Category: Tell Everyone! Marketing

Six Tips How to Grow Your Business, Drive Customer Engagement 

In today’s competitive business environment, sales growth and customer engagement are more intertwined than ever. A successful strategy on how to grow your business focuses on converting leads into sales and building long-term relationships with customers.  

There are numerous livestock and animal vitamin and mineral supplements on the market. How do you distinguish yourself from the competition? Is it value for the product offered? Customer service? You want to remain competitive and still grow your business, regardless of whether you are selling BioZyme® products or hedge posts. 

We know that action equals growth. If you complete certain actions, you will grow sales, and increased sales typically lead to increased profitability. 

Our team has created this blog with 6 actionable pieces of advice to help your business increase sales and foster meaningful engagement with your audience.  

1. Prioritize Personalized Customer Experiences 

In the age of big data, customers expect businesses to offer personalized experiences. Tailoring product recommendations, promotions and communication to individual customer preferences can significantly boost sales.  

Use data from past purchases, browsing behavior and demographics to craft offers that resonate on a personal level. Personalization makes customers feel valued, which increases the likelihood of conversion and long-term loyalty. 

Business Tip 

Implement a customer relationship management (CRM) to manage your interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal of CRM is to improve relationships with customers to grow the business.  

CRM systems can:  

  • Unify data: Combine customer and company data from various sources  
  • Track interactions: Record interactions with customers, such as sales calls, customer service interactions, and marketing emails  
  • Improve efficiency: Streamline processes and help teams align their efforts  
  • Improve profitability: Help businesses stay connected to customers and improve profitability  
  • Improve customer retention: Help businesses identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities and address issues promptly  

BioZyme Tip 

One way to personalize your customers’ experience through the BioZyme Marketing Team is to participate in the quarterly mailers. For instance, this quarter we focused on the Four Sixes™ x VitaFerm® Legendary Nutrition Protein Tub. If you have beef-producing customers who need extra year-round protein supplementation, this would have been a great mailing to opt in for. All postcards are addressed directly to your customers and look like they come directly from you, not BioZyme! 

2. Leverage Social Proof to Build Trust 

Customers are more likely to engage with and purchase from businesses they trust. Social proof, in the form of reviews, testimonials and case studies, plays a critical role in building that trust. Showcasing how other customers have benefited from your products or services helps potential buyers feel more confident in making a purchase. 

Business Tip 

Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and share testimonials. You can also collaborate with influencers or brand advocates to expand reach and credibility. 

BioZyme Tip 

Ask some well-known and respected customers to share their experiences with your products at a producer meeting. People buy from people. If one potential customer hears a testimonial that his/her neighbor has had exceptional conception rates using a product you sell, perhaps that will be just the encouragement to move that person from “potential” to “customer.” That is just one way how to grow your business!  

3. Optimize for Mobile Commerce 

With the majority of internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, businesses that fail to optimize for mobile are missing out on significant opportunities. Ensuring your website and online store are mobile-friendly isn’t just about aesthetics; it impacts sales and engagement directly. A seamless mobile experience is crucial for converting casual browsers into buyers. 

Some may argue that it isn’t necessary to have a mobile-friendly website for farmers and ranchers. However, studies report that 94% of agricultural producers use smartphones regularly. 

Business Tip  

Simplify the mobile shopping experience by improving page loading speed, offering easy navigation and integrating mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay or Google Wallet.  

BioZyme Tip 

Perhaps you don’t sell your products online. That’s okay. However, it is still important to have a website so your customers can find you! Include your contact information, address and hours of operation.  

Even if you don’t sell products online, it is still a great idea to list the products you do offer on your website. If your customer is in a rural area looking for a particular product, it will make the decision easier for them to come buy from you, if they see the product they desire on your website. 

4. Implement a Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy 

Your customers are everywhere—on social media, checking emails, browsing websites, listening to the radio and reading publications. To maximize your sales potential, you need to meet them where they are. A multi-channel marketing strategy ensures you’re present on all relevant platforms, giving you multiple touchpoints to engage and convert customers. 

You have likely heard of the Marketing Rule of 7. This strategy is over 100 years old. It says that a person must be exposed to a message at least 7 times before they engage or make a purchase. But think about it – in the 1930s, the marketing channels were print and radio. Today, with so many mediums, a customer or potential customer needs to be exposed many more times. Most modern marketing research suggests it takes over 21 touches to have that same effect! That is why it is so vital to implement a multi-channel marketing plan as you determine how to grow your business.  

Business Tip 

Use email, social media, and SMS campaigns to nurture leads and promote special offers. Ensure consistent messaging across all channels to reinforce brand identity and trust. 

BioZyme Tip 

Rely on our Marketing Team to create ads—print, social, radio—that align with our national campaigns for each brand. If you are planning to promote DuraFerm® just before breeding season, we likely have some branded collateral ready. The same is true for every brand during each quarter. Reach out to your Area Sales Manager to find out how to use our marketing expertise to your advantage.  You can also submit a marketing request for customized social content by submitting a marketing request through the Online Dealer Center. 

5. Harness the Power of Data Analytics 

Businesses that understand their data can make informed decisions that drive growth. By tracking customer behavior, sales trends and engagement metrics, you can identify what works and where improvements are needed. Data analytics allows you to refine your sales funnel, improve conversion rates and enhance the overall customer experience.  

This is why we suggested the CRM software in our first bullet above.  

Business Tip 

When you invest in CRM software and other analytics tools, you can see just how powerful your marketing strategy truly is. You can use these tools to monitor your sales pipeline, customer interactions and marketing effectiveness. Additionally, your data analytics can help you determine which marketing spend leads to the most sales conversions and is a great way to plan for future marketing plans and budgets. 

BioZyme Tip 

Let our team at BioZyme help walk you through the analytics you’ve collected. Sometimes, a fresh perspective through a different set of eyes is what you need to fully appreciate where you’ve come and where you’re going. Lean into your ASM or call on the Marketing Team to help you analyze your data and plan the next steps of your marketing strategy. 

6. Engage Customers with Value-Driven Content 

Content is still king when it comes to engagement. By offering value-driven content, such as how-to guides, industry insights or interactive tools, you can position your brand as a trusted authority in your field. This not only increases customer engagement but also fosters loyalty. Valuable content keeps customers coming back, even when they’re not actively shopping. 

Business Tip 

Regularly publish blog posts, create engaging social media content or offer free webinars that educate and inform your audience. This not only boosts engagement but can also lead to more qualified leads. You don’t need every social media platform, but one expert suggests focusing on 1 or 2 that your audience uses regularly and using them well.   

The following numbers might seem like a lot, especially when running your full-time business is your true priority. If you can post this frequently, that’s great, if not, whatever you can do will be plenty. A few posts when you’re able is always going to be better than no posts at all.  

Here is a suggested frequency for posting to social media:  

  • Facebook: 1–2 posts per day, or 5 times per week  
  • Instagram: 1–2 posts per day for in-feed posts, and 2 posts per day for stories  
  • Twitter: 3–4 tweets per day  
  • LinkedIn: 1–2 posts per day  
  • TikTok: 1–4 posts per day  
  • Pinterest: 15–25 pins per day  
  • YouTube: 1 video per week, or 1–3 videos per week for shorts  

Posting too frequently can annoy followers, and users want to see what their friends and family are doing in addition to interacting with their favorite brands. Some suggest that the best times to post are between 9 -10 a.m. or 7 p.m. in your target audience’s respective time zone. 

BioZyme Tip 

BioZyme creates content you can use, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! You are invited and welcome to share the blogs that we post on any of our brand websites. Each quarter, we also create social media posts that you can share on your own social media platforms for each brand. These posts are currently found on Promoboxx and are easy to share on your own platforms as pre-created posts that align with our current campaigns. 

By applying these 6 strategies, your businesses can enhance customer engagement and ultimately drive more sales. Focusing on personalized experiences, building trust, optimizing for mobile, leveraging multiple marketing channels, using data analytics, and providing value-driven content will give any company a competitive edge in today’s market. 

BioZyme Offers Marketing Assistance 

BioZyme is built on great products and even great dealers. We want our dealers to succeed with the BioZyme products and in business in general. That is why we provide these educational resources on how to grow your business and guide you to take action for your business. As we know, action equals growth, and growth equals success. If you don’t succeed, we don’t either. 

When you are in the Online Dealer Center, check out the Marketing Tools tab in the upper right side of the screen. Here, you will find our brand logos, a link to Promoboxx, the SAMM Center and the online form to submit marketing requests. The SAMM Center is where you can request literature, wearables and more to help promote your business. If you are looking for personalized signage, a specific print or radio ad or want to host a producer meeting, you will need to submit a marketing request. 

We hope these 6 strategies have helped you determine how to grow your business. We want you to drive customer engagement and we want you to succeed!  

How Digital Marketing Helps to Grow Your Business 

how digital marketing helps to grow your business

In today’s fast-paced world, digital marketing has become a fundamental tool for businesses of all sizes. With the rise of the internet, smartphones and social media, traditional advertising methods are no longer sufficient to capture the attention of potential customers. By leveraging the power of digital platforms, businesses can grow their reach, engage more effectively with their target audience and ultimately boost revenue.  

Don’t get us wrong. At BioZyme®, we still believe in traditional marketing methods. Print advertising, invoice stuffers and radio are still viable marketing methods – especially in rural areas, where many of our dealers operate.  

We want to offer advice on how to grow your business. We’ve compiled our best advice on how digital marketing helps to grow your business. 

 1. Expanding Your Reach Through Targeted Advertising 

One of the most significant advantages of digital marketing is its ability to expand your business’s reach far beyond local borders. Using platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads or Instagram, businesses can reach millions of potential customers with precision targeting. Unlike traditional advertising, which might cast a wide net with no guarantee of reaching your ideal audience, digital marketing tools allow you to target specific demographics, interests and behaviors. 

This ensures that your advertising efforts are seen by more people and by the right people. With real-time analytics, you can track your campaign’s performance and adjust as needed to maximize its effectiveness. 

 2. Improving Engagement with Content Marketing 

Content marketing is an essential aspect of digital marketing that focuses on creating valuable and relevant content for your audience. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, or social media updates, high-quality content helps you build trust with your target audience and keep them engaged. Regularly publishing helpful content also positions your business as a thought leader in your industry, making you the go-to source for information. 

When consumers trust your brand and find value in what you offer, they are more likely to become loyal customers and recommend your business to others. Digital platforms empower businesses to share and amplify content, ensuring it reaches a wide audience. 

Watch for upcoming news in the Dealer Center about how you can accelerate your business’s social media marketing. 

3. Boosting Sales with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

A well-executed SEO strategy ensures your website ranks higher on search engines like Google. This means that when potential customers search for products or services related to your business, they are more likely to find you. 

SEO involves optimizing your website’s content, structure and design to ensure it is easily discoverable by search engines. The better your website performs in search results, the more organic traffic it will receive. Furthermore, higher traffic means more opportunities to convert visitors into paying customers. As a long-term strategy, SEO is cost-effective and provides continuous benefits as your website’s visibility improves over time. 

At BioZyme, we are fortunate to have an SEO expert on our Marketing Team. If you have specific questions about SEO, reach out to John Sprong. 

The Final Word 

Now that we’ve reviewed how digital marketing helps to grow your business, we hope you feel empowered to increase your online presence. Digital marketing is a powerful tool that can significantly accelerate business growth.

By leveraging targeted advertising, content marketing and SEO, businesses can expand their reach, engage effectively with their audience and drive sales. In a digital-first world, embracing these strategies is critical to staying competitive and achieving sustainable success.  

We hope you appreciate and use these three essential tips on how digital marketing can help you grow your business. Put them into practice, and watch your business grow.  

The Importance of Testimonials – How to Snag ‘Em and Ways to Use ‘Em

Word of mouth marketing is one of the most important marketing tools you can use in any type of marketing vehicle: social media, website, sales letter, advertisement. 

According to socialfresh.com, “customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating at content marketing at 89%.” In other words, testimonials are 89% better at increasing conversion rates than other forms of marketing.

At BioZyme®, we love to earn customer testimonials, and we use them frequently. The hashtags #TestimonialTuesday or #FeatureFriday are a great way to showcase what customers are saying about the products on social media, and as you will read below, there are other ways to showcase testimonials as well. 

However, it isn’t always easy to get customers to share what they like about a product. 

“I usually find that if I start the conversation asking about their animals and their goals, they will be more open. I ask what challenges they were having and what led them to using the particular BioZyme product. Then, I ask them specific questions about the results they saw. What was their overall conception rate? How many more lambs did they wean? How many more pounds of gain did they experience with the Gain Smart mineral? Our producers are typically very data driven and keep great records and those are the stories we want to share,” said Shelia Grobosky, BioZyme Content & PR Manager. 

Below are four types of testimonials you can use in your marketing. 

  • Quote Testimonial:

The most common type, it is exactly what its name implies, a simple quote. You can get these over the phone, via email or in person, and use these a variety of ways. These are often the most read and most effective. The audience can read these quickly, and the quote gets right to the point.

  • Longform Testimonial: 

This might be a five-minute testimonial. You might record a conversation with a customer (always ask for permission before recording), and he or she has a great story. You can transcribe this for your website or even ask permission to post the entire audio to your website, as some people will prefer to listen to it over reading this long paragraph. These will also typically show more emotion, and emotion sells. 

  • Social Testimonial: 

This is another effective testimonial where you ask your customer to post their own review of a product on their own social media account, perhaps with a photo of the product. 

  • Video Testimonial: 

Like its name implies, this is a video of a customer telling you and your audience why he or she likes the product and the impact they have seen with the product. This is often the most beneficial since there is no reading involved, and the viewer can see and hear the emotion in the speaker’s voice. 

Testimonials are a great marketing tool. We encourage you to use them in your marketing, and if you have a great testimonial to share with our team, reach out to Grobosky at sgrobosky@biozymeinc.com. 

Tell Everyone: Audio is Becoming More Relevant in Marketing

Marketing involves all five of the senses, and that includes auditory. As the technology becomes more affordable and easier to access, there is no reason not to lean on more audio technology in your marketing strategies. It takes only 0.146 seconds for a human being to hear and interpret a sound. This makes sound a direct avenue to a customer’s emotions and can lead to increased brand recognition for your business.


Nearly 80% of Americans listen to some audio every day. This includes podcasts, radios and other music streaming outlets. It seems like most people are tuned in to some type of audio, so it seems logical to promote your business using audio as a way to complement your marketing strategy. According to Man Made Music, a company focused on sonic branding, music can lead to a 46% increase in brand favorability.


Here are some ways you can use audio to build recognition and help in your marketing.


Radio Ads
A Nielsen study showed that 92% of the U.S. population listens to the radio weekly, 5% more than the population that watches television. So, radio advertising is likely an effective form of promotion, especially in rural areas where many dealers are located. BioZyme® has 30-second radio scripts written for several products and can write scripts for any product or scenario by submitting a marketing request. We typically suggest you use your own voice, or the local broadcaster records it as there is credibility with a local voice.


In Store Music
Playing music in the store while customers are shopping, helps convey emotions, influence consumer behavior and tell your brand story. For example, most fast food or convenience stores play fast-paced music because they want customers to move quickly so they can reap more business. On the other hand, a retail store selling clothing, home decor or even nutritional supplements might play a slower music to encourage browsing, question asking and more shopping.


Podcasts
Podcasts are an opportunity to offer education about your goods and services that a company offers. But take heed, podcasts take planning and implementation. You will want to have several recorded and ready to air before you actually release them. You will want to promote your podcast heavily on your social media and in your store
and be sure to ask for feedback after the first one airs.


Remember marketing involves all five of the senses. When you do incorporate audio, be sure to tie it into the other strategies you are using. It typically takes seven
impressions to make a sale, so be sure to include audio in your marketing strategy

Tell Everyone: Marketing Plans Start NOW

Marketing is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Regardless of if you are selling widgets or high-quality feed supplements, marketing is going to help you grow your business, build relationships with your customers and increase your profits.

As we move into 2023, there are more marketing opportunities than ever before. We no longer live in your grandpa’s world of driving downtown and putting an advertisement in the local newspaper made with clipart provided by the local cattle association, hoping for results.

Dealers, you have so many options available to you. So, grab your yellow legal pad or even your iPad, and take notes, because your marketing plans start now.

Make a plan. Divide your year into quarters and break each quarter into months. Decide what is important to your customers during those given months. If it starts getting hot in March or April where you live, you will probably want to start promoting a mineral that includes HEAT® in February or even earlier to make it top of mind. Market Sure Champ® products in the months leading up to and during livestock shows in your area. If you have a big wall calendar or like to use excel spreadsheets, use these tools to help visualize your plan.

Create a budget. Do you know how much money you have to spend on marketing? Do you plan to spend money each month? Every other month? Is the dollar amount dependent on sales or time of year? As you prepare your annual budget, set aside some marketing dollars for advertising, promotional items and even a producer meeting. If you have those funds budgeted early on, you should not spend them on other items, and know that you have the money reserved specifically for marketing efforts.

Choose your vehicles. Once you know your budget and what you plan to market, determine which outlets you would like to use for your marketing. Do you plan to rely solely on social media? Will you print stuffers to go with your invoices to promote new or timely products? Do you plan to advertise on the local radio station or with the local sports boosters on the high school football programs? If you know your customers or the potential customers you are trying to reach, you can determine which of the vehicles are relevant to them. Whichever vehicle you decide on, make sure you know the cost, the deadline and the file format you need to provide if it is an external company like a newspaper or radio station.

Use social media. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are growing in popularity. Social media offers several benefits, with the most popular being that it is free. Other benefits include that it is widely accessible by most people anywhere, including at their fingertips, and it allows you to interact with your customers, whereas traditional advertising only allows for one-way communication. Use social media to your advantage. If you are not fully comfortable with some of the tools and platforms, remember that BioZyme offers Promoboxx as free service, and you can link your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for free content.

Evaluate your action. After you have conducted your marketing action, it is always important to evaluate the outcome. Did a particular advertisement or promotion drive customers to the store? Did your business experience an increase in sales due to your marketing efforts? Take notes. If the sales didn’t increase, chalk one up for experience. If the sales went through the roof, write it down and plan for something very similar for the same time the next year.

Marketing is ever evolving. You don’t have to do it alone. Be sure to reach out to your ASM, use the tools provided to you in the Online Dealer Center or contact a member of the BioZyme Marketing Team. We are here to help you market your business and increase your sales.

Collaborate with our Marketing Team to Enhance Your Business

Whether you’ve been a BioZyme® dealer for years or you are in the early stages of being a dealer, there is one thing for certain; the company is here to help you succeed and grow. From your Area Sales Manager to Business Development, Outreach Support, Customer Support, Nutrition Support, Marketing, Quality Control and Production, every employee at BioZyme is here to help you thrive in your dealership.

Jordan Milliren, who represents Iowa and Southwest Minnesota, is just one of the ASMs that makes sure his dealers have the marketing tools and support they need to grow and generate sales. He credits Trent Gabler and Mike Wadle, the previous ASMs in his territory, with building a solid foundation of dealers. Milliren said he works to ensure those dealers have the tools and resources they need to promote their products to current and potential customers.

“My dealers know their customers better than I do. They know if a mailer or touch-point is going to end-user customers, those customers are going to call and usually do business with them,” Milliren said.

Although sometimes unsure at first, he said his dealers are usually willing to work with him on a mailing. After all, it is to their benefit and cost effective for them. He credits the creativity and working relationship he has with the marketing team at BioZyme. He said he often has ideas for mailings or e-blasts, and they put them together to make them happen.

“I think it is important for our dealers to know that marketing does pay. I’d put our marketing team up against anyone in the industry. They have the ability to do some pretty creative stuff for our dealers, and it is to benefit their business, as well as BioZyme’s,” he said.

Brand awareness and education are priorities when it comes to Milliren’s marketing goals. When introducing a new dealer, he likes to introduce the person as a dealer with a small promotion just to help that dealer generate business. And with so many competitors on the market, making the touch-points, creating brand awareness and sharing one or two benefits is important.

“We don’t want to give customers too much information at once, but hit the highlights, like how a stress tub can help your calves at weaning time or why Concept•Aid® is important at breeding,” he said.

Milliren said he likes to send quarterly mailers to keep the brands in front of customers who have busy lifestyles. For instance, during planting and harvest, farmers might need a gentle reminder to check their cattle’s mineral, even though they know it is important. He said monthly e-mails help keep that brand awareness high as well.

Marketing can be a big undertaking. But with the assistance of your ASM and the BioZyme marketing team, you can work together to promote your business. Remember, there are many ways to work with the BioZyme staff. Just reach out to your ASM or the Outreach Support Center and let us know how we can help you grow your business.

Host a Holiday Open House

It’s the time of year for holiday parties, Christmas cookies and egg nog. Sounds like a great reason to host an open house at your business. An open house doesn’t need to be extravagant, costly or time consuming. However, it is a great way to open your doors to the community, your customers and spread some extra cheer during the winter.

If you have an actual store, especially in town or on the edge of town, perhaps hosting an open house makes a lot of sense. It is a chance to promote your business and share in the spirit of the holidays. Often, smaller towns will have a holiday parade, dedicate one night a week when they are open later for shopping or have a community bazaar. These are ideal times to hang a little garland, turn on the coffee pot and host your open house.

If you are an on-farm dealer, you can still host an open house; it might just take a little more planning and preparation. You might put more effort into promoting your event and issuing invitations. You can tidy up the shop or barn where you store product, and still put on the coffee and show your appreciation for your customers – your community.

First, you need to establish a date when you will host your open house. Find out when other events are happening and if it makes sense, plan your open house with those. If there are not a lot of other community holiday events, plan your event during a time when there are not other local community events like a basketball game or concert. Promote your event through local advertising, your store sign, a poster on your door and your social media channels. You might even want to make some phone calls to key customers or potential customers.

Next, plan what will make your open house special from regular store hours. Will you offer food and beverage? What will that involve? Are you thinking sugar cookies and punch? Meat balls in the crock pot with cheese and crackers? Or something more substantial like sandwiches and chips? Whatever you do plan, make sure you have plenty to offer. Nothing is worse than having an event and running out of food.

Provide a learning opportunity. Especially if you are a storefront, maybe not everyone in the community knows what products or services you offer. Make yourself available to share your story or have some type of game or entertainment to showcase the products. Think a store scavenger hunt or BioZyme® Bingo.

Give back to the community. Perhaps you can have a toy drive for local kids or a pet supply drive for the local animal shelter. Make it interactive – bring in a toy or purchase a bag of dog food to leave for the pet shelter and get a $5 off coupon toward your next purchase. There are a variety of ways to give to others this time of year.

If you are an on-farm dealer, your open house might resemble that an open house where you get together with friends, neighbors and customers. People are always looking for a good reason to slow down for bowl of soup and good conversation. And remember, you can also take part in community opportunities and spread the cheer.

For more ideas on hosting a holiday open house, contact Ashley Fitzsimmons at afitzsimmons@biozymeinc.com or (307) 575-1082.

Marketing Will Wow Your Customers

Chances are you wouldn’t be selling the products you offer if you didn’t believe in them. In fact, the 2017 Dealer Survey results show that 82 percent of BioZyme® dealers already use the products they sell. So, that personal experience is one way to share your story and tell how the products work in your operation or on your companion animals.

However, a plethora of animal nutrition products exist on the market. And even though we know that our BioZyme supplements are unique due to the Amaferm® advantage, sometimes the best way to WOW your customers is by focusing on your service attitude versus constantly talking about your products.

“My best advice to produce the most effective results is to advertise to your customers where they are, when they are there,” said Ashley Fitzsimmons, Regional & Partners in Performance Marketing Manager for BioZyme Inc. “Fall is a busy time with weaning, harvest and this year’s weather! So, meeting customers where they are whether that is taking out meals to farmers, being present for conversations at your local cattlemen’s meeting, the sale barn on a busy day, your state/county fairs, etc. really is the most effective tactic.”

Being present where your customers are is just one way of providing service marketing. If they are harvesting, they probably haven’t taken time to think about their cow herd’s nutrition prior to calving or even thought about placing a mineral order. But, you probably have. Reach out to them with a sack lunch or an afternoon drink while they are harvesting with a gentle reminder of how many days are left in this year and a list of the mineral they purchased from you last year at this time – making their lives simplified, and potentially making a sale for you!

Another service you can provide is to simply listen. This is a great time of year to host producer meetings. However, the interaction shouldn’t always be about the dealer talking about new products or special promotions. Take time for an open discussion. Hear what is on the minds of the producers and end-users of the products and see how you can provide a service you haven’t already thought of.

“No one knows your customers and your community better than you do, which is what makes local dealers so incredibly vital and important to our company. If anyone ever wants to bounce ideas back and forth or see what tactics have worked best in a community like theirs I’m always available via email,” Fitzsimmons reminds the dealers.

Providing a service and listening to your customers – you have just turned two traditional customer service tactics into marketing plans to help you reach your customers in a way that will WOW them. Everyone likes to have a service provided to them, especially when it is unexpected. And, when a customer is listened to, it makes them feel more like a part of your team. Use these two marketing tools to wow your customers this fall and see your sales grow!

Share Your Story

It’s the anniversary dance at a friend’s wedding. The emcee announces for all married couples to gather on the dance floor. Immediately, the newlyweds are seated, being the most recently married. Then in five-or 10-year increments, couples are dismissed by the number of years they have been married. One couple remains, dancing hand-in-hand like they have for 57 wonderfully wedded years. Don’t you wonder what their story is? What is the secret to their success?

And now you’re wondering what that story has to do with being in business or more specifically the animal nutrition business. The point is, everyone has a story. Everyone, including you. And it is time to tell your story.

According to the Small Business Administration, there are more than 28 million small businesses, making up 99.7% of all U.S. businesses. That makes your story one in 28 million! Do you know your story? Do you have a 3-minute “elevator” speech to share with someone if you were mingling at a party or at a networking function where you didn’t know others in the room? Think about it. What is your story? What makes you unique? And I know there is something unique about each and every one of our dealers.

First, determine what your story is. Perhaps, you are an equine enthusiast who became passionate about the products and want to share the products with all of your friends at the barn, show, rodeo, etc… Or, you might be a second-generation dealer who is taking over the reins of the family business – the farm and the feed dealership. Maybe, you are young person who felt there was a void in your “neighborhood” for a high-quality mineral program.

Once you determine what your story is and why you’re passionate about helping animals and their owners, determine who your audience is. Obviously, it is your customers. But, there are potential customers in your everyday lives too. Chances are your doctor or dentist has a dog or maybe even a horse. Do they know that you sell a product that can improve the health and well-being of their four-legged friends? And what about the local service organizations? Rotary, Kiwanis, Sertoma. Those groups are always looking for local businesspeople to come share their stories and how they are involved in the local community. Reach out to them to get on their calendar.

How will you tell your story? Of course, speaking engagements and one-on-one conversations are great. But you probably won’t be able to talk to everyone at one time so use other methods to share your story. Share it on social media. What do you do at the feed store on a daily basis? Did you go out to a customer’s ranch and take forage samples to send in? Document that with pictures to share on Facebook, Instagram or your business web site. People are interested. They have a desire to know what you are doing and how you do it. Explain the process. If you have customer newsletter, devote part of that to your story. Or work with your local paper to have a regular column in it to talk about agriculture and animal health – another great way to share what you are doing.

No, it isn’t always easy to talk about ourselves. And we might not think what we do on a daily basis matters. But remember, as a business you are one in 28 million. You have a story. Share it with those around you. You might be amazed at the positive feedback you receive.

“Snack & Savings” Get Mineral Message to Farmers

Nebraska ranks second in the nation in total cow-calf production, only behind Texas. However, when late spring and early summer roll around, most farmers and ranchers have just one thing on their minds – planting and irrigating crops. Taylor Ruether, Area Sales Manager for Nebraska, was working with a few of her dealers to come up with an innovative way to get in front of farmers during their busy season, when the “Snack & Savings” approach was created.

“One dealership gave me the idea to do this, because I was wanting to work with him, and he kept saying, ‘It’s farming season, you can’t catch any body right now.’ So, I was trying to come up with a way to get in front of farmers during their busy season,” Ruether said.

Snack & Savings gave Ruether and her dealers the opportunity to get in front of farmers – bringing them either a sack lunch that included a sandwich, chips and a drink, or a mid-afternoon snack of a cold-drink and either a bag of chips or a candy bar. Included with the snack was a product guide and a coupon for any VitaFerm® product.

Ruether made this opportunity available to any of her dealers who wanted to set up appointments to meet with customers and potential customers. She had a couple of dealers who really grasped the concept and spent a couple of days with a cooler of water and sodas and met with farmers to remind them about summer mineral programs.

“We felt like it was a good way to give back to farmers when they are crazy and hectic, and it did get most of them to stop and talk to us, even if it was just to remind them about BioZyme. No one usually turns down a pop and a bag of chips. The beautiful thing about this promotion is, if someone didn’t use the coupon, it didn’t really cost anything,” she said.

The Snack & Savings trips were a good investment in time. Ruether said that dealers did make some Sure Champ® Extreme and VitaFerm® HEAT® sales while talking to the famers. Follow-up appointments have resulted in interest in the VitaFerm® Gain Smart® program.

Ruether will work with her dealers again on similar promotions and marketing efforts, taking the message to the customers. She feels the efforts are worthwhile and she will encourage more dealer involvement. She also learned that chips are the preferred snack over candy bars.

“Anytime you do stuff like this, the more people expect it, and the better response you have. We’ve had some follow-up, and that was worth our time and effort,” she said.