The relationship between sports field managers and their vendors and suppliers is essential to creating safe, high-quality playing surfaces. SportsField Management magazine recently spoke with Joe Churchill, fields and grounds specialist at Reinders, Inc., a full-line equipment and turf products distributor, about the essential components of a successful vendor/customer relationship.
SportsField Management (SFM): I know every relationship is different, but what is most typical of the relationship between sports field managers and their vendors or suppliers?
Joe Churchill: You could get a half dozen different answers depending on who you ask. But the relationship between the sports field manager and a vendor goes beyond the relationship between the two of us, because we are not operating in a vacuum. I’m not naïve to think that my very best customers aren’t purchasing from some of my competitors. Part of what makes this work is that I appreciate and respect my competition, and I consider most to be friends of mine. We don’t share everything, but we are all in this together. The healthiest, most productive relationship is just building that level of trust. It doesn’t have to be a friendship; it can just be understanding where each of us comes from and that we respect the needs and wishes of the other.
Transactional-type selling – I call it door-to-door peddling – is still out there, and always will be. I don’t believe in that, but I respect any relationship between the vendor and the sports field manager that works for them. But to me that rings a little hollow. I need to get to know my customer. I have to understand their pain points and what is important to them. But there are times when it’s just, “Here’s what I’m looking for. What is your price, and when can you ship?” To me, there’s not much fun in that. Knowing I had a good conversation with the customer, I helped them and got to know them better – there’s a lot to be said for building trust and the relationship instead of just checking the box and going on to the next customer.
SFM: You mentioned that some people are just looking for the best price and they’re not really into developing that relationship. What do you think are the most important factors for sports field managers when it comes to their equipment and supplies needs? Is it budget? Brand? Convenience and availability of product? Something else? And where does the relationship with their vendor/supplier rank in that?
Churchill: Again, you could ask six different people and get six different answers. My first step after trying to build some level of trust is to guide the conversation and provide information or knowledge. It’s asking the questions, showing interest, and showing some empathy for the problems that they face every day. You build that trust level by being a resource and being someone they can talk to or that they trust enough to go beyond just talking about the products or services that they need.
It’s providing information, giving them the data or the specs, and then offering multiple solutions to fit their needs. There’s more than one recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and they’re all good. The same holds true with identifying turf management options. It’s providing them the information that puts them in a place where they can make an intelligent decision on what they buy. It can always boil down to price. I have comparable products that address the same management issue, except one is probably close to twice the price of the other. But they’re offered by reputable manufacturers with brands legitimately positioned in the marketplace. They’re all great selections, but again, you need to know your customer to understand which one would be the best fit for them. My goal is to guide the conversation down the path that makes the most sense for the customer. It’s not about me, it’s about them.
SFM: How much does the relationship vary based on the level of play and the related budget? Do you take a different approach with K-12 sports field managers than you do with parks and rec professionals, colleges and universities or professional sports stadiums?
Churchill: They certainly are different. When you’re talking about K-12 schools, municipalities or parks and rec departments, you know they have very strict guidelines on their purchasing policies. I have a very dear friend who I’ve known for more than 25 years. He is a good customer of mine; but if my bag of fertilizer is 10 cents more per bag than the other guy, he’ll buy from the other guy. I get it.
As a vendor or a sales rep you have to understand that what they buy might be their decision, but who they buy it from might be totally out of their hands. That falls mostly within K-12 and any other tax-supported institution. Private schools, colleges and universities and pro teams may have a little more flexibility and can make that decision on their own. You have to know what the customer’s purchasing policy is, respect it and follow along.
We would be naïve to think that price doesn’t come into play at some point with most sports field managers. But even within tax-supported institutions there are varying degrees of their purchasing capabilities. I would much rather know that going into our conversation, and know what the requirements are. Gotta know the rules of the game before you begin.

SFM: A challenge for many sports field managers is getting the budgets for equipment and supplies approved and the amount of planning and foresight that requires. What’s your advice?
Churchill: The ones that have the fewest number of unsuspected turns or missteps in the buying process are those that plan ahead. Big-ticket items such as equipment, irrigation systems or software take some advanced planning. It might take two or three years to decide what it is you want, get approval and then get it in the next year’s budget. But product or service availability and delivery lead time could add another year or two to the whole process. It’s just a matter of planning ahead.
SFM: You mentioned the established relationships and clients you’ve been doing business with for a while. What is your approach with new clients when it comes to building those relationships or figuring out their pain points and their needs?
Churchill: God gave us one mouth and two ears. You listen, you ask questions, and you get to know the person. And I say “person” because that’s who they are. Sometimes I think we reduce someone’s stature by referring to them first as a customer. It’s important to establish that relationship and then just start showing interest. What are their challenges? Where do they need help? What’s working for them and what isn’t? What’s getting in their way? There are so many different layers of the job and what they need to do. The sports field manager answers to people and has people answering to them. Sometimes, the sales rep goes in and just starts talking about product or keeps the conversation so one-tracked that they forget about all the other moving parts in the sports field manager’s daily activities; and on the home front for that matter. Acknowledge that, show interest, and be there not as just a vendor or sales rep, but as a partner in their business. My goal is to reach a point in our relationship where they look at me as a true partner and confidant committed to reaching the same goals – not as a sales rep. I’ve told some of my closest customers that if I start acting or sounding like a sales rep to call me out on it. That trust might build in one or two visits, or it might take a year. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I still have people with whom I just don’t click. It doesn’t mean I treat them any differently. Some sports field managers just want to be left alone and just know what they want. You’re there as a as a product source or a service provider only; and if that works for them, then you have the honor and respect that.
SFM: You mentioned that most sports field managers have someone to whom they report. Have you seen a shift in terms of the level of respect that sports field managers are garnering when it comes to decision making, earning a seat at the table, or being viewed as the expert on what is needed to provide a safe playing surface?
Churchill: Yes. Our industry – like so many others – is becoming more sophisticated, and a good administrator will pick up on that and understand it. The challenge that I see, especially in K-12, is that many times there isn’t a true sports field manager. They might be a lead custodian or the baseball coach or another role where managing the fields is just something they ended up being tasked with. The people making the decisions – whether it’s budget or purchase decisions – might be a buildings and grounds director who is more focused on the inside of the building than the outside. They don’t understand what it takes to manage or maintain a safe, high-performing playing surface. But I think most good administrators understand that growing grass on a ballfield is much more complicated and technical than just jumping on a mower, and painting lines before the next game. I think we’re shifting toward a better understanding between the sports field manager and administration.
SFM: What trends or shifts in the market are you seeing based on how sports field managers are approaching their equipment and supplies needs?
Churchill: Most of that would be on the environmental side. There are a lot of control products out now that have low application rates. There’s a tremendous amount of effort and research being placed on water usage – and inputs in general, whether it’s water, chemicals or whatever is needed to maintain the playing surface with less impact on Mother Earth. That is a big trend and it’s not going to go away.
Minnesota was one of the first states to ban phosphorus use on all non-golf turf, and now there are many states that are that way. Some states have banned the use of all pesticides. I think that type of legislation is going to continue to grow. We’re going to see more restrictions placed on nitrogen use. With equipment, carbon-based fuels are becoming more of an issue, and that’s driving the electric and battery-powered side of the equipment business. Field painting robots and autonomous mowers are now on the market. All of these things are playing a part in changing the landscape, if you will, of how we grow grass.
SFM: What is the typical approach for sports field managers when it comes to their equipment fleets and those purchasing decisions?
Churchill: A lot of times those purchase decisions aren’t necessarily based on the product features, parts, how it punches holes or how it sprays; a lot of times it’s about financing. Who has the best lease package? There are equipment distributors out there who aren’t really selling equipment, they’re selling money. They know that the superintendent or sports field manager often gets passed over when conversations are taking place about financing or leasing or what the package might be – especially when those conversations are had with the city council or school board. That’s unfortunate, because big-ticket purchases are being treated as transactional and we forget about how one product might differ from the other. Maybe they’re both equally high quality, but one fits the application or the need better than the other. A lot of times those things get overlooked. That can be a point of frustration for the sports field manager because they get cut out of the conversation if it’s about money and not about finding the right piece of equipment for the job.
SFM: When you’re dealing with your clients, how much information do you need about their fields and their management practices?
Churchill: I think it’s very much dependent upon the client. Most customers are a quick read. You know what level they are at; and, even without expounding on the conversation, you can figure out what is important to them, what kind of buying power they have, whether they are a decision maker or just gathering information. But you can tell if a sports field manager is truly interested in the profession and it’s not just a job to them by the questions they ask and how they engage. That’s the kind of customer who I best connect with. I don’t care if they have a $3,000 budget or a $300,000 budget. Either way, I get just as much joy out of those conversations and building the relationship. Most of us are in this business because we love it. We share a passion. There’s a kindred spirit between us. I see it in private conversations, during local or regional events and, of course, the SFMA Conference every January. We’re all human. We’re all social animals. And at some level we all need each other. That’s why I do what I do.