Category: Diversify

Nutrition and health. The two are synergistic, and one multi-generation background operation in Oklahoma has found that if they keep their calves healthier from the start with a good nutrition and vaccination program, the calves stay healthier during their time on the ranch.

“Vita Charge® has been important to us. It’s helped us be able to run more cattle faster through the system without making any major changes and without spending a lot of money,” said Steve Howard of Howard Ranches at Waurika, Oklahoma. Howard Ranches backgrounds 14,000 to 15,000 calves annually.

According to Micky Worley, sales rep for Twin Rivers Vet Supply, Howard Ranches has been a long-time customer, buying vaccines from the company for more than a dozen years. But about four years ago, the progressive operation also wanted to keep their nutrition in check too, realizing that health and nutrition typically work better together.

“We know that premium nutrition like that offered through the Vita Charge program is a direct benefit to a good vaccination program. The Vita Charge Drench helps those calves’ digestive system get to working right. It keeps them on feed, keeps them going, keeps them gaining and performing,” Worley said.

Upon arrival, the Howards, give each calf a dose of Vita Charge Cattle Drench which provides a jump start to the digestive system and protects cattle during stress. It is formulated to help cattle recover quickly and does not interfere with antibiotics that might be given simultaneously. Amaferm®, a research-proven precision prebiotic that increases intake, digestion and absorption is the key ingredient in all BioZyme products. Once the calves are processed, they are turned into pens for up to three weeks to make sure they stay healthy before they are turned out to grass. In those pens, they have Vita Charge Stress Tubs waiting for them. The tubs allow cattle to get their daily dose of Vita Charge in a convenient method. In addition to Amaferm, the Stress Tubs also contain MOS to expel the bad pathogens in the gut.

“As soon as we started using it, we saw our consumption go up. Cattle went to the bunks faster and would eat more. There in turn, I know they started gaining weight from day one, instead of setting there several days just trying to get back to pay weight. In addition, before we started using the Vita Charge Drench, we would spend at least an extra $3 per head, per load using more medicine to treat sick cattle. That first year, from the day we started using it until the end of the year, we got in about 700 head and our death loss dropped one-half of a percent. Little things make a big difference,” Steve added.

In addition to the monetary cost savings of medicine since the Howards switched to Vita Charge, Steve said they are saving time and labor from pulling and treating sick calves. Their calves are not getting set back; they are feeling good and gaining.

“The return on investment is several times over what it costs to put the Vita Charge in them. I couldn’t be happier. Their consumption is up, their performance this year is better than I can remember. At the end of the day, they are healthy, eating good, feeling good and will make more money,” Steve said.

When a program saves time, money and keeps calves healthy and performing, that is an investment worth looking into. Not only do the synergies exist between the products BioZyme offers, but good nutrition works together with good health, keeping those cattle growing and gaining the way they should with fewer treatments.

Miles Baker is a student of his horses. He spends at least 12-14 hours each day with the 10-15 horses he is currently training. And that’s just his half of the equine athletes he and his business partner have split to work with. Although Baker has been horseback and working with young horses as long as he can recall, he doesn’t want to be known solely as a horse trainer, although that is his primary profession.

“I want people to be like ‘that guy’s a horseman. He can start colts. He can ride a cutter. He can ride a reiner. He can train a rope horse.’ I just want to be known as good at anything that involves a horse,” Baker said.

Baker started riding on his dad’s southwest Oklahoma ranch and feedlot when he was just a young kid. He’d ride pens, rope and treat sick calves. Later, he rodeoed at Oklahoma State University and continued to train some horses in college, until he returned back to the family ranch, where he said training horses works really well with the cattle operation.

A critical part of his horsemanship skills is keeping his horses in good shape nutritionally. He learned about the Vitalize® equine products from a friend who uses the VitaFerm® products on his cows. He now feeds only alfalfa and a program of Vitalize products, allowing him to save money on grain.

Baker said his program consists primarily of Vitalize® Digest More® Plus and Vitalize® Alimend®. He counts on Vitalize® High Performance and Vitalize® Equine Gel when he needs some assistance.

“If I have a program, it is like a common ground, a set regimen that everything gets. And I know if I need to go up or down. That’s why my program consists of Vitalize Alimend and Digest More. On the 2-year-olds if they stay fat as a tick, they don’t get the Alimend. They only get the Digest More. Then, if I have a horse I want to do a little bit better, I can step them up with the Equine High Performance. With having the Alimend and Digest More as the common ground, it lets me know if I need to do more or if I can do less,” he said.

Although he doesn’t use the Vitalize Equine Gel daily, he said it is definitely one of his favorite products to get him out of a bind.

“We’ve had some young horses and hauled them. They get off feed and water when the get on the road. Then, we’ve got some horses in and changed their diet, and they go off feed or get a little colicky. It seems like I can give them that Equine Gel and they are back on feed and water really quick. The Vitalize Equine Gel has saved me some trips to the vet,” he said.

For Baker, the Vitalize program is an important part to his horsemanship success. He encourages others to find the Vitalize products they like and develop a program that works for them, too.

“The thing that keeps me going is you never quit learning, and that is part of the horsemanship side for me. You never stop learning about the horse, mentally, physically. Whether it’s training them, feeding them, just being around them. I take a lot of pride in the riding side of it and the feed program side of it and I’m constantly just trying to become a better horseman. You have to continue trying to do what’s best for the horse and you can’t do that without a good feed program,” he said.

Steve Groves is a self-proclaimed Amaferm® guru. His passion for the prebiotic found in the BioZyme products and understanding of the benefits of absorption is why he said it is important to him to make sure it is in his herd’s diet year-round.

Groves owns River Bend Cattle at Garland City, Arkansas. At just 300-feet elevation, in the southwest corner of the state, the cow-calf producer and BioZyme dealer said that Amaferm is one of the main reasons he switched his mineral to the BioZyme products. And he feeds the entire program.

“I can’t stress enough what Amaferm does for a cow. Increasing absorption of what you are feeding them, it is just helping them do a better job,” Groves said.

Groves has shortened his calving window to 60 days since using the VitaFerm® products. He calves in January and February, so his cows start on the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid ® 5/S in December and are on that mineral until late April or early May, when they switch to VitaFerm HEAT® . They consume HEAT until mid-October, and then eat Cattlemen’s Blend until December when they start back on the Concept•Aid 5/S.

Groves said he initially started solely using the Cattlemen’s Blend mineral, and he experienced a slight increase in his conception rates. He decided to try the VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S to see if he could take it up one more notch. He said it did. In addition to his commercial cow herd, Groves puts embryos in about 60 cows each year, and he knows how easy it is for those cows to lose a calf, and if they lose a calf, they are out everything.

“I will do anything I can to hold that embryo. We’ve had great results with the VitaFerm Concept•Aid,” he said.

Weaning Program Just as he’s a believer in the VitaFerm program for his cows, he’s a firm proponent for the 3-step Gain Smart® program when he weans his calves. He gives them all a dose of Vita Charge® Cattle Drench at weaning time, and then starts them on the Vita Charge Stress Tubs and Gain Smart mineral.

“Gain Smart is really economical on my calves. I have had awfully good results. No sickness. Their health is right where it should be. I don’t worry about consumption for the first 30 days. They will usually slow down,” Groves said.

If he feels his calves are over consuming their Gain Smart, he will put salt at the bottom of their feeder, so they have to eat the mineral first, then eat some salt for a few days before he refills the feeder with mineral. He always felt like different types of grass made them crave salt.

Groves will ship his calves in early July when they reach about 800 pounds. Since they are getting fleshy, he switches them to Gain Smart Stocker HEAT® around May 1. He said the cattle continue to eat well and gain well for those last two months, even at heavier weights.

Selling the Program Groves does not run eared cattle, but instead settles for a mix of Red Angus and Simmentals, but he does cull for heat tolerance since the heat and humidity do take a toll on the cattle in his climate. He said he would hate to think about running cattle – both cows and stockers without the HEAT minerals he uses.

With 47 years in the cattle business, he said it just made sense that he started selling the BioZyme products, especially when he could talk about Amaferm. Groves said there are two general audiences. One of less progressive producers who “look over the fence” at what he’s doing and then ask questions. Another group of progressive producers much like he is that once they’ve tried the products, “don’t know how they got by without them for so long.”

“I have people always asking me how I can calve in a 60-day window? To me, it is the most economical thing about raising cows is to keep the calving window short, so I can feed all my cows the same. If I have one dry cow and I have to feed her with the wet cows for four or five months, that costs money and she gets too fat,” he said.

Amaferm’s absorption benefit is the tie that binds all the BioZyme products together to deliver the whole package to Groves and his customers. From breeding to calving and weaning and beyond, he is a believer in products from VitaFerm to Vita Charge and Gain Smart. He knows his cattle are healthier and higher performing because of a program, and he’s glad to share that with those who will listen.

The number of sheep and goat producers in the United States might be on a decline, but the demand for the red meat and natural wool fibers is on the rise, making supplies tight. When supplies are tight, prices tend to increase, providing producers the incentives to raise the highest quality meat and wool they can. Now is when these producers need a high-quality nutritional program that all of you have access to sell: DuraFerm®.

Now is the time to capitalize on marketing DuraFerm as a line of vitamin and mineral supplements for sheep and goats that emphasizes reproductive performance. With producers aiming to have healthy lamb crops and vigorous kids, now is a great time to market a high-quality supplement to sheep and goat producers.

With the goal for both ewes and does to breed and settle and to give birth to twins, there is a DuraFerm Mineral right for both ewes and does for all times of the year. The Marketing Team has been making a concerted effort to market these DuraFrem products to a variety of audiences.

Promoboxx:
Don’t miss out on the content that is created specifically for dealers to share on their social media pages. This content meets up with national and regional campaigns, so your local messages have a cohesive look and feel.

Event Partnerships:
Members of the BioZyme staff recently attended the Midwest Stud Ram Sale in Sedalia, Missouri, and are preparing to attend the Texas A & M AgriLife Sheep and Goat Expo in San Angelo. By attending these industry events, we can contact a wide array of producers who might not be aware of DuraFerm and point them in the direction of a dealer in their area.

Media Placements:
With both paid advertisements and press release coverage in industry print and online publications, we are helping to share the message of DuraFerm and how it helps keep the flock or herd nutritionally sound while keeping females bred. A few of our media partners include The Goat Rancher, Livestock Weekly, RingSide, ChampionDrive, Integrity Livestock Sales and some breed publications.

As a dealer, the Marketing Team and your ASM is here to assist you to market products like DuraFerm, that might not be as familiar to you. Reach out to your ASM or the Outreach Support Center if you need specific tools and materials to help you market DuraFerm. The time is now to take advantage of the market that exists.

Help your sheep and goat customers strengthen their stock and have healthier, higher performing, growthier lambs and goats. Help your customers reach their full potential, and your DuraFerm sales will reach its potential. That’s care that comes full circle.

Commercial sheep and goat producers often depend on the income from their livestock for their livelihood. Wouldn’t it be nice to help them improve their bottom line while increasing the overall health of their herds and flocks and even helping them get more lambs and kids on the ground?

It might not always be easy to break into this demographic of commercial breeders. However, they are usually hungry for information on animal health, nutrition, parasite and predator control and reproduction and will reach out to experts in their areas for this information. Since the challenges and opportunities vary so much in each region, it is important for producers to build and cultivate relationships with their veterinarian and local or state Extension sheep specialists to learn information about specific regions.

Just one way BioZyme® is making strides to reach out to more potential DuraFerm users in the largest sheep and meat goat producing state – Texas – is by sponsoring and having a booth at the Texas A&M AgriLife Sheep and Goat Expo, August 20-21 in San Angelo. This event is supposed to draw attendees from all across the country who want to hear experts talk about ways producers can improve their bottom lines, and we knew we didn’t want to miss it.

“Sheep and goat producers are thirsting for knowledge, and these are great events to create awareness that we offer sheep and goat nutritional products that are science-driven. We’re choosing to get involved in these programs not just to market products, but to lend a helping hand to producers, which is living our company motto of ‘care that comes full circle,’” said Sam Silvers, BioZyme Area Sales Manager in Texas and New Mexico.

Although not all states have an Extension sheep specialist, many do. And, as part of their Extension and outreach mission, these specialists host either a state-wide or regional educational workshops annually. Look on their websites or Facebook pages to discover when these are. Contact them to see if they are looking for a sponsor. Chances are, they will be excited you are willing to offer to have a booth or information table, as a lot of Extension funding has been depleted. The more interaction you can have with the attendees, the better. Remember to reach out to your ASM to see if he or she might be able to help you.

Even if your state doesn’t have a state Extension sheep and goat specialist, chances are that your local or area Extension office will have a field day or expo that you can participate in.

“Extension Service centers and their corresponding field days/expos are one of the best places within communities, and states as a whole, to find the ideal BioZyme product customers. Attendees are typically progressive stockmen looking to always see what is new and upcoming in their respective industries, those who are always looking to make the best decisions for their operations based on current economic decisions, but also futuristic projections and opportunities. Extension offices provide a huge benefit and asset to their states and communities and are a great way to help support the future of the industry,” said Ashley Fitzsimmons, Regional Marketing Coordinator for BioZyme.

Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. Look for partnerships in educational outlets where you can not only educate producers about the Amaferm advantage and the high-quality nutrition program of DuraFerm but establish relationships with commercial producers. Build these partnerships and watch your business grow!

During a time when Mother Nature wreaks havoc on the climate, it can be challenging to provide adequate forages to cattle. However, regardless of if you are in dry climate where resources are dwindling or if you are in an area of excess rain, sheep and goats often compliment the grazing system.

It is important to point out that these small ruminants will often eat different parts of the plants than cattle and are more efficient at converting their forages to gain. Sheep and goats vary from cattle in the types of forages they prefer. They will eat the shorter forbs or shrub-like plants before they eat the taller grasses. They typically will go for the most nutritious parts of the plants first, the leaves and anything that is soft before they eat the stems or even grass. It is best to have a variety of plant species and turn your sheep and goats out when those plants are in the vegetative stage instead of a more mature stage to receive optimum nutrients from the forages. It is essential to have forages that are high in digestible fiber and at high enough levels of crude protein to keep their rumens functioning properly.

Especially in a drought situation like many producers are currently facing, sheep and goats would make more economical sense to raise. They will still help with pasture management while providing protein and a source of income with a relatively good ROI, depending on your overall investment in the livestock and fencing materials.

Anytime you or your customers are grazing small ruminants like sheep or goats, don’t forget they still need mineral. During the drought, especially, the Amaferm® in the DuraFerm® line, will help stretch your feedstuffs to get the most nutritional value out of your forage. Amaferm is a research-proven precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying the nutrient supply for maximum performance. It is designed to increase the energy available to the animal resulting in more milk production as well as the ability to initiate and maintain pregnancy and fertility.

During the summer heat, your sheep customers will want to use DuraFerm Sheep Concept•Aid® HEAT®, specifically designed with the HEAT package to help mitigate heat stress anytime temperatures reach hotter that 70 degrees. The combination of HEAT and Amaferm help maintain that core body temperature, keeping the sheep cooler and helping reduce heat stress, which in turn helps get ewes bred and keeps them bred if breeding in the summer and early fall.

Goats are referred to more as browsers than grazers, because although they do graze like sheep do with their heads down, they also like to climb up a structures and trees to get leaves and greens that are up high, too. If you or a customer has goats, be sure to provide them with a DuraFerm Goat Concept•Aid Protein Tub. This convenient tub offers 20% protein, especially important during a drought when protein might not be so readily available. The other ingredients in Concept•Aid are key to reproductive success of the herd.

Smaller animals take up less space. They also will eat some of the less popular forages that cattle will leave standing. Sheep and goats make economical sense from a grazing standpoint, especially during a drought. Contact your local extension personnel if you have questions about grazing sheep and goats or even comingling them with cattle. However you graze your pastures, don’t forget the Amaferm advantage in DuraFerm.

For some on the BioZyme sales team, they take the relationship approach to getting products in front of customers. It is more about being problem solvers or helping the potential customer reach their production goals with a nutrition program, than it is “selling” a product.

Brett Tostenson, ASM who represents South Dakota and Eastern North Dakota, said he does extensive homework about a potential customer’s production goals, both commercial and seedstock, before he ever makes contact or sets foot on his or her ranch. With the use of the Internet and state-wide ag publications, there is typically a plethora of information about the larger cow-calf producers he calls on.

“I’m a huge proponent of connection-based selling to help them meet their needs. I look at the birthdates and sire groups in their sale catalogs, see if they have a ranch website or Facebook page, and Google to see if there is information about them, where they market their cattle. This helps me have a plan before I ever meet them,” Tostenson said.

He adds that is it is imperative to be genuine in the conversation, and with knowing background about their operation or having a mutual contact, it shows that you have an interest, and you are not just another cold call salesperson.

Once he knows about their operation, he will set up a time to stop by to look at their cattle, which he enjoys doing. Then, after he’s seen their cattle and had a good conversation, he’ll listen to any needs the producer might have like poor breed-backs, retained placentas or low conception rates. That is when he tells them about the reproductive mineral he uses on his own herd, VitaFerm® Concept•Aid®. His closing statement is strong:

“I don’t try to sell something I would not use on my own cattle.”

Once that trust is established and the producer decides to try the product, Tostenson will put him or her in touch with a dealer. He does follow up to make sure the dealer and the product is meeting expectations. And, he said it is important to be visible at their sale, but just to say hello, and not to talk shop on their big pay day.

The Consultant
Similar to Tostenson, Ty McGuire, who represents Michigan, Western Ohio and Kentucky, said he too likes to help potential and current customers meet their operation goals. He likes to consider himself as more of a consultant rather than a salesperson.

“I want them to know that I am looking out for them, and they can confide in me for answers whether it’s about nutrition, A.I. protocols or anything. I am a straight shooter, and that helps gain their trust and get the sale,” McGuire said.

Typically, on an initial visit, he will leave them with some beneficial literature that might include the sale report from a local livestock auction market, along with some BioZyme product information and his business card.

He agrees that sales books are a great way to learn about operations, and you can tell a lot about calving times, calving windows, sire groups and just about the people from the contents of the sale book. He said his initial face-to-face meetings can last from 20 minutes to an hour, and you can tell how much a person will open up and trust another in a short amount of time. Once he has their trust, he likes to talk about Amaferm®.

“I will bend over backwards for a potential customer to get the Amaferm advantage into their livestock. We have great products for every species and every situation, and I want them to know I will help them meet their goals, not only with nutrition but in other areas, as well,” McGuire said.

Do your homework. Build the relationship. Gain the trust. Sometimes selling isn’t even about selling as much as it is helping a fellow producer meet his or her production goals. Relationship selling is all about helping others. And that is care that comes full circle.

With vitamins, minerals and supplements aplenty, there is one thing that sets BioZyme® products apart from all the rest – the Amaferm® advantage. This is the selling point used by many when it comes time to market the products we offer.

“I always talk about Amaferm and how it can help all species across the board,” said Lori Lawrence, ASM in Eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Lawrence attributes the brand recognition of Amaferm and VitaFerm® to the success of the products she helps her dealers sell, and she uses that recognition to trickle down into other products for other animals besides cattle. The product guide is her number one favorite selling tool.

“People are not typically single-species raisers, so that product guide is a great way to showcase all the products we have that contain Amaferm, all of them,” she said.

In her sales area, she might visit with a customer who has show lambs and a cowherd and a few horses. Therefore, she can talk about Amaferm and how it can help their lambs stay on feed and water, while helping with general herd health of their cows.

With an area that is predominately store front dealers that offer a variety of products, Lawrence said training new dealers and existing dealers on new products is a top priority. Because so many people do have multiple species, she recommends that the stores carry some of every product. She also encourages in-store displays during the high-selling seasons since often if a product is “out of sight, it is out of mind.”

“During HEAT® season or whatever season, I remind the dealers to bring a few bags of product into their stores to display. When they bring those products in for customers to see, their sales do increase. I like to remind the dealers that Amaferm is the biggest differentiation between our products and others they might carry. We are a premium mineral with premium results,” she said.

Western ASM Britney Creamer agrees that Amaferm is the key sales tactic that she uses. Creamer travels Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and also works with a diverse group of customers.

“Amaferm is always the first thing I talk about with customers and potential customers as it is the one thing that significantly separates the BioZyme line from competitors and provides the most overall benefits no matter the situation,” she said.

The Amaferm advantage of increased intake, digestion and absorption is important regardless of geography, production goals and species. Once a customer has seen the results in one species, he or she will typically understand them and be excited to use a product with Amaferm in other animals.

Creamer said once she has talked about Amaferm and its benefits, she likes to share examples of how the products have helped others. She makes sure they don’t have impractical expectations, and she always follows up.

“Utilizing testimonials, research and personal experience with products always seems to resonate best with potential customers and allows them to feel more comfortable or confident in what you are offering them. I make sure to not create unrealistic expectations as well because people want such quick results that they can visually see with their eye these days. It’s important to let them know what they can expect to see with the eye and also remind them that what is working inside an animal may take a few weeks to see on the outside,” she said.

With an ingredient like Amaferm, it makes differentiating the BioZyme products from their competition a little simpler. Sharing “premium minerals with premium results” across all species should be the goal of every dealer, and that is definitely what the Amaferm advantage does for you.

We’ve encouraged diversification because it does work.

Amaferm® is the key component that sets our products apart from other nutrition products and is found across all product lines The Amaferm advantage has been proven across all species. Are you trying to increase your conception rates or shorten your calving window? Amaferm in the VitaFerm works. Have a flock of ewes that you want to breed, have them carry those lambs to term and then once the lambs are born, make sure those lambs have more vigor? The Amaferm in the DuraFerm® works. Are you trying to keep high-dollar show animals on feed and water through times of stress? Amaferm in Sure Champ and Vita Charge works. How about giving your high-performance horses a good gut feeling? Amaferm in the Vitalize works!

In addition to the research that Amaferm has been a part of, livestock producers and horse and dog enthusiasts provide countless testimonials to our staff that prove that Amaferm is working – doing what it says it will do, in every animal across species. That’s diversification, and that is why it is important that our customers know that we offer products that fit the need across all animal species, especially if they are already familiar with the Amaferm advantage in one product line.

Vitalize® ambassador and 2019 world-champion tie-down roper Haven Meged, Miles City, Montana, and his family are a perfect example. The Meged family’s relationship with BioZyme ® began when their son, Haven, started using Vitalize and saw results.

Haven gives his horses Vitalize Alimend® twice a day to help ensure they maintain a good gut feeling to help keep them healthy and performing while he’s traveling up and down the road.

“These two-lanes roads are rough. The Vitalize® Alimend® is going to help keep my horses’ guts feeling good because when we are traveling day in and day out, getting in and out of the trailer, that is the hardest part on the horse. When they are in the trailer that is when they get ulcers the worst. I want my horses to stay slick and shiny and feeling their best. That is my number one priority out here; making sure my horses look good and feel good. If they don’t feel good, they aren’t going to perform to their best. It’s all about making them feel good,” he said.

After witnessing Haven’s experience with Vitalize and having known about the VitaFerm® brand for a while, his dad, Bart decided to try the VitaFerm mineral on his cow herd.

Bart has seen great results with his herd, feeding both VitaFerm Concept•Aid® and Conserve™.

“Bart said that he is glad that he had the nudge from his son, as he has heard and known of the quality of Amaferm and VitaFerm as being the best,” said John Tucker, Large Beef Account Specialist.

It is common for the younger generation to get the older generation involved in a new product line. That is often the case with the Sure Champ® line. Once young exhibitors use the Sure Champ or Vita Charge® products on their show livestock, regardless of species, it is easy to open up a conversation with their parents about the product lines that exist. This could be VitaFerm for the cow herd, DuraFerm for the flock or Vitalize for the horses.

Diversification is everywhere! And it is your success story just waiting to be written.

In her letter this month, Lisa challenged every dealer to diversify to ensure their success. Sure, that might sound easy. And guess what? It is going to be easier than you think!

At BioZyme®, we offer a variety of supplement lines to cover a multitude of species from cattle, sheep and goats to swine, poultry and companion animals of horses, dogs and cats. Chances are that a majority of your customers own more than just one of those species. A recent statistic shows that 53% of American households own a dog. That’s more than half of your customers. Have you approached half of your customers about the Vitalize® canine line yet?

Perhaps the easiest way to open the conversation about a new product line to an already existing customer is to talk about something you are both familiar with – Amaferm®. For instance, if you have a cow-calf producer, who is feeding the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® mineral, they probably understand one of the primary benefits is Amaferm, and how it works in their herd’s diet. But now you find out they also have four or five horses. Wouldn’t it be great to get them on Amaferm too?

“Multiple product lines open up more opportunity that can lead to additional sales. We have to get comfortable with having those conversations even if they aren’t in our wheelhouse. One thing that we are all comfortable with, or should be, is Amaferm and that is really what our products are about. That should be the very first thing that we are talking about when discussing our products. If we understand how Amaferm works, the rest of the conversation will take care of itself. In addition, the Vitalize products are designed to make the dealer more money than some of our other brands,” said Justin O’Flaherty, Area Sales Manager for the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virgina.

Chris Kyle, ASM for Arkansas and Louisiana, agrees that once people are hooked Amaferm in a product like VitaFerm, it should be easier to open the conversation on another line of product that BioZyme offers.

“Ask them if they liked the products on their other animals (cattle, sheep, goat) then they might be interested in what Amaferm could do for their horses also,” Kyle suggests.

O’Flaherty said another way to open up a conversation about the Vitalize line with someone who feeds another product line is to offer a sample, like the Vitalize Equine Recovery Gel. This quick-response, product could be a great conversation starter that leads to a long-term diverse customer who now orders Vitalize in addition to his or her VitaFerm each month, and it offers a great ROI.

Next, ask specific questions about your customer’s horse’s current nutritional needs and what feed they are feeding.

“This can usually open up a dialogue about what each specific horse’s needs are and/or if they feel they are buying hay constantly, the Vitalize® Digest More® Plus pellets can help them cut back a little on that,” O’Flaherty said.

Her last piece of advice was to keep the process simple and relevant.

“Dip your toe into the discipline that is most prevalent where your dealership is located. It doesn’t make sense to try to target dressage riders if you have an arena down the road that has nightly ropings. Just don’t overcomplicate it and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” she encourages.

Kyle agrees that keeping things simple is the best step for product diversification and sales success.

“Our products work, they will see it, and they will be glad that you, the dealer recommended the product. You just need to believe, and you will look like a pro for recommending them,” he said.

Start the conversation. Ask questions. Recommend a new line. Diversify, and watch your business grow.