BioZyme® Staff Backs up their Words with Actions
Staying relevant in the industry and gaining valuable perspective are two important characteristics to members of the BioZyme® Inc. staff that recently attended the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo. Not only are they continual ambassadors for the BioZyme products, these company employees are in the trenches every day raising and showing livestock with their families, and the National Western offered them unique opportunities in 2018 to not just talk-the-talk, but walk-the-walk.
Area Sales Managers Lindsey Grimes-Hall, Hillsboro, Ohio, and Britney Creamer, Montrose, Colo., had the opportunities to evaluate open cattle shows at this year’s NWSS. Grimes-Hall evaluated the Simmental bulls and females with her dad, while Creamer was the judge of the Galloway show, and had the opportunity to meet cattle producers from as far away as Scotland.
“This was my first time to judge a show with my dad,” said Grimes-Hall. “It was cool and surreal to be judging with him at the ‘super bowl of livestock shows.’”
In addition to judging the open Galloway show, Creamer also exhibited cattle with her family, Lazy JB Angus, both on the Hill and in the Yards. This is the 23rd year that the 28-year-old Creamer has helped her family show cattle in Denver, and it is a tradition she looks forward to every year.
“Staying involved in the day-to-day activities at my family’s ranch allows me to better relate to the producers that I sell BioZyme products to and understand what struggles or successes they may encounter,” Creamer said. “While participating at the National Western I am viewed more as an equal to my peers and potential customers rather than a “sales rep” and I have found that producers are more comfortable talking to me about products and programs than they are walking into a booth or tent. I get the opportunity to meet a lot of producers from throughout the world and am able to pair them up with the appropriate products and ASMs that can help them in their given territories.”
In the junior barn, Jackie Lackey, Director of Strategic Marketing, Haskell, Texas, and Blaine Rodgers, Show Livestock Business Development & Field Support, Savannah, Mo., were helping their children prepare to show livestock, taking on the role of “show parents.” Weston Lackey showed the reserve grand champion market barrow, while Payton Rodgers showed the grand champion market barrow. Payton also showed a steer the next day.
Rodgers said watching his 11-year-old daughter win Denver is one of the greatest moments of his life.
“Seeing her emotional reaction was something I will never forget. As a parent who is heavily involved in the show industry, to see her react the way she did was so reassuring that we are doing this as a family for the right reasons – that it is truly something she is passionate about, and not something she is doing just because we are. Over the years I’ve been very fortunate to see other kids reach their goals through these programs, but to watch my own daughter was very special,” Rodgers said.
Creamer, Grimes-Hall, Lackey and Rodgers are all involved in production agriculture as well as showing across the United States. They agree that their personal involvement in the industry helps them promote the products they represent and stay current on trends.
“To do our jobs, we really need to see the big picture,” said Grimes-Hall. “We need to know what’s relevant. You can have the best sales pitch in the world, but if it isn’t relevant to your part of the country or you’re not up to date on what’s going on in the industry, you can’t provide the best service or advice for your customers.”
Rodgers agrees that using the products every day helps him promote and help develop new products for the show industry.
“I was using Sure Champ® products before I started working at BioZyme. Now as part of the team, I know first-hand that when we develop products, they are backed with research; they aren’t just a marketing gimmick. We have very smart people who put them together and do the research,” Rodgers said. “I’m as competitive of a person as there is. If I’m going to use a product, it’s going to be something I believe in. It takes a lot for all the stars to line up to win a show – and for that to happen, you’ve got to have the right products in your show box to get you there.”
Lackey said taking on the parent role at shows has broadened her perspective of the industry, and it helps her be a better marketer of not only the products, but of the livestock business as a whole.
“As a parent your perspective changes. The show livestock industry exists to help develop kids and introduce them to the world of animal agriculture so that perhaps someday they wish to stay involved. The desire to be competitive and win, of course still exists, but the desire to teach your children about the industry and the similarities and differences between show livestock and the commercial world is more important. It brings me back to the real reason we are in this business,” she said.
Many BioZyme representatives and dealers will tell you the products sell themselves. For these livestock breeders, exhibitors, judges and show parents, they will tell you the products do sell themselves, but keeping relevant in the industry and using the products themselves, helps them build stronger relationships with customers and potential customers.