Intentional Success: Unveiling Sales and Leadership Strategies with Don Sutton

The Intentional Agribusiness Leader Podcast

Don Sutton, is a lifelong resident of Ohio being born and raised in rural Richland County, Ohio.

Graduated from The Ohio State University twice, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and second a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy, specializing in Turfgrass Science.

Since graduating from college has resided in the Central Ohio area. Has a 17 year career in golf course maintenance that included 10 years as Golf Course Superintendent. During those 10 years was responsible for the construction of two Championship caliber private golf club courses, Scioto Reserve Golf Club & Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club.

When transitioning to a sales career have held positions as National Sales Manager at Amega Sciences, Agriculture Sales Director, Minerals Technologies and currently serves as the Sales Manager, US, Canada & International at Tiger-Sul Products. Tiger-Sul Products is a global leader in the productions and distribution of Sulphur Bentonite Fertilizers that help Growers maximize crop yields.

Don currently resides in Delaware, Ohio with Wife, 1 Daughter and 2 grown Daughter work and live nearby.

In this engrossing episode of the "Intentional Agribusiness Leader" podcast, host Mark Jewell welcomes Don Sutton from Tiger-Sul Products to delve into the nuances of intentional leadership. The conversation opens doors to understanding the critical role of intention in achieving personal and organizational success within the agricultural business landscape. Don Sutton brings a well-rounded perspective to the table, sharing his strategic approach to managing teams, setting clear objectives, and driving towards stellar outcomes.

Don and Mark dissect what it takes to manifest intention through actionable strategies, highlighting the criticality of setting clear goals and crafting a roadmap for success in sales and leadership. The dialogue circles around the importance of fostering a culture of trust, the impact of detailed onboarding processes, and the leverage in empowering sales teams. Each insight is redolent with the potential to transform leadership dynamics within the agribusiness context.

Key Takeaways:

• Being intentional means crafting clear goals and expectations, and ensuring those are brought into action "by design."
• Establishing trust within the team and with customers is pivotal for business success and fostering a sound company culture.
• An extensive onboarding process, potentially spanning a year, is vital to setting new team members up for success.
• Regular virtual meetings and annual in-person gatherings can help build and maintain a strong team dynamic, even with a geographically dispersed sales force.
• When transitioning into a sales role or entering a new market, embracing change and leveraging past experiences can lead to significant personal and professional growth.

Notable Quotes:

• "To be intentional as a leader to me would be setting clear goals, setting expectations, and then, making sure you're putting those expectations into action." - Don Sutton
• "We really empower our salespeople... I don't micromanage them. They know what they need to do; they're professionals." - Don Sutton
• "We went through this book as a sales team and broke down each chapter and how it relates to our jobs... establishing trust... has really helped our company." - Don Sutton on "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen Covey
• "You can't get distracted by everything else that's going around you because there's a lot of that, the distractions that can drain your time." - Don Sutton
• "Leading indicators vs. lagging indicators... we're not paying attention to the leading ones that are going to make us long term successful." - Mark Jewell

Join us for the full episode to explore the intricacies of intentional leadership with Don Sutton, and keep an eye out for more thought-provoking content from the "Intentional Agribusiness Leader" podcast.