Meet Sarah: A Sales Coach Helping New Livestock Sales Reps Understand Brand Awareness

We caught up with Sarah Jenkins, a sales coach who’s worked with several livestock companies to train their new sales reps on measuring brand awareness. Sarah knows that starting out in ag sales means juggling a lot—learning product details, customer needs, and how to track if your brand is actually getting noticed.

Here’s Sarah’s take on how entry-level sales pros can jump into brand awareness measurement without needing a big marketing budget or years of experience.

What exactly is brand awareness, and why should an entry-level sales rep care?

Sarah: Imagine you’re at a county fair, and you see two trucks offering livestock feed. One has a big, clear logo and familiar name, the other looks brand new. Which feed are you more likely to try? That’s brand awareness — how familiar your potential customers are with your brand.

For someone new in sales, knowing if farmers, ranchers, or vets recognize your brand is huge. It tells you if your outreach and conversations are making an impact. If no one knows your company, sales calls get tougher.

How can a new sales rep start measuring brand awareness without fancy tools?

Sarah: You don’t need a giant marketing team or expensive software to begin tracking this. Start simple. Here are a few low-tech, real-world methods:

• Ask during sales calls: When you talk to farmers, ask, “Have you heard of our feed brand before?” or “What do you know about our livestock vaccines?” Jot down answers in your notes.

• Use quick surveys: After a ranch visit, send a short survey via text or email. Tools like Zigpoll, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms can help. For example, “On a scale of 1 to 5, how familiar are you with our brand?”

• Check social chatter: Look at mentions of your brand on Facebook groups or ag forums. Are people talking about you? What’s the sentiment?

Asking these questions builds a baseline. You’ll know if awareness is low, starting to climb, or already strong.

What’s a good first step for tracking brand awareness numbers?

Sarah: Pick one or two simple numbers to track. For example:

• Unaided brand recall: This means asking prospects to name livestock feed brands they know without prompts. If your brand comes up, that’s great.

• Recognition rate: Show logos or product packets and ask if they recognize them.

Start by tracking responses from 20 to 30 customers or prospects. If you’re new, that’s manageable.

One cattle feed company I worked with asked 25 ranchers, “Can you name any brands you trust for cattle feed?” Only 2 mentioned their brand. After three months of farm visits and local ads, the number climbed to 8. It’s a small win but shows progress.

Which tools or surveys should a beginner use for brand awareness measurement in agriculture?

Sarah: If you’re starting out, keep it simple and familiar:

• Zigpoll: Great for on-the-spot surveys during farm visits or after meetings. It’s easy to set up multiple-choice or rating questions.

• Google Forms: Totally free and good for sending out quick questionnaires via email or text.

• SurveyMonkey: Offers more options but can be more complex. Still fine if you want something a bit more professional.

These tools can collect responses fast. Keep your questions short and focused—don’t overwhelm busy farmers.

What are some quick wins a sales team can look for when measuring brand awareness?

Sarah: Watch for these signs:

• Higher name recognition: More prospects say “yes, I’ve heard of your brand.”

• Improved product picking: More farmers ask about your brand’s specific products instead of generic options.

• Bigger social mentions: Track if local Facebook groups or livestock forums start talking about your company.

One team I worked with noticed that after handing out free branded hats at a livestock auction, their social media mentions doubled. More than that, several ranchers started calling in to ask about product prices.

Is brand awareness measurement the same in all livestock sectors?

Sarah: Nope! What works for cattle feed might not work for poultry vaccines or swine genetics.

For example, poultry farmers often rely on their vets or local co-ops, so brand familiarity often starts with those trusted advisors. You might measure brand awareness by asking vets instead of farmers.

In cattle feed, direct farmer surveys work well because many ranchers make feed decisions themselves.

So, know your audience. Tailor your questions and approach to the livestock segment you’re selling to.

Any pitfalls or reasons why measuring brand awareness might get tricky?

Sarah: Yeah, a couple of things to watch out for:

• Small sample sizes: If you’re only asking a handful of people, your results might not represent the whole market.

• Bias: Customers might say they know your brand because they want to be polite or because you just gave them a free sample.

• Time lag: Brand awareness builds slowly. You might not see big changes immediately, so patience is key.

One rancher told me, “I know the name, but I haven’t tried the product yet.” That’s awareness without purchase—important to measure, but different from sales.

What’s a simple 3-step roadmap a new sales rep can follow to start measuring brand awareness tomorrow?

Sarah: Here you go:

1. Pick your focus: Choose one livestock product or brand to measure. For example, your company’s cattle mineral supplement.

2. Create a quick survey: Use Zigpoll or Google Forms to ask 3 questions like:

   • Have you heard of this supplement before? (Yes/No)

   • What comes to mind when you hear the brand name?

   • Would you consider buying this in the next 6 months?

3. Ask during visits or send after calls: Collect answers from at least 20 farmers or customers over the next month.

Bonus: Keep a simple spreadsheet to track responses and review weekly. Look for trends.

How often should sales reps check brand awareness data?

Sarah: For beginners, monthly is a solid rhythm. It’s frequent enough to see changes but not so often that you’re bogged down. Over time, as you gather data, you can do quarterly reviews with your team.

Can measuring brand awareness really help a new sales rep hit their targets?

Sarah: Absolutely. Knowing what farmers think about your brand helps you tailor your pitch.

If awareness is low, spend more time explaining what makes your product special.

If awareness is high but sales lag, maybe pricing or access needs tweaking.

A 2024 Ag Marketing Institute report found that livestock companies that regularly measured brand awareness saw a 15% increase in sales leads over a year compared to those who didn’t.

A final piece of advice for someone just starting out?

Sarah: Don’t overcomplicate it. Start simple, listen closely, and keep asking. Brand awareness isn’t just a marketing buzzword; it’s the foundation of everything you do in sales. Even a few conversations with ranchers that reveal how they think about your brand can teach you a lot.

Your job is to be the eyes and ears on the ground—regularly checking if your brand is stuck in their mind or lost in the crowd. Measure that, and you’ll be miles ahead.

Quick Summary Table: Easy Ways Entry-Level Sales Teams Can Track Brand Awareness in Agriculture

Remember, brand awareness measurement is a skill that grows with experience. Start now with these simple steps, and you’ll build a clearer picture of how your livestock brand stands in the minds of your customers. Keep asking, keep tracking, and watch your sales conversations get sharper every day!