Beck Ag is a small agricultural marketing firm that helps companies get good word of mouth among farmers. Clients often ask the Omaha-based firm to set the farmers up with video conferences, chat groups and Web-based meetings. But John Finegan, founder and owner, offers a surprising response: Nah.
“I try to talk clients out of it,” he said. “Farmers are usually out in the field, or riding in a tractor, and when they’re home they don’t want to spend all their time glued to a screen. They like to talk on the phone.” So Beck Ag focuses on hooking the farmers up via conference calls. And given that the company increased its revenue 30 percent last year, it’s hard to argue that the firm is missing something.