WELCOME
The INSIDE AGRI-TURF podcast was launched in 2020 by Chris Biddle who has more than 60 years experience in the farm and grass machinery industry
First with a major tractor manufacturer, then as a dealer principal and susequently as founder, editor and publisher of industry leading magazines such as
Service Dealer and Turf Pro. He edited Landwards, the professional journal of the Institution Of Agricultural Engineers from 2012 to 2020
The podcast focusses on the issues, the people, the achievment s and the challenges facing the land-based engineering industry - and celebrated its 100th episode in April 2023 having featured an array of UK and international guests.
Launched in 2023, a companion podcast, THE AGRI-TURF ACADEMY provides business advice, tips and guidance for those running or working in land-based engineering companies or organisations
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Advice and guidance on business issues, personal development, employment, social media, customer relations, networking, sales, marketing . . and much more
Delivered by experts in their field.
LATEST EPISODE: published 30 November 2023
Episode 116: RETENTION: BEYOND THE SALARY with Paul Harris
In the first of a two-part episode on staffing, PAUL HARRIS of Real Success Ltd provided down-to-earth and practical advice on RECRUITING the right staff.
He advised employers not to panic when faced with sudden staffing needs. Careful planning is necessary to identify likely candidates, leading to crafting an offer of employment - with legal obligations.
In Part 2, Paul focusses on RETENTION. He says that clear, upfront and two-way communication with all members of staffing on a regular basis is the golden rule for ensuring, as far as possible, that loyal, skilled staff - stay loyal.
Good working conditions and positivity will often outweigh issues of money.
Episode 115: RECRUITING? DON'T PANIC! with Paul Harris
Possibly the biggest challenge facing businesses today is recruiting the most suitable staff, and then taking every step necessary to ensure that they stay in the company or organisation.
In a two-part episode on Recruitment and Retention, I talk to Paul Harris, the founder of Real Success Ltd, a company specialising in meeting the staffing requirements of the farming community.
His down-to-earth and highly practical advice is relevant to the land-based engineering sector – or any business without a fully functioning HR department.
In this first episode, Paul advises not to panic when faced with sudden staffing needs. He says careful planning is necessary and clear steps to identify candidates, leading to crafting an offer of employment with legal obligations.
EPISODE: published 16 November 2023
Episode 114: THE ROAD TO RESILIENCE with Andrew Findley
Andrew Findley is an experienced competitor in ultra endurance running events ranging from 200 km races in the 50 degree heat of the Sahara to a 300 km race across the French Alps in the biting cold - whilst climbing the equivalent of Everest three times.
The quality that all competitors need in such events is resilience – which can simply be summed up as the ability to keep going. In other words “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
But it is never just about toughness, there are many other qualities that Andrew has discovered during the events.
Today, Andrew is a motivational speaker talking to groups and businesses about resilience. Of being able to cope successfully with the bad or difficult times – and you can be assured that Andrew experienced many of those during his participation in extreme conditions.
EPISODE: published 9 November 2023
Episode 113 THE ART OF THE SALES CONVERSATION: PART TWO
with STJOHN CRANER
In Part Two of St John Craner’s episode on The Art of the Sales Conversation, he references Rudyard Kipling’s Six Honest Men ‘who taught me all I know’. Their names are What, Why, How, Where, When and Who (although Craner cautions on the use of Why?
St John runs Rural Sales Success in New Zealand says “After the importance of listening, it comes down to the questions you ask and the way you ask them. Picking the right questions to get the right answers is the key.”
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EPISODE: published 2 November 2023
Episode 112 COUNTAX: Beginning and End of a Brand
with Chris Biddle and Harry Hankammer
With the news that AriensCo are to cease production of Countax and Westwood models at Great Haseley – and have no plans to use the brand names in the future, Chris Biddle looks back at the beginnings and now the end of the Countax story with founder Harry Handkammer.
in 1991 Harry won the Award for Survivor of the Year run by BBC Radio 4 programme In Business (right)
EPISODE: published 26 October 2023
Episode 111: COMPLAINTS INTO COMPLIMENTS with Dan Pratt
In the first part of his series of The Customer is always Right? Dan Pratt, founder of DAP Consultancy talked about different types of customers, their behaviour, and ways of successfully diffusing difficult situations.
In this episode Dan says that receiving a complaint should often be looked at as a positive business opportunity – and at relatively low-cost.
He also talks about goodwill gestures which can often work wonders .
and how to practically deal with negative on-line reviews which are often unjustified.
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