Selling Value Over Price | Michael Rother at VanWall Equipment

Welcome to the first episode of Behind the Deal, the Beyond the Hood series for the people who sell iron. Host Tyler Lowy sits down with Michael Rother of Van Wall Equipment, who sells John Deere construction and consumer products in north Iowa. They talk through what really happens on the lot and in the field: how Michael keeps customers coming back, how he breaks into accounts that have never run green, and how he holds margin without losing trust.

Accountability is part of the follow-up. 

Michael still writes his daily tasks in a notebook so he can cross them off between deliveries, but his CRM is where the real work lives. Call notes help him pick up every conversation where he left off. And when a part gets ordered wrong, the paper trail lets him tell the customer exactly what happened and that it was his mistake. "There's very few people that do that anymore," he says. Tyler's takeaway: do what you say you're going to do, every time, and own it when you don't.

Prospect around the customer's schedule. 

Nobody pouring 20 yards of concrete wants a salesperson walking onto the job site. Michael catches contractors on rain days, in the off season, at lunch on a Friday, and even at a concert. He builds relationships with operators and technicians, not just owners, and he doesn't quit. One customer took three years to buy a skid steer. Sometimes the right move is telling a prospect you're not the right fit yet. They remember that when their operation grows.

Sell the support, not just the machine. 

In construction, Michael says brand loyalty is less about paint color and more about where a customer can get parts and service. So he leads with demos and Van Wall's service network: 31 locations, service trucks on the road, and someone who answers at 5 p.m. on a Saturday. He also does his homework before he dials. He researches what each prospect runs, then tells them up front where his machine falls short before showing where it wins.

The $500 question. 

When a sale comes down to a few hundred dollars, Michael reminds customers what that money buys. He shares a story about a truck dealership that lost an engine sale by $500, even though it had once driven through the night to get that same shop an engine by the next day. "So where's that $500 value come in?" Backed by research showing 25%-33% savings on parts and service after the sale, he'd rather come in at the best value than the lowest price.

Looking ahead to 2027. 

Michael expects another year of customers staying busy on shorter jobs and doing more with less, which makes labor-saving attachments and technology an easier sell. His personal focus: closing quotes faster, carving out time to stay proactive with larger accounts, and building a following through social media and how-to videos.

Key takeaways

• Use your CRM to keep every promise visible, and own your mistakes when they happen.
• Reach contractors when they have time to talk, and build relationships with operators and technicians, not just owners.
• Don't give up on a prospect, but be honest when your product isn't the right fit yet.
• In cross-color sales, parts availability and service often matter more than brand loyalty.
• Research what a prospect runs before you call, and address your machine's weaknesses before they do.
• When price is the objection, remind customers what the extra cost buys them after the sale.
• Speed wins. Closing quotes quickly and solving problems before customers ask frees up time for real conversations.

About your host

Tyler Lowy is an Account Executive at Tractor Zoom and the host of Behind the Deal. He has spent his entire career in sales, including more than seven years at Tractor Zoom, where he works with dealer groups across ag, compact construction, and heavy construction every week.

About the guest

Michael Rother sells John Deere construction and consumer products equipment for Van Wall Equipment in north Iowa. A native of the area, he has sold on both the ag and construction sides of the business and helped build Van Wall's construction customer base in a market that previously had no dedicated John Deere construction dealer.

Know a rep who should be on the show? Reach out to Tyler on LinkedIn to recommend a guest or pitch a topic. And subscribe to Beyond the Hood so you never miss an episode of Behind the Deal.

Know a rep who should be on the show?Reach out to Tyler on LinkedIn or by email (tlowy@tractorzoom.com) to recommend a guest or pitch a topic. And subscribe to Beyond the Hood so you don't miss the first episode of Behind the Deal.