Kristin’s Top 10 Insights: Inside a Sales Agronomist Career

Kristin Schoettmer Flora began working on her family’s hog farm at age two. As a Field Sales Agronomist at Bayer, she channels that hands-on upbringing into coaching sales teams and helping growers have their best year yet. Read a day in the field account of her work and get practical tips for anyone considering a career as a sales agronomist.

How has your background in agriculture influenced your current job? 
I grew up, literally, in a barn on a hog farm. So from the very beginning, I knew that I had a valid role in agriculture, regardless of my age or gender. My parents and the employees of the farm did a good job teaching me to stay relevant and how I could play a part that contributed to the greater good. That continued on through 4-H and FFA, and through research internships on the plant pathology side, all the way into studying at Purdue University and getting plugged in to a lot of leadership organizations.

What’s the most important thing you learned that helps in agronomy sales?
I would say the biggest lesson is the realization that, regardless of what job you're doing, it's still humans interacting with humans. I've worked in roles where I've done the banking part of ag in a basement underwriting farm loans, and roles where I’ve interacted with 10,000-acre growers.

At the heart of all those experiences, I was always finding ways to touch the human heart of things and relate to them. I think that’s what helped me be successful in agronomy sales and field sales and is the baseline for how I do my job and how I live my life.

What was the top reason you chose a career at Bayer?
The opportunity to be a part of impactful grower conversations in field sales. Because it doesn't matter if you have all the innovation or marketing if you’re not getting to those conversations that happen right at the farm gate. There's still a huge percentage of growers out there that haven't had the opportunity to interact with the Bayer portfolio. That's where I have a chance to make a difference as a Field Sales Agronomist, empowering our salespeople to match Bayer products with the needs of each grower.

What does a “typical” day look like for you in agronomy sales—and how often does it actually go as planned?   
A typical day in agronomy sales rarely goes exactly as planned—and that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable. I usually start with a general plan for the day or week, outlining which area I want to focus on and connecting with the local salesperson to prioritize growers we want to visit. We set goals for the number of conversations we’d like to have, but there’s always flexibility built in.

In between planned visits, we’re often prospecting—meeting new growers and introducing them to the Bayer portfolio. The day can shift depending on the season, grower needs, or what’s happening in the field, so we’re constantly adjusting to make sure we’re meeting our overall goals.

At the core of my role is making sure every grower in my territory has the opportunity to engage with Bayer. I do that by bringing creative, efficient approaches to each day, so no matter who I’m working with or where we are, we’re making the most of every interaction.

How do you see your work making a positive impact?
I get to show up to farm as a Field Sales Agronomist and help make a difference. My goal is to reach a point where growers can’t imagine making seed or farm decisions without involving the seller I work with, or me, in the conversation. I still keep in touch with some of the growers that I sold to almost two decades ago, when I first started my field sales career. To me, that reflects the trust we’re able to build—by showing up with solutions that genuinely fit each grower’s needs.

How does your role help growers face their biggest challenges?
Farmers seek a return on investment from every input they have on their farms. Through field sales support, I can make sure they have the right solutions    placed on the right acre, with the right strategy. My goal is to bring that knowledge about each one of the hybrids and figure out how to pair that with the particulars of each grower and how they manage their crops. That’s a big challenge, but it’s also the biggest opportunity for helping their operation become successful and more profitable.

Can you tell us why you’re “All In” for Bayer’s mission?
Bayer is the first company I’ve worked at that has said “We put the farmer first,” and meant it.   The company is very intentional about hearing the needs of growers and then solving the problems of those growers.

That’s how we make a difference from a human standpoint—by helping farmers be productive and profitable so they can grow more food sustainably, strengthening the global food supply and helping address hunger. 

What’s the most significant way Dynamic Shared Ownership drives value/positive results for you?
It’s pretty cool. We only win when farmers win, which creates a real sense of ownership in the work. It puts me in the mindset of, “This is my baby. I’m going to go take care of it and watch it grow.” That alignment keeps the focus exactly where it belongs: on helping growers succeed.

DSO also encourages a lot of collaboration. In agronomy sales and field sales, we work together to bring the best solutions to the farm gate. For example, I might call a crop protection representative and ask them to join a grower conversation. They can answer chemical questions while I focus on seed placement and agronomy strategy.

Bringing those different areas of expertise together allows us to provide better recommendations for growers and make ourselves more valuable partners on the farm. That’s why DSO at Bayer is so powerful. It allows our teams in field sales   to focus first and foremost on helping growers succeed.

What’s your most powerful motivator as a Field Sales Agronomist? 
The biggest motivator for me is watching the lightbulb turn on when I help someone go beyond their baseline. It’s very encouraging because I know that I've done a small part in helping empower someone to take more steps and be more confident. If I jump in with one of my salespeople and they leave thinking they can’t sell well without me, then I've messed up. My job is to get them to set a new standard for themselves and then next time we meet, get them to go above that.

Why should someone consider Bayer’s Crop Science division as a place to build their career?  
The most important step you can take early in your career is finding someone who will take you under their wing. Bayer offers so many opportunities to find your people and step outside your comfort zone. For me, that’s also come to life through being part of GROW, one of Bayer’s Business Resource Groups, which advocates women’s advancement. You also get to be part of work that helps farmers be more productive and sustainable, contributing to a stronger global food system. It’s just a really, really cool place to be.