Category: Engagement

Effective Action: Use Relationships to Ensure Producer Meeting Success

Any time you get a group of like-minded people in a room to talk about solving their challenges, you have the potential to host a successful producer meeting. Use existing relationships to create an even more rewarding meeting. There are a few ways that using these relationships when planning your next producer meeting can help build your business. Let’s explore.


Cooperate with another agricultural company.
Co-host your next producer meeting with another complementary agricultural company. The companies might have some overlap in customers, but each will likely have some unique customers who could benefit from the other company’s products and services. Perhaps you could partner with a genetics company or a show supply company, depending on what BioZyme® products you are talking about. Cooperating on a producer meeting splits the cost of the meeting and exposes a wider audience to your products.


Building on these already established relationships give you a leg up. It shows your potential customers that you are easy to get along with. It also provides an unspoken endorsement on the products and services you provide.


Encourage your customers to bring a guest.
Your customers are probably going to attend, but you could offer an incentive for bringing a guest who has the potential to become a new customer. Send a text reminder a few days before the meeting and let those within a set radius know that you will offer an incentive to those who bring a guest. If the newcomer becomes a customer, perhaps that incentive becomes even greater, like a percentage off your current customer’s order, like a discount for referrals.


Engage with the audience.
It’s always good to get the crowd engaged. Since the room consists of your customers, you should know their challenges and successes. Of course, the first topic to discuss is AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, but after that, mention how a certain product has impacted a particular crowd member’s conception or rate of gain. People like to be recognized and know that you care about their results.

Call upon your allies.
Word-of-mouth and testimonials go a long way in building trust and securing new customers. If there is a local veterinarian or a highly respected producer who has had success with the products, ask them for a few comments. It is always good to hear from a third party about the benefits of the products, without a hard sell.


Producer meetings are an efficient way to show appreciation to current customers and establish relationships with potential customers. Building on current relationships at these meetings makes them even more effective. Like any other enterprise, use your resources, count on your relationships and use those relationships to grow your customer base.

Effective Action: Taking Action Equals Growth

Do you remember the tale of the tortoise and the hare? To summarize, the hare had a lot of enthusiasm, but he didn’t take advantage of that enthusiasm. The tortoise, a little slower paced, knew he was at a disadvantage; however, he kept moving forward, and he WON THE RACE…Action wins.

This fable offers a valuable lesson even in the modern business world. Any action you take will help your business succeed. That is one reason BioZyme® created the Action Awards Program. We want to encourage dealers to take action – marketing, promotion, education – so their businesses will grow. Not only are dealers rewarded with their own sales growth and profits, but BioZyme also rewards them through the various items they can earn with their Action Awards points.

“We know that when dealers participate in our programs, whether it is an educational program like the Master Dealer Program or a marketing program like sending out the quarterly postcard, it helps their business grow. They are getting more information to share with their customers, and they are giving their company added recognition. Action equals growth. That is important to BioZyme,” said Jennifer Miller, Outreach Sales & Support Senior Manager.

Opportunities for Action – BioZyme offers several opportunities for dealers to take action to grow their businesses. With dedicated teams in sales, business development, outreach support and marketing, there are a multitude of ways for dealers to participate in programs that BioZyme offers. Dealers who participated in Promoboxx (an easy-to- use social media platform) grew on average 139.99%. Other marketing action opportunities include in-store displays, sending out a mailer or newsletter, print or radio advertising and helping an ASM at a trade show or educational event.

Dealers can act by gathering and submitting hay samples for a customer. They can host a producer meeting, offering a form of education and promotion about the products and their business. They can participate in the Master Dealer program, increasing their knowledge about the BioZyme brands. And they can participate in an after-hours training on any topic with a member of the Outreach Team.

Rewards for Action – By enrolling in the Action Awards Program, dealers are rewarded for their actions, not only by growing their business; but BioZyme offers points for each action taken. Once points are accumulated, they can be redeemed for items that range from promotional swag like shirts and caps to items to help grow your business further like hay probes and iPads.

Caleb Day of Cordell Farm & Ranch Store in Kaufman, Texas, said he appreciates the Action Awards points, and redeems them for wearables to give back to his customers.

“If they buy a certain number of bags of your product, they get a cap, if they buy more, they get a jacket. It incentivizes them. They might buy one more bag to get a cap or sweatshirt. And they appreciate getting something extra when they buy the product they already like,” Day said.

Miller reminds the dealers that points can be rewarded for any action. Contact her or your ASM if you do something a little different that isn’t listed, and she will make sure you are credited.

“We want your business to grow, and we want you to succeed. Take action, get your business name out there. We will gladly give you some points if you are doing the work to improve your business,” she said.

Take the action. Earn the points. Grow your business.

Put a Different Twist on Producer Meetings and Customer Opens Houses

The chill in the air is a gentle reminder that field work will soon come to an end, and it would typically be time to kick off producer meetings. Depending on your location, local or state mandates and the willingness of people to gather, might determine the plan you take this fall and winter for the traditional producer meetings and customer open houses.

Regardless of your situation, it is important to share information with your customers. Educating them on the newest products and services you are offering, talking about what is coming down the pipe as nutritional needs of the herd or flock shift and networking are often the highlights of a producer meeting. However, a producer meeting is also a time to introduce any promotions that you’re offering, and the gatherings offer a chance for you to take orders on a product after a talk when that product is fresh in the producers’ minds.

Holiday open houses are another opportunity to show appreciation toward your customers and other community members. These typically feature some type of food and drink with a small token of thanks. Just as 2020 has looked different since March, both producer meetings and open houses might have to take on a new look this fall and winter.

While some people have no qualms about gathering, some are playing it safe. Furthermore, some state and local governments are regulating the amount of people who can gather, have put social distancing practices in place and still require face coverings. Before you do plan an event, be sure you know what is required of you.

However, if you are looking at alternative ways to share information, network and show appreciation, those do exist. Think about inviting small groups of like-minded customers to the local café for breakfast to talk about a new mineral program. This still offers the camaraderie and a chance to get some face-to-face interaction without a huge group.

Pick up the tab and offer a limited-time promotion that might get them into your dealership to place an order.

Offer an online meeting for those who want to learn what’s new at your dealership. Zoom, Google Meets or Facebook Live are efficient ways to reach your customers and potential customers and interact with them at the same time. Even if you do an in-person meeting, it is still good to offer a virtual component for those who maybe can’t make it or don’t want to attend the live event. To learn more about using video for these events, be sure to check out last month’s VISION, or check out the Online Dealer Center.

Perhaps you want to show appreciation to some key customers while still letting them know what is happening. Send them a gift box with an FAQ sheet. Include your famous peanut brittle that they would typically stop by the shop to pick up, some hot cocoa mix and a mug with your logo on it. Determine what you normally spend on a full meal or holiday promotions and use that budget to still show your customers some type of appreciation during the end of the year.

Meetings and open houses don’t look like they did a year ago. But your business is growing. Keep the camaraderie up, continue to nurture those relationships and show appreciation. Take action. Your customers will notice.

Engage With Your Customers To Sell A Program

BioZyme® offers many great products for all phases of production. But some producers get comfortable with one product, and don’t always know how to transition to include other products. And sometimes, the new products seem overwhelming. However, with some engagement with your customers, and discussing the benefits of the Amaferm® advantage through all phases, you can expand your marketing to a program-based approach.

Matt Weigel, owner of Darlington Feed & Ag Center in Darlington, Wis., said he works closely with his producers to make sure they understand each step of the feeding process. For instance, he said the dairies he works with all incorporate Amaferm Digest More® in their feed. When Weigel asked if the producers were pleased with their calf feed, they said yes. Then he suggested the Vita Charge® Stress Tub to help them wean better and stay healthier. And the dairies liked them as well. Of course, they all start their program with Vita Charge Neonatal.

“I’m not afraid to give away a stress tub, and I’ll eat the $60 because I am confident I’ll sell 10 more tubs and more product,” Weigel said. “You’ve got to look at the big picture and be open minded. If a producer likes it and uses it forever I’m money ahead.”

He said he is on the dairy farms that are his customers at least every week or every other week to make sure the customers get their questions answered, and to fix any problems before they surface. Although his store represents other products lines, he truly believes in the Amaferm advantage and uses the VitaFerm products on his own cow herd.

“I wear my VitaFerm hat! We really promote VitaFerm because we know it works. I try the products on my own animals and they work. I like them, and I can promote them,” he said.

Another way that Weigel works to engage with his customers and promote products is to take advantage of the assistance the BioZyme Marketing Team and his ASM provide. In 2017, ASM Trent Gabler worked with Weigel and the Marketing Team to create a postcard mailing promoting VitaFerm HEAT® to those producers who use Concept•Aid®. Darlington Feed saw a significant increase in their HEAT sales after that mailing, according to Gabler.

Finally, Weigel said he’s not afraid to use other customers as references. He’ll share the results that ‘Joe Smith’ had when using a product and he said other producers have the mindset that if Joe Smith had great results, then I should try it too.

Using products, proactively making farm visits and sharing testimonials are great ways to engage and promote products. Offering a trial product might cost a little initially, but the returns will pay off in the long-term. Getting customers to use a program and not just one product will also pay dividends and keep that customer active all year long. Look at the big picture, and sell the program.

Grow Your Business Through Engagement

Without customers, business survival looks bleak. There are two key ways to grow your customer base and subsequently grow your business. First, don’t lose your current customers. And secondly, recruit new customers.

According to an article on marketingwizdom.com, “The average business loses around 20 percent of its customers annually simply by failing to attend to customer relationships.”

These are customers that the business has already recruited, mostly likely sold to at least once, but simply didn’t follow up with through simple engagement. Twenty-percent adds up over time, and if a business doesn’t work to recruit new customers, it won’t be long before the business no longer exists.

Get Referrals. One of the best and most cost-effective ways to gain new customers is through referrals. But more importantly, referrals are a way to continue interaction and communication with your current customers, while building relationships with new customers and clients. Communication and interaction is vital to long-lasting relationships.

As with any project you need to set your goals first. Do you want to gain a new customer each day? Two per week? Ten per month? Be realistic in the amount of time you plan to devote to recruiting new customers.  And remember, while recruiting new customers is important, keeping the lines of communication open and engaging with your existing customers is important to keeping them happy and keeping them returning.

Offer incentives. Although referrals can and do happen without incentive, people are sometimes afraid of giving out others’ names. But if there is a small incentive included, that fear usually disappears. Sample incentives include:

  • For every name that you refer that buys product from me this month, I’ll give you X% off your next order
  • For every customer you refer me to, I’ll offer you a Vita Charge® Stress Tub at $X cost

And if you don’t offer an incentive, do show appreciation. Those two little words go a long way and give you one more opportunity to interact with current customers.

Schedule the calls. Set aside 30 minutes a day for a week to make new customer calls. If those calls only take 15 minutes each, you can make two calls a day and engage with 10 potential customers. Even if half of those people purchase product, you’ve gained five new customers in a week. Follow that pattern, and over time you’ll have 20 new customers in a month and watch that revenue soar. And surely over time, those 20 customers will have friends that they will be glad to refer too.

Keep communicating. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new customer or long-time customer, keeping the lines of communication open are key to retention. Create a communications calendar where you follow up with each customer on a regular basis. Contact them to see if they need any products, follow up after the sale to make sure they are happy with their products and reach out to them in between to see if they have any general questions or just to see how their lives are going. Customers like it when you are interested in them and engage in their activities.

Referrals are great ways to build your customer base. Remember to keep those lines of communication open between both current and new customers and watch your business grow.

Customer Success Matters

Customers are the lifeblood of our business. Without their success and their repeated business, it is likely that our business isn’t going to succeed either. As dealers, we need to consider ways to help them succeed and then recognize their efforts.

First, we need to know our customers and understand their goals. Recognize what their individual production schedules look like and what their ultimate goals are. Do they sell their calves at weaning time? If so, you probably don’t need to push the VitaFerm® Gain Smart® product line to them. Do they compete with their horses or livestock? Then perhaps the Vita Charge® Gel or Vitalize® Equine Recovery Gel needs to be a staple in their show box. Customer success isn’t just about selling products; it’s about providing services and motivation to help them succeed.

Do you have a customer that is offering the same mineral program year after year because “that’s how granddad did it.”? If so, perhaps you need to suggest forage testing their hay and offering some alternatives to a more updated supplement program that will better fit their current operation. Maybe the customer didn’t know you offer forage testing and feed analysis. Once they discover the supplements they really need, they might even discover they are saving money over time. If you create an environment for your customer to succeed, they are more likely to succeed and become loyal customers.

But what happens when your customers find success? Congratulate them as soon as you can, and in person if possible. If you don’t think you will see them in the store or at their ranch for a few weeks, pick up the phone or drop them a hand-written note expressing your happiness for them. The fact that you noticed their achievements will go a long way in their customer satisfaction and your professional relationship with them.

Be sure to not only congratulate them, but to let others know about their achievements as well. Customer achievements can range from having a successful production sale to selling the Grand Champion Barrow at a recent livestock show to having a child get accepted to the college or university of his or her choice. Once you know of these success stories, start sharing them with others. There are several ways to share these stories.

Use a bulletin board in your store that allows you to “brag” on your customers. You can post newspaper clippings here. You can ask your customers to submit their photos and accomplishments to you to post on the bulletin board. People like to see what others in their community are doing, and it makes them feel good to be recognized for their successes.

Take that recognition to the next level. Perhaps you distribute a company newsletter or have a Facebook page. Share your customers’ achievements on these venues so more people see them, especially if they relate to success with your products. Producers will buy a product based on peer-success and not just because a sales person said it works (read more about this in Tell Everyone).

If you create an environment for your customers to succeed, and they succeed, they will likely become repeat customers. They will also tell others about their successes, and if you tell others about their successes, your business will continue to grow.