AGRICULTURAL machinery dealerships across Western Australia are seeking sales representatives to further build on last year's strong machinery and equipment sector results.
There is an unusually high number of job vacancies, with particular demand for new machinery and equipment sales people, spare parts sales people and parts interpreters, both in regional WA and at Perth-based operations.
With a record 21.3 million tonnes grains harvest delivered into CBH Group bins last season, agricultural machinery dealerships are anticipating a surge of enquiry from farmers who aim to minimise their tax bill while upgrading tractors, tillage, sowing, spraying and harvesting equipment - some of it for delivery next year.
According to the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia, more than 18,000 tractors were sold nationally last year, which was a 25 per cent increase on the previous year.
On the back of a record harvest, WA agricultural machinery dealers are hoping to maintain that level of sales or, if not in tractors, at least a commensurate uptick in associated agricultural equipment sales.
Dealerships have confirmed long lead times, a hangover from manufacturing and shipping shutdowns during the COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020-21, mean orders for many big-ticket agricultural machinery items will need to be placed through local dealers within the next three months to ensure timely delivery next year.
They are now seeking experienced sales staff to help convert as much as possible of the anticipated enquiry into actual orders placed and deposits paid.
Traditionally, because of the technical nature of the products they sell, many agricultural machinery and equipment sales people have come from a workshop background.
They generally trained on brand equipment as an apprentice, then as a qualified technician, many gradually transitioned across to sales - backed by the rapport and trust built with their customers from face-to-face contact during on-farm repairs and servicing.
But there has been a perennial shortage of agricultural technicians, contributing to an extent, to fewer making a switch to sales.
Major dealership chains like AFGRI Equipment, McIntosh & Son and Boekeman Machinery have implemented their own apprenticeship recruitment programs and formal technician training with a recognised qualification at the end of it, to address the technician shortage.
They aim to enrol regional year 12 students and train them as technicians, to ensure their dealerships are at least partially, if not wholly self-sufficient in a supply of properly trained technicians into the future.
But those programs do not help satisfy the current demand for salespeople.
AFGRI has further moved to address this with multi-year training courses for parts sales people and most recently, for new machinery and equipment sales people.
AFGRI group sales and marketing manager Jacques Coetzee said the training courses aimed to build the next generation of salespeople to ensure customers continue to get the most out of their equipment.
"The industry continues to transform with technology and the role of the sales person continues to evolve with it," Mr Coetzee said.
"It's all about providing the best advice and the best service.
"Sales people need to work with their customers to help them run their business by ensuring they are aware of the technological advances and the equipment options that best suit their operation."
Mr Coetzee encouraged potential applicants to visit their local machinery dealer's websites to view current vacancies available.
A scan of a national online employment site on Monday revealed 28 positions advertised in WA by agricultural machinery and equipment dealers.
Seven of them were agricultural machinery sales positions and four more were for sales support or sales administration positions.
An employment agency advertised for a group sales manager and a branch manager, offering a salary package of $180,000 a year, a car and assistance with relocating and accommodation.
Five more of the advertised positions were for agricultural parts sales people, parts interpreters or trainees in that specialised area.
Most of the advertised positions were in the "Northam and Wheatbelt" area, with others in Geraldton, Albany, Esperance and Perth.
Some have been advertised for up to a month.
Farm Machinery & Industry Association executive officer John Henchy said he had been unaware of the current level of demand for agricultural machinery sales people until contacted by Farm Weekly.
"I know the dealers are always on the lookout for technicians to recruit or train, so that's not unusual," Mr Henchy said.
"But I wasn't aware there were so many sales positions advertised.
"Normally sales staff are a relatively stable workforce.
"They tend not to move around too much - they become aligned to one colour (brand of machinery) and don't like to change because customers tend to take them to task if they do.
"They tend to get 'last month you told me one colour machine would best suit my needs, this month you're trying to tell me another colour machine would be better' - that sort of thing - if they change.
"It (machinery sales) can be a wonderful career.
"It is very interesting work with new technology coming through, challenging enough to keep it interesting and very fulfilling - you can become an integral member of the local community.
"Product availability is the really big issue for the industry at the moment and farmers are buying equipment for 2023 delivery right now.
"With that sort of lead time, the industry needs knowledgeable, experienced professional sales people to ensure customers get the best advice on the right models and options.
"If a machine is not properly specified for the job it's intended to do at the time of ordering, in some cases it can be too late once it lands here."
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