Ask anyone about the Collie Hotel's social media video on stock and station agents and they will tell you it's on the money.
The hotel's owner Tom Hancock is captured on the phone leaning against the wall, leaning on the table and leaning on the fence while striking a deal.
But it poses the serious question what makes a good stock and station, who are certainly a breed of their own.
They are always on call and like the video their phone is glued to their cheek. They have their finger on the pulse and have to be quick thinking when markets pivot and rain falls. And they are often the first phone call before the accountant when it comes to big investments.
But it's not just about the quick quips they need on game day in the selling centre. They have to understand people, have a knowledge of the livestock industry as well as the markets they are selling into and they need to back themselves.
You are helping people make the big decisions so you are a cross between an accountant, solicitor and counsellor.
- Mitch Donovan, Ray Donovan Stock and Station Agents
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And sometimes when Mother Nature delivers her worst in the form of drought, flood or fire they are often called on to wear many hats in their community.
"You are helping people make big decisions so you are a cross between an accountant, solicitor and counsellor," Mitch Donovan from Ray Donovan Stock and Station Agents at Grafton said.
Mr Donovan said this was evident in 2019 as dry times were getting dire and clients were asking what to do and how to do it. But for Mr Donovan, "honesty" was the number one attribute a good agent needed.
"It gets you a long way in the game if you do the right thing by people," he said.
"It's also not just about being a good auctioneer, you have to know your markets and livestock, and you have to be thick skinned when you are dealing with people's emotions."
Tom Tanner from Davidson Cameron and Co, Quirindi, said an agent needed to have personality to be able to easily interact with people.
"You need to be a good judge of character, if you have that as a solid base you can be taught the rest," he said.
"When I started as an agent, I was very green from a livestock point of view but Luke Scicluna (Davidson Cameron and Co general manager) gave me the job 10 years ago because I looked him in the eye."
He added agents needed to be flexible as holidays were "fairly hard to come by".
"And you need thick skin because there's a lot of ups and downs and let downs in the game," he said.
Patrick Purtle from Purtle Plevey, Manilla, who has 30 years in the livestock game, said the ability to interact with people and knowledge of the product you were selling was the greatest asset an agent could have.
"You are in a partnership with your clients, you act on their behalf and you have to know what suits certain clients and what they want to achieve," Mr Purtle said.
"Whatever auction style you undertake you have to be across what you are selling."
Jim Hindmarsh from Jim Hindmarsh Livestock Agents said judging cattle and knowing what market and buyers it suits was 'fairly important" in their job.
"Knowing where to look when you are selling is a very important part of what we do. When a beast comes into the ring you should know nearly every time who is going to buy that beast," he said.
Ian Argue from Kempsey Stock and Land advice is simple if someone wants to take on a career as a stock and station agent: "it becomes your life and you need a good partner as you will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week".
Mr Argue said many people in small communities relied on their agents for a variety of jobs especially in a crisis from mustering in floods to drafting.
"Most agents enjoy the job for its variety, and as the saying goes if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life," Mr Argue said.
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