Effective Action: Communication is Essential to Education

New product launches call for sharing information about those products long before they become available to the dealer to order and sell. BioZyme® has launched three new products in May and June, meaning much of the education needed to be disseminated while a majority of the country was sheltering in place.

Regardless of their lockdown situation, two Area Sales Managers agree that they would typically communicate about new products with their dealers prior to an in-person meeting. Britney Creamer, ASM for Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, said she likes to start with the customers who the new products will specifically impact and starts reaching out to them over the phone or through email, although she does admit she prefers face-to-face meetings. Then, she makes sure to follow up with everyone else.

“Before I talk to them about a new product, I think about how it will fit their customers they service or want to service,” Creamer said. “VISION and company e-blasts are great tools, but they don’t always get to the person that needs that information the most. Some of my dealers like text messages, some prefer email. I try to put three to four bullet points together for them to highlight products that may be coming down the pipes and how they will be useful for their customers. A face-to-face visit is always useful, but as we know the last few months that hasn’t always been feasible.”

In addition to the bulleted list, ASM Justin O’Flaherty has found that the fliers and visuals are useful resources to share with her dealers and she encourages them to share those with their end-users. O’Flaherty, who represents Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas, uses social and digital media, including texting, email and Snapchat, to communicate with her dealers and said they will always have some new product information from her prior to their in-person meetings.

“One thing I do for new products, is if I think it will fit a particular demographic, I will send those dealers an email. I like to give them a heads up, and they will usually respond. I try to keep open communication lines all the time. I try to stay in constant communication. If we are on a call or get new information, I will take a picture and send it to them. I try to stay in front of them, so they know what is coming,” O’Flaherty said.

O’Flaherty said two-way communication is vital to her because she thrives on collaboration.

“I ask for a lot of feedback, especially if we are thinking about something new or different. I will pick their brain because one of my favorite things to do is collaborate. If I have an idea, I will bounce that idea off of a lot of people,” she said.

Creamer encourages all dealers to share information about the new products with their end-users who would find benefit from the products as soon as they have the information they need. Use the bulleted list or graphic flier that your ASM provides, and if you need more information, reach out to your ASM or the Outreach Support Center.

Additionally, all content in the Master Dealer, years one and two, has been updated to reflect the new products and any discontinued product lines. Be sure to take the time to review those Master Dealer segments for more information.

Although most dealers prefer to host in-person producer meetings, O’Flaherty has conducted some Zoom online training meetings with her dealers to educate them on the new product lines. Reach out to your ASM if you are still social distancing and would like to learn more about any product via this technology.

Most importantly, when reaching out to your customers, remember to mention these new products. Creamer advises that if you do have a store, to post “new product” signage next to your new product. You can even list the key benefits on the sign so the buyer or potential customer can see them.

Promoboxx is another free and simplified tool to use to promote your business. The Marketing Team at BioZyme has created “new product” material that you can share on your own social media or take pieces of to share on your social media.

New products are exciting! Learn about them. Share them. And sell them. Reach out to your ASMs if you have questions and remember we are here to help you succeed!

Dealer Retreat Offers Prime Opportunity for Growth

Professional development opportunities don’t come along every day when you are in the animal nutrition business. However, BioZyme® offers an opportunity that will help you grow your business, allow you to learn more about the products you sell and give you the chance to build valuable relationships with other dealers and the BioZyme staff.

Each June, BioZyme offers a day-and-a-half of professional development to its dealers who have achieved a specific sales goal the year prior. You’ve probably seen some promotional information for the 7th Annual BioZyme Dealer Retreat in the last two VISION newsletters. If you sold at least 50 tons of product in 2018, you’ll want to be watching your mailbox this month for your invitation.

The Dealer Retreat offers educational sessions led by BioZyme staff that covers marketing, selling tools and product highlights. There are also typically times for interactive discussions when dealers can exchange what works best for them in a given scenario or with a specific product.

Mark Johnson, Sleepy Hollow Farm, Centerville, S.D., attended his first Dealer Retreat in 2018. He highly recommends it to anyone that has the chance to attend, especially newer dealers. He said learning more about the products, meeting BioZyme staff in-person to discover who to call for what, and hearing what works for other dealers were the most beneficial parts of the retreat.

“We’ve really interacted more with the home office, mostly just because we figured out who to talk to from personal contact made at the dealer retreat,” Johnson said. “Last year, we really enjoyed getting to know the marketing staff better and realized how much was available to us.”

Johnson took what he learned from the Promoboxx session last year and made his first Facebook post at the Dealer Retreat session. And, due to that Promoboxx post, he made a sale to a new customer before the evening’s casino night was over.

“I would say Promoboxx contributed to almost 50% of our new leads since the last Dealer Retreat,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s experience is just one of many positive experiences that dealers have when they attend the Dealer Retreat. He said if it works into his schedule, he would attend again for further opportunities to grow his business, network and continue learning about the products and programs BioZyme offers.

The Dealer Retreat is not just a great place to learn, network and help grow your business. There are also some inspiring speakers, good food and entertainment and sales awards presented as well. This year dealers will experience a change of venue, moving from Saint Joseph to the Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa in Kansas City. There will still be BioZyme plant and headquarter tours available to those who wish to tour. And even if you have toured in the past, upgrades and changes are continually made to improve production and efficiency so the tours are always encouraged.

Take the time and action to grow your business.
When you receive your invitation to Dealer Retreat, RSVP with a “Yes” and reap the benefits.

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.

Collaboration Grows Business

If two heads are better than one when it comes to planning, just think how good things could be if we worked together in groups of three or four, or even more? But sometimes as an employee in a small business or a small-business owner, you might just be flying solo. That is why collaborating with others is so important to grow your business.

The connections you form with others, and the different ways you collaborate with those people you formed connections with, will help you grow your business to new levels.

An article from www.thebalancesmb.com offers five ways you might grow your small business through using collaboration, regardless of the industry you are in.

  1. Collaboration will inspire you. While it is easy to get into the routine of “we’ve always done it that way,” just think, there might be a better way. But how will you learn a different way or technique if your business is unique to you and unique to your location? Ask around. Do you want to find a new customer service tracking software? Or do you need a new way to keep inventory? Chances are there is another dealer who has gone through the same growing pains you are experiencing. Check with your ASM, and he or she can probably point you to someone in the dealer network who would be glad to visit with you about their software or record keeping system.
  2. Collaboration helps you grow your network. Just like attending the Dealer Retreat provides a great opportunity for you to expand your business relationships with other dealers, collaboration can also help you grow your customer base. Have you considered collaborating with a bull stud or semen company to host a producer meeting? All those producers that breed cattle also need mineral. Collaboration can help you grow your network and grow your sales.
  3. Collaboration is educational. With almost every interaction you have, you should learn something. This might be something as minor as learning what day the local auction market café serves your favorite meal to discovering someone in the area is going to background 500 stockers and could benefit from the VitaFerm® Gain Smart® program.
  4. Collaboration can help you save money. Small businesses, or most businesses, often run on tight budgets. Isn’t it nice to know there are others out there that can help you save money? Instead of investing in a high-price marketing firm to help you with advertising and promotion, don’t forget to collaborate with your ASM and the BioZyme® marketing department to create a mailer or promotional ad for you. This is just one of the services BioZyme offers its dealers and it will save money in your marketing budget for other items.
  5. Collaboration solves problems. Remember that adage of “two heads are better than one.” Sometimes it is nice to have someone to share ideas or look for solutions with. “Think about the last difficult problem you faced in your business. When we get stumped, most of us immediately go to a partner, mentor or other trusted resource who acts as a sounding board and helps us work through the problem. The harder the problem is to solve, the more we can benefit from getting the input of someone outside of the situation. And when you add new viewpoints and experiences to the mix, the end result will often transcend what you originally set out to accomplish,” writes Alyssa Gregory, author of the article.

You might be a small business, but you don’t have to do your business on your own. Collaborate with your ASM, other dealers, the marketing team and other industry professionals. You can even collaborate with others in your community. Get involved with the chamber of commerce or a small business partners organization. With collaboration, you will have many thinkers, and you can watch your business grow.

Information from article: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/collaboration-grows-yourbusiness-2951718