A Day in The Life in Sales at RDO Equipment Co.: What to Know

Sales. The foundation of every business. Your company is in trouble if it can’t sell its product(s) or service(s).

That’s why working in sales is a rewarding profession. 

But not every sales job at every company is for every person (say that five times fast). 

In fact, how you’re compensated, what you’re expected to sell, what company you work for and who you work with, can all make or break your experience in sales.  

Here at RDO Equipment Co., our salespeople sell agriculture, construction, forestry and mining equipment, services and parts to businesses/consumers within our service areas (more than 80 locations across the U.S.). These are our Sales Professional and Account Manager positions.

As our company has grown, we’ve added more and more sales positions, creating nationwide opportunities for go-getters, like you, to succeed. 

As you consider one of our open sales jobs near you, it’s important to understand what working in this role would mean. While it’s an excellent job for many and you’ll probably love it, there are some challenges to be aware of before you apply. 

What a Salesperson Does at RDO

At RDO, we have a variety of sales positions including Sales Coordinator, Sales Professional, Account Manager, Rental Sales Professional and Product Specialist. This article focuses primarily on the positions of Account Manager and Sales Professional. 

As a salesperson at RDO, you’ll work within your assigned area to find and prospect leads, qualify, nurture relationships with them and sell them whole goods (pieces of equipment), services and parts. 

What Does a Typical Day Look Like as a Salesperson at RDO?

Any salesperson at RDO will tell you that a day in this job is kind of a mixed bag. No two days are exactly the same. Alongside a sales manager and support units like the New Equipment Ordering Department, salespeople own the sales process from start to finish. 

This includes doing activities associated with creating a sale, including: 

• Prospecting
• Cold outreach 
• Selling 
• Working with existing customers
• Learning new products
• Administrative work 

Prospecting

Prospecting starts every good outbound sales process. This can take many forms and will differ based on your preferences, skills and process. Prospecting aims to find potential customers with characteristics that indicate they’d be a good fit for our business: their needs align with our offerings, their location and infrastructure fit ours, their size matches other customers, etc.

Cold Outreach 

After you’ve found some prospective customers, you will begin reaching out to them. At RDO, our salespeople often email and call companies as a first touch point to learn more about their business and needs. It’s also common to visit business locations like job sites, farms and office buildings to build rapport. 

Selling

With a foot in the door with a prospective customer and some familiarity built, salespeople start aligning RDO’s offerings (whole machines, parts and services) with the customer's needs. This includes giving product demonstrations, answering questions, building deals to present quotes and pitching solutions. 

Working With Existing Customers

Once you have a book of business established (which will take some time), a portion of your day will involve answering questions and filling the needs of your customer base. 

Learning New Products 

In the construction and agriculture realm, salespeople are only as good as their product and parts knowledge. If you don’t know anything about a piece of equipment, you can’t clearly articulate its use case, applicability and value to a customer. That’s why sales employees at RDO participate in regular training to learn new products. This will be part of many days. 

Administrative Work

Like many professional jobs, a portion of your day (10-15 percent) will be dedicated to administrative tasks. This includes answering internal emails and calls, communicating with internal stakeholders, filing paperwork and attending meetings. Some days will include more of this than others. That said, expect to do at least some of this daily. 

Common Challenges You’ll Face in Sales at RDO

Sales, though financially, personally and professionally rewarding, isn’t for everyone. 

While we can’t speak to every sales job at every company, here are two challenges you’ll face at RDO:

• Work-life balance can be tricky
• Building a book of business can be challenging

Challenge #1) Work-Life Balance Can Be Tricky

At RDO, salespeople don’t necessarily have a set 8 a.m.-5 p.m. schedule. Instead, they often align their time with the availability of their prospects and customers. 

This might mean spending time at a job site until 7 p.m. or attending an event in the evening. 

Large equipment sales are reliant on developing solid relationships with consumers. These relationships, which are built on trust, take time to form. Expect to have some long days as a salesperson and to work more than 40 hours per week regularly. This role is on a salary plus commission structure. As such, the more time you put in, the more you’ll get out of it.  

#2) Building a Book of Business Can Be Challenging

Starting any sales career is difficult. Getting started at RDO may be a challenge. It takes a while to learn about the business, the product and your territory when you start. This learning curve takes a minimum of six months to round so be prepared to do a lot of learning.

Additionally, heavy equipment sales is not necessarily a volume game — you won’t need to sell more than a couple of machines every month. This can be a shock for new salespeople who aren’t accustomed to such a long buyer’s cycle. 

This prolonged cycle keeps salespeople working hard for every sale. You’ll find that you need to hear a lot of nos before you ever sell a machine.

The Best Parts About Working in Sales at RDO

There are a lot of upsides to working in a customer-facing sales role, especially in the heavy equipment industry. RDO Equipment Co. is proud to have one of the best, most knowledgeable sales staff in the market. Here are some reasons salespeople choose RDO.

• The equipment is really cool
• There is a lot to learn
• The relationships you develop are meaningful
• Overcoming challenges is fun

#1) The Equipment is Really Cool

Whether you’re working in one of our agriculture or construction stores, you’ll get to sell top-of-the-line products at RDO. To the right person, crawler loaders, dozers, excavators and tractors are just big, cool toys. 

If you feel the same way, you’ll love getting to sell them for a living. Additionally, the equipment you sell visibly impacts the world around you, helping farmers and contractors grow and build the world.

#2) There is a Lot to Learn

The best salespeople become experts in the products they offer. Understanding the ins and outs of every machine in your store's inventory is a fun process. 

Additionally, our manufacturers (John Deere, Vermeer, Wirtgen and Topcon, among others) are constantly innovating. 

That means just when you think you know it all, there’s something new to wrap your mind around. If you’re an avid learner interested in heavy machinery, you’ll be happy here.

#3) The Relationships You Develop Are Meaningful

Over time, you can expect to develop meaningful friendships and camaraderie with customers out in the field and with your sales team members around the nation. This is one of the best parts of the sales jobs here. 

#4) Overcoming Challenges is Fun

There is a “gamey” aspect to sales. Discovering unique ways to solve customer problems by selling them the right solution in the right way can be exhilarating. 

Objections are common in sales jobs. But, with the right attitude, these can be a fun challenge to overcome. 

What Person is Best for a Sales Job at RDO?

Sales is not for every type of personality. The most successful RDO sales professionals are high-energy individuals who enjoy a challenge and love learning something new every day. 

Here are more characteristics of people who thrive in this career:

• Outgoing, people person who loves building relationships
• Excellent work ethic 
• Good communication skills (written and verbal)
• Positive attitude
• Problem solvers
• Some equipment/machinery technical knowledge
• Background in agriculture, construction or forestry

Any combination of these skills will set you up for success in sales here. Over the years, we’ve seen people from all backgrounds make an impact. 

That said, if you’re hesitant to get out into the field and meet new people (almost daily), you probably won’t like the sales professional role. It’s also important to note that this job can sometimes be discouraging. 

For example, it’s not uncommon to have six sales calls/visits on the calendar in a day. 

If the first two go poorly, it’s important not to let that get you down since a bad attitude could ruin your other appointments, too.  

Should You Apply to a Sales Career at RDO?

Sales is a great career with challenges, learning, relationships and earning potential.

At RDO, salespeople own their book of business and are responsible for prospecting, qualifying and nurturing prospects until they become customers. These people sell whole goods like farm and construction equipment, parts, attachments, technology and other services.

To be successful in this role, you might have to work more than 40 hours some weeks. However, it’s up to you to set this schedule based on customer needs. 

Sure, sales isn’t for everyone. That said, if you’re a hard worker who enjoys developing relationships and isn’t easily discouraged, you’ll do well here. 

Interested in learning more? Learn more about our hiring process. Or, if you’re ready to apply, find a sales job near you. 

Finally, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our team — we’re happy to help you in any way you need.