, right?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Absolutely. You know, I'll be looped into a lot of newsletters and marketing efforts anyway and it's always nice staying up to date and seeing how these farms are doing and these businesses are doing. You know, it's not uncommon occasionally we'll place an order here or there, if we really believe in their product and we're excited about it and importantly, they serve our area.
That's usually a big limiting factor for us. So occasionally, you know, we'll stay in touch as much as we can. I usually keep an eye on things. We have a pretty good record of what's going on, so...
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah, that's great. That's really great to hear. Let's move on more into the details of Farm account managing. What are some of the ways that your team is able to manage the farmer's accounts?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Oh, wow. Well, first and foremost we kind of have a structure, but it, we try to accommodate where the farmer is at and how comfortable they are using technology. But [00:07:00] the first things we do are things like marketing audits. It's usually best to be able to build off of the success that the farm's already having, where they're already engaging with their communities and their customers.
And so, social media is a huge one, lots of farms come to us with some experience with social media. And so how can we help bring their efforts to the next level and make sure they're spending their time well? The next one, we look at email collection strategies, growing an email base and the importance of email marketing. Hands down the most effective form of marketing online that there is.
So our support comes into talking about best practices, sharing what other of our most successful farms are doing and how we can help lean into what we know is working in their area. So they can start seeing the results they want, whether they're looking to grow their customer base, increase their sales or some farms just come to us, looking to save time and how we can get the most out of those systems there.
After we go through the foundations of marketing, we continue to look for ways to help streamline their business. If they're looking to scale or grow or break into different markets or different geographic [00:08:00] areas, how can we help 'em make that step.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: That's awesome. I mean that's, It is the complete package, right?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Oh yeah. We try to be, we try to be. It's a lot of fun.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: It takes a lot of burden off of their shoulders, I think.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: That's the hope. And so I, I have some farms that, I love 'em and they always get worried that they're harassing me or asking me too many questions, but it's job security.
So keep asking us questions.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Do farmers have complete control over their account? Do they choose how much assistance they want when developing or, you know, what are the different ways that they can help?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah, you know, there's a lot of flexibility and a lot of control that the farmer has, especially on the pace at which they're going, what they're comfortable with.
You know, we will push a little bit. You know, if I'm told that your goal is to expand your sales, I'm going to do my best to make sure that you know how to do that in a reasonable amount of time and in, in the most time efficient ways. Sometimes, you know, if the objective is to grow sales, but maybe there's a smaller customer list, our goal is to identify and drill into areas that they can see the results they want, [00:09:00] you know, in an effective way. And so sometimes though they want to increase sales, maybe the focus needs to be growing a customer list so they can increase their sales.
And so there is a lot of flexibility that the farm has. We may try to push them in one direction or another based on what we see is working. But ultimately, it's the farmer's business and we're here to support them.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: I like that there is that level of customizability that varies from, you know, farm to farm. And it's nice that you guys are able to adapt to be able to meet their needs in the way that they need it.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah, well you know, especially with agriculture in the industry, you can't put every farm into certain boxes and certain categories. Every business is gonna be at a different level. Everyone's gonna have different goals and our goal is to identify that and help 'em move forward.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: So what kind of tools or resources do you guys have that you're able to give to farmers so that, you know, if they wanna do things by themselves, or there's a situation where they can't reach you, what are some things that they could use?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Awesome question. I bring this up to my accounts probably too [00:10:00] much, and a lot of farmers might be tired of me saying it, but the learn centers are a go-to resource.
It's great library full of how-to videos, tutorials on not only how to use the web store with your Barn2Door account, but also marketing best practices, what we see working, where we even highlight farms that are doing really well and share their success so other interested farms can learn from that.
We also have excellent programs like the Barn2Door Connect. Great program to, you know, hear it from someone other than me. Sometimes you gotta hear it from another farmer and we get that, we understand that. So the Barn2Door Connect is a great opportunity. Same with the Barn2Door Academy, our most robust, ongoing training system there.
But man, I mean, even with the Direct Farm Conference, we have lots and lots of resources available. Even the tools we use with whether it's becoming more familiar with social media and the business suite, MailChimp and getting the most outta that platform, we have quite the arsenal to help farms.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: So when a farm is brand new to the service and they are passed along [00:11:00] from the FOM, the Onboarding Manager to you guys, how much of a difference does it make in the farmer, the location or the type of farm?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Oh, wow. I mean, there's always gonna be differences and especially when it comes to strategies and the tactics that you employ. But there's probably more similarities than you might imagine. You know, we have some farms that are nestled right up to Metropolitan areas that are doing very well. The market's right there. But we similarly have farms out, you know, in the boonies, you could say, that are performing just as well, if not better than some of these farmers in, you know, what you might consider more advantageous geographic area.
So the strategies to grow an online community and an online customer base are largely the same. You know, that's the wonderful thing about being online is while we could be separated geographically, it's an area where we can all accumulate and create a community. And so the strategies of growing a brand and brand awareness and brand familiarity are all gonna be very [00:12:00] similar.
The fulfillment methods might change, you know, whereas one farm could do a weekly delivery route in a suburb, another farm might have to only make it once a month in order to make their long drive worth it. But the service that they're providing is nearly identical.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: So we've talked about how Farm Account Managers are able to assist farmers to customize their experience, to be able to work with them as they're developing their online business, but indirectly or directly, does this also help the customers who are purchasing things from these farmers?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Awesome question. I would say directly, more than anything, helps the customers with their purchase. You know, with the access and with the ability to work with thousands of farms across the country, we've been able to pick up a lot of buyer trends and how people are purchasing their food.
I hate to sound like a fear monger, but you know, there is a real sense of scarcity out there today. You know, buyers are going to the grocery stores and other supermarkets and they're seeing empty shelves, and so [00:13:00] by understanding how customers are shopping from farms across the country, mainly bundles, especially subscriptions, we've identified that, that's peace of mind for these customers and by knowing how buyers are buying, we can share those best practices with our farms.
So our farms are more likely to hit the nail in the head and hit the mark and meet buyer expectations wherever they are in the country.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah. That's fantastic. What are some of the best practices do you think that farmers can implement when maintaining their account? So apart from getting direct assistance from you and using all the different tools and resources at their disposal, are there any kind of like general practice things that you think would benefit them?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah, absolutely. You know, even if you have loyal repeat customers and you've been in the game for a long time, thank you to the advent of the Internet and in particular, social media, the attention span of your average buyer is slim to none nowadays. There will always have to be an element of marketing.
And so [00:14:00] I would say best practice is, even in the off season, keep your farm and your business top of mind. As simple as a "happy holidays", even if you don't have anything to sell. You wanna make sure that your customers are having that relationship with you year round and there's a lot of great ways to do that.
I'm a big advocate, naturally, of email marketing, even a simple social media post. But you want to avoid any possibility that your buyers, with their limited attention span, look elsewhere.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: That's great. That's really good to hear. So are there any farms that you've worked with that come to mind, maybe someone who wasn't doing so well online who already had that presence when they came to Barn2Door and they got that Account Manager, were they able to turn things around and boost sales or maybe save time in places where, maybe they weren't being as efficient?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Absolutely. A farm that immediately comes to mind is great guy, great farmer out of the Pennsylvania area. I've enjoyed working with him quite a bit, but he has awesome product and he stands by his product. But there was, I guess not a solid [00:15:00] understanding or at least awareness of what was out there and how to get his products out.
And so there was a lot of social media posts that were getting some traction here and there. Craigslist, occasional traction, but very infrequent repeat and loyal, you know, buyers. When he got onto Barn2Door, we got him onboarded thanks to the onboarding team. And one of the first things he was interested in was how he could start growing his loyal customer base and not have to rely on constantly marketing these no guaranteed result platforms. And so, we ended up setting up subscriptions and shares for his produce and he thankfully stepped away from Craigslist and got some folks subscribed and really started creating a recurring revenue, which was the first time he was able to see that on a consistent basis for his farm.
And so, you know, it was a small amount at first, but even getting five shares out the door on a regular basis and having a regular cash flow, it gave him peace of mind. And eventually as he continues to expand, it can really give him a financial peace of [00:16:00] mind and you know, take a lot of question of who's gonna sell this product and if he's gonna be able to sell it. So he's, I'm excited to watch him continue to grow.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Yeah, that's fantastic. I love that and that's gotta be satisfying for you as well to be able to help them in those ways. Cuz, obviously you're helping someone with their business, which is, for most farmers, their livelihood and their lives so it's just gotta be a great feeling, right?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Absolutely. One of my favorite things is on usually the first call that I have with a farm, I love going over their goals and their priorities, you know, and it's very common for the farmer to tell me that their goal is to step away from their full-time gig off farm, cuz they wanna pursue their passion.
They wanna do what they love and they wanna be on the farm full-time. Now It's a long slog, you got a potentially large income you have to replace on a recurring basis. But even if, you know, if it's a couple, if one of the spouses or if one of the partners is able to step away from their off-farm job to work on the farm full-time, that can change the dynamic of their [00:17:00] family.
They can spend more time on the farm with their animals, with their passion projects, with their kids, in some cases. In some of my farms that I worked with, even affording them enough time to have at least one meal with their family a week was a life changer for them. And so it's these small little wins that help me get out of bed every morning.
I don't know, I love it. It's a ton of fun.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: So since you've started here at Barn2Door, how have you seen the team grow and evolve and how has the company grown to better accommodate farmers?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah oh, that's a terrific question. So I've been with Barn2Door for well over a year and a half now and as any startup, it changes fast. It's one of the nice things about working here, I think is we always have to learn and we always have to adapt and grow with the environment that we are in.
And so the FAM team, of course, no exception. You know, our team has grown, it's become more streamlined, you know, we've had different priorities as time goes on. But the big direction that we're moving now, and what I think is the most exciting as well is, we [00:18:00] are making sure that we're getting ahead of farmers and their schedules. As seasonal as it is, we wanna make sure that we're extending the buying season. That if you're a protein producer, you're able to sell all of your product before you even go to the processor. And hopefully the deposits you take in can help cover processing fees, for example. If you are a produce operation, hopefully you can sell some of your produce in shares and CSAs, even before you start to harvest to take off some of that burden and the hyper seasonality of your income.
We're always looking for ways to be better and be more proactive rather than reactive. We are good at putting out fires, but we wanna prevent the fires from happening in the first place. So, that's definitely the direction we're going at and we are creating more content and you may have seen in some of the newsletters as well, where we're trying to get ahead of, and be a little more aggressive with our marketing in order to help farms sell out.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: So what are you most looking forward to for the future of Barn2Door, as we continue to grow, as we continue to serve farmers, what are you looking forward to the most?
Richard Weisberg - B2D: [00:19:00] Ooh, wow. That's a good question. I mean, my default answer is more farms coming on board.
I am looking forward to the time where we have a large enough FAM team where we can cover the whole country. No one gets left behind the cracks and you know, the there's so many farms coming on board now, like we're doing a great job keeping up to date and we're staying on our toes for sure.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: There's so much time to spend out there.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Yeah, that's right.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: And the sky's the limit for us, I think.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Bingo. Exactly.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: Well, Richard, I really appreciate you talking with me today. There's definitely a lot to learn. Definitely a lot that Account Managers can do to help farmers with their business. And I think that [00:20:00] being able to use all of these resources that are given to them, can really help...
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Absolutely.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: ...in the long run.
Richard Weisberg - B2D: Absolutely. Reach out to your Account Manager, we're here for you. We're having fun.
Garrett Arnold - B2D: I want to extend my thanks to Richard for joining us on this week's podcast episode. Here at Barn2Door, we're humbled to support thousands of farms across the country who implement sustainable agricultural practices and support their local communities.
To learn more about Barn2Door, including access to numerous free resources and best practices for your farm, go to www.barn2door.com/resources. Thank you for tuning in and we'll see you next week.
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