Do you sell farming supplies to farmers in rural areas?

Is language differences reducing how much of your products you sell at the end of the month?

Fret not. In this article, you’d learn how to overcome the language barrier in selling your Agri products. 

We talked to industry experts and gathered their opinions.  

In this blog, you’ll find all your answers.

Let’s begin.

5 Simple ways to overcome language barriers in selling to farmers

When you don’t speak the same language as farmers, it becomes difficult to get them to buy your product or listen to you.

But you can use some simple techniques to overcome the language barrier. 

Here are 5 simple ways to overcome language barriers in selling your products.  

1. Use the appropriate medium of communication

Want to raise farmers’ awareness of more productive farming methods, but you don’t understand their language?

The best way to meet the challenge is to use an appropriate communication method. 

One example is using a communication tool like grptalk. This tool definitely helps you overcome language barriers in communication. 

Grptalk is an audio conferencing app. This app allows you to launch conference calls with 3 – 50,000+ participants without the internet. 

Read: Ways Government Agencies Can Mass Educate the Public in Africa

And guess what? 

Your participants don’t need an internet connection or an app to connect with you. They receive a usual phone call regardless of their mobile phone type. 

For example. We know that fertilisers are essential and required for optimal plant growth. So you want to raise awareness among farmers for this purpose. 

Now, how would you accomplish that? 

It will take longer and be more exhausting to contact each farmer individually. 

That’s where grptalk saves you. You can host a conference call and teach farmers about the importance of fertilisers. 

As a result, they will be more aware of fertilisers and more likely to buy your agricultural products.

Now, to the next point.

2. Use simple language

Communication with farmers will only be effective if you use a simple and easy language.

When interacting with customers, here’s what to keep in mind. 

Yusuf Bhana, from Toppan Digital Languages, suggests a simple rule.” Stop using industry jargon.” Don’t force your farmers to abide by the internal communication structure. 

How can you apply this method to selling your agriproduct? 

Read: 4 Must-have Tools for Every Government Agency and Organization In African Countries

Find simpler terms when discussing ways to improve farm productivity with farmers. Teach farmers about your products in simpler terms. 

For instance, in introducing a new kind of fertiliser to farmers, all the scientific jargon will do you a disservice. Look for the simplest words to use.

3. Show empathy

Empathy, indeed, speaks louder than any language.

“Empathy and patience are essential for overcoming language barriers”. Michael Soon Lee, a recognised expert in marketing to multicultural customers.” 

The fact that you cannot speak each other’s language is neither yours nor the farmers’ fault.

Moreover, taking care of fields is a day-and-night job for your farmers. Their schedule might not allow them to understand your products, especially when you don’t belong to the same culture.  

So what’s the best way to reach out to the farmers to sell your Agri products? 

You empathise with them when they need help with your language.  

Read: Audio Conferencing vs Video Conferencing

4. Use multiple channels to provide information 

Your farmers may have individual preferences for how they consume information.

It’s always a good idea to offer farmers information in different formats, even if you can’t do so in other languages. 

So, what’s the best way to overcome language barriers in this case? 

Yusuf Bhana says to use a variety of formats to cater to your farmers” preferences. These include video, print, digital and infographics. They’ll appreciate it if they need any instruction or valuable information.  

For example, how to order or how to use the product. For non-native speakers, video is more accessible to follow than text. 

Read: Benefits of Audio Conferencing for Political Organisations

5. Ask for help

Ask for help when you feel one of the farmers is getting your points.

Michael Soon Lee advises reaching out to people who speak your customer’s language. 

Don’t hesitate to ask for their help. Bilingual people are often willing to translate for those who aren’t, whether you’re in a store, office, airport, hotel or anywhere else. 

So how can you use the help of bilingual people to overcome language barriers?

Simple phrases like “Can you help me translate this to farmers?” go a long way. 

Read More: Best Conference Call Apps For Business

Educate farmers about your agriculture products with grptalk  

Now you’re all set to lift the language barrier and sell your Agri products with our expert-recommended advice. 

But, if you want to communicate effectively with farmers, use grptalk.  

Grptalk is an audio conferencing app that lets you connect with 3-5000+ participants simultaneously without the internet. 

Not only that, your customers can join the conference call with any mobile phone without downloading any app. 

So what are you waiting for? Schedule a demo today and get started with free call minutes.