In our ongoing Meet the Team feature, we put a name and a face on the amazing members of our team. Today we would like to introduce Silveus Insurance Group agent Joe Patton.
Where is your hometown and did you grow up around farming?
I grew up in North Central Indiana in a small farm town called North Manchester. My dad worked on a couple different farming operations. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time with him during the summers and weekends, helping with anything from feeding livestock, bailing hay, milking cows to harvesting grain. I also picked up a few summer jobs where I got to work on chicken and veal farms, and when time permitted, I spent a few days each summer helping a friend with his cattle operation.
What are your clients asking you about today?
I work with roughly 100 clients who farm across 13 states ranging from 50 acres to 12,000 acres. On the forefront of most producer’s minds are the innovative and progressive ways that they can protect revenue in a volatile market. Most of them want to know what’s new on the market and what products (federal and private) best fit the needs of their operation and could potentially help to protect their revenue. Whole Farm Revenue Protection is one of the main topics today.
What is your approach to customer service?
I believe it’s all about being honest, friendly and service-oriented. I make it my responsibility to make sure customers’ crop insurance needs are being met to the highest standards. I focus on three primary things:
Service – I treat customers the way I would want to be treated. I take pride in offering a more educational approach rather than sales; I want growers to understand what they’ve bought and why it can benefit their enterprise. Also, I strongly believe that responding in a timely manner is crucial in this business, which is why I make myself available to customers all day, every day.
Products – Silveus offers a wide range of innovative products to customers; some insure bushels, while others insure price and input costs. You cannot sit back and just do the same thing year-after-year, our team understands that and we educate customers about the importance of risk management.
Software – I believe we have the best software platform on the market for analyzing products and risk, while guiding our farmers through the maze of crop insurance decisions. We help our growers make informed decisions…bottom line!
How long have you been working at Silveus and what do you like best about your job?
I have been working with Silveus Insurance Group almost six years. Prior to joining the company, I worked for a beverage corporation for 13 years, where I focused on business management and customer service.
What are you most excited about?
I am most excited about strengthening my relationships with current customers and building relationships with new ones. I really love what I do and truly believe that whatever you do, you need to work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work in the agricultural field. Farmers dedicate so much of their time providing for our families that they sometimes lose time with their own. This job allows me to give them something in return. I hope our customers are learning as much from me as I am from them; they are truly great people.
What is one fun fact about yourself your co-workers don’t know?
I really enjoy being outdoors – anything from hunting and fishing to working in the yard and grilling out. Next company potluck will be held in my backyard! (Okay, maybe not really.)