The AgTech Sales Enablement Toolkit: What Startups Really Need to Drive Revenue at the Commercial Stage
Most AgTech startups enter the commercial stage underprepared. This guide outlines what really drives revenue—from pricing and sales strategy to CRM, content, and team structure. Built from real-world execution, not theory, it’s a no-fluff checklist for founders ready to turn traction into scalable sales.
Too many AgTech startups step into the commercial stage with sales playbooks borrowed from other industries—or worse, built on theoretical best practices that don’t hold up in the field. At 9 North Group, we know what works because we’ve executed it. Whether you're hiring your first sales lead or preparing to scale, here’s a no-fluff checklist of tools and infrastructure that actually move the needle in ag.
Sales Enablement Checklist (In the Order That Actually Matters)
1. Pricing & Revenue Model
What You Need: A pricing strategy that reflects actual grower economics and fits your go-to-market model—whether direct, through retailers, or with channel partners.
Common Mistake: Not having a customer validated pricing strategy in place, and starting with competitor pricing or top-down finance modeling. Bad pricing kills momentum.
9 North POV: Pricing is a sales enabler, not just a finance decision. We help startups price around perceived value—per acre, per season, deferred terms—to reduce friction and drive adoption.
2. Sales Story & Methodology
What You Need: A value-based sales approach that communicates real-world outcomes and justifies the buying decision.
Common Mistake: Don't default to “relationship selling.” That may open doors, but it won't close deals without a clear ROI case.
9 North POV: Train your team to quantify value—savings per acre, efficiency gains, yield boosts—and sell on that basis. This aligns with both grower adoption and investor expectations.
3. Sales Process & Lead Management
What You Need: A defined pipeline process—from lead gen to close—with basic stage definitions, timelines, and owner accountability.
Common Mistake: Don’t assume you can "wing it." Ag sales cycles are long and nonlinear; treating them like fast SaaS sales sets you up for churn.
9 North POV: Use a phased pipeline (Intro → Trial → Validation → Close) that mirrors real-world adoption in ag. And track conversion velocity just as closely as conversion rate.
4. CRM & Revenue Operations
What You Need: A simple, scalable CRM that maps to your actual sales cycle—plus basic reporting on lead status, close rates, and CAC.
Common Mistake: Overbuilding the system or choosing enterprise tools that don’t fit early-stage realities.
9 North POV: Build for flexibility, not bureaucracy. More agile CRMs often outperform bigger systems for early-stage teams. Plus, emerging CRM tools now offer built-in AI, enrichment, and lead scoring. What matters is adoption and data hygiene, not bells and whistles.
5. Sales Content & Collateral
What You Need: Short-form, shareable, and value-forward materials—like one-pagers, testimonials, explainer videos, and visuals.
Common Mistake: Don't lead with tech specs. Adoption in ag is driven by outcomes, not features.
9 North POV: Your content should work in the real world—on phones, at trade shows, over text. Think about how reps and customers will actually share and absorb your message.
6. Website & Social
What You Need: A lean, conversion-optimized site plus a smart, targeted social presence that reinforces credibility, and provides sales support materials on demand.
Common Mistake: Spreading across every platform or treating your website like a product brochure. It's a commercial asset, not a science showcase.
9 North POV: Digital tools should support your sales motion. LinkedIn is valuable for investor visibility—but not necessarily for farmer outreach. Focus where your targets are, and make it easy to take the next step ("Request a Demo", "Talk to Sales").
7. Scaling the Sales Team
What You Need: The right first hire—plus a flexible structure to scale with field reps, contractors, and channel partners.
Common Mistake: Don’t rush to build a full in-house team. And don’t assume one hire can cover all regions, channels, and buyer types.
9 North POV: Early-stage success often requires non-traditional team structures. We help design scalable models using regional contractors, seasonal talent, and channel alliances that stretch budget and accelerate reach.
Closing Thought
This isn’t theory. It’s what we’ve built, tested, and scaled across ag tech—from digital tools to biologicals to robotics. If you're serious about commercial success, start with a toolkit that’s grounded in how ag really works.
Let’s refine your sales engine and accelerate revenue—together.
