Navigating Australia’s vast landscapes with Robert Megier

Robert Megier is ICL’s Regional Sales Manager based in Sydney, Australia. “I studied ornamental horticulture at a University in California for four years, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. After that, I spent some time working for a landscape company in the United States, where I gained experience in account management and client relations.” Later, Robert returned to Australia and continued to refine his skills in the industry. “As an ex-nursery grower myself, I started out working in a production nursery primarily focused on tropical house plants like Ficus trees. In 2003, when the opportunity arose for a sales manager position at ICL, I jumped at it. My job has constantly evolved since then, presenting new challenges that keep me motivated and engaged.”

Going above and beyond down under

Robert covers the state of New South Wales. However, he also manages sales in Queensland, which extends into the tropical regions of Australia. “Australia is a massive country, so I spend about one to two weeks every month in Queensland, ensuring that I’m able to effectively manage sales and relationships in both regions.” Robert also communicates regularly with ICL’s team of Sales Managers in other regions of Australia and New Zealand: “We have regular team meetings and conferences, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie despite the physical distance.”

“Having a background in production allows me to better understand the growers I work with.”

Treating the nursery like a surgery

Robert reflects on his role as a trusted advisor to growers in nurseries: “Having a background in a production nursery allows me to better understand the growers I work with, and running a small family business taught me how to juggle various responsibilities, from production planning to sales, and supply chain management.”

When growers encounter problems with yield or plant disorders, they turn to Robert for a solution. “Growers sometimes come to me asking ‘how come my plant isn’t growing well?’, but I don’t have an immediate answer to that. You have to fully understand their growing system inputs and conduct some research to find out what is causing the problem. We try new things and see what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes it almost feels like I’m a plant doctor, but fortunately my experience allows me to make quick assessments, and plants do grow better.”

When asked what qualities make for a great Regional Sales Manager, Robert replies that one should always remain inquisitive. “I think the best skills are being able to relate to your customer and ask the right questions. It helps if you’ve been a grower yourself, because sometimes it’s about working out what the growers’ true needs are even if they’re telling you something else. Listening, reading between the lines, and figuring out what their real problems are. Then, it’s about explaining and demonstrating a solution. It’s part of the ethos of offering our products and providing advice.”

“I’ve often said, I wish I knew what I know now when I was a grower.”

Smart work is hard work

Robert also organizes seminars and workshops to bring different people together within a nursery setting. “Our activities offer practical information that growers can use – not just product information – but rather how to use products correctly.” For Robert, knowledge-sharing goes beyond the job description: “I’ve often said, I wish I knew what I know now when I was a grower. I had university training, on-the-job experience, and good knowledge of fertilizers and plant protection products, but now I know so much more. I would be a much better grower today thanks to what I’ve picked up in the past 20 years.”

Another piece of advice Robert would give to newcomers is the value of persistence. “We have a big client in Australia that owns multiple nurseries. We’d been conversing with them for 20 years, but only began selling to them 10 years ago. So it took years of communication to build a trusting relationship, and today we collaborate regularly. That was all about persistence, not giving up, and sharing valuable information to get closer over the years.”