Category: Growth

Opportunity is Waiting Over the Rainbow

Attitude. Perspective. Choices. These are three words you would expect a featured speaker to highlight during a keynote address. And these are three words that not only did retired United State Air Force Major Brian Shul speak of, but words he lived during his time serving in the Air Force.

As a USAF fighter pilot, Shul was shot down in a Cambodian jungle during the Vietnam War and severely burned in the crash. He was initially given up for dead, but eventually rescued. With more than 15 surgeries during that first year of recovery, Shul was told he would never fly again. And he admits there were days it would have been easier to quit. But then, a simple song and the sound of kids playing outside that came in through his hospital window, changed his attitude.

“Sometimes you have to reach rock bottom before you can appreciate the journey ahead,” Shul told a packed room the final morning of the 2019 BioZyme Dealer Retreat. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

As he lay in the hospital room at Fort Sam, Houston, Texas, Judy Garland’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” came through the speaker, and the sounds of young children playing soccer outside motivated Shul to shift his attitude from one of giving up to one of determination. He was determined to walk out of that hospital and fly again. And he did.

Because of a change in attitude, he passed his rigorous flight physicals with no problems. He performed in air shows, became a Top Gun instructor and he earned the sixth highest score ever on the astronaut physical. But most importantly Shul became one of only 93 pilots to ever fly the SR-71 spy plane, the fastest plane ever built.

Under the command of President Ronald Regan, Shul and his co-pilot flew the SR-71 on many secret missions. The blackbird reached heights of 90,000 feet and speeds of 2,000 miles per hour. Shul flew the plane, once again serving his country, with a new perspective. He had gotten out of Vietnam. He was living his dream, flying the plane of his dreams, when 19,000 young men who had been in Vietnam never got to celebrate their 21st birthday.

“Life is short, and it is uncertain. Pursue your passion now. Live your dream. Don’t wait for it,” Shul said.

And that is exactly what he did. As a pilot with second chance and a passion for photography, Shul started combining his passion with his career. He took his camera with him on flights and shot some spectacular images of the plane and scenery. On his days off, he would go up with the fuel tankers and capture different perspectives of the giant jet. He has the most extensive collection of photographs of the SR-71, and has published books about the plane that retired in 1990.

“I made a choice that day. Life’s not always about being the best. It’s about being determined,” Shul said.

When Shul chose to live instead of giving up, he was presented with even greater opportunities than he had ever imagined as a fighter pilot. To fly the prestigious SR-71 at Mach-3 speeds, breaking the sound barrier multiple times, and ultimately becoming a photographer, author and speaker all gave him opportunities because of his choice.

Shul left the group with these final thoughts, “The sky is not the limit. I CAN is much more important than I.Q. And, ‘Somewhere over the rainbow . . . the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.’”

Effective Interrogation Techniques Lead to Growth

In a world centered on communication devices and connectivity, one thing is missing. The question. Too often we get wrapped up in telling people what we want them to hear, rather than asking them a question. Blaine Rodgers, Show Livestock Business Development & Field Support, shared with the store dealers at the recent Dealer Retreat that the average 4-year-old asks 390 questions a day! That’s a question every 2.5 minutes that toddler is awake, but the youngster is curious, constantly learning new things and has no fear.

“How amazing would it be to have the courage to ask questions of your customers and potential end-users without being limited by fear?” Rodgers asked. “As adults we are afraid of asking stupid questions or questions that make us vulnerable.”

Rodgers offered six tips to effective interrogation that will help build relationships and grow your business.

Questions create connections. When you ask a question, it shows genuine concern or interest in the customer, it’s animal or other interests creating a connection.

Questions drive solutions. Asking a question of your customer helps them connect to real solutions. Asking questions won’t necessarily provide a ready answer but will help get them headed toward a solution.

Questions open doors of possibility.  If we ask a question, it allows us to not make assumptions. And, asking questions opens doors of opportunity that we might not even knew existed. Perhaps you have a customer who picks up Sure Champ® for his or her kids’ 4-H projects. Have you ever asked if they own other livestock? You might be missing an opportunity to sell another great product because you have never asked.

Questions lead to asking other questions. Often when we give a statement, that is final. There is no more conversation; however, asking a question could lead to another, which could lead to even more product sales or solutions for your customer.

Questions build bridges. Typically, in tough times, questions are needed more than statements. Although a statement like, “I’m thinking of you” or “Things will work out,” might be easier to say, questions will mean more in the long-term. “How can I help you over come your challenges?” “Is there something specific I can do for you?” Anytime a person is going through rough time – think the spring we’ve had – asking questions is going to help you appear more genuine, shows you care and helps build a stronger bond.

Questions inspire action. Action is after all, the desired end-result, and questions put us in a proactive state. The brain does not like to leave any question unanswered. Think about a question that will close the conversation you’ve had, such as, “Which product would you like to leave here with today?” “How do you feel about putting extra calves on the ground next spring with increased conception rates?” These are questions that inspire action and will help your sales grow.

Effective interrogation – or question asking – can be an powerful tool for growing your business and building relationships. Take time to ask your customers the right questions that show genuine concern and can offer a solution. Questions will inspire action, and action is the tool we need to grow.

How to Provide Successful Customer Service

What does a seedstock operation who’s core business goal of selling commercial bulls have in common with an animal nutrition company? More than you would think. 44 Farms located in Cameron, Texas, is one of BioZyme®’s Partners in Performance and markets approximately 1,200 bulls each year through its four sales and private treaty. What started as a ranch with the goal to have its own branded-beef business has grown to be one of the premier Angus operations in the country, and the one that Wal-Mart has chosen to supply a high-quality, consistent product to its meat cases.

“44 Farms and BioZyme are both entrepreneurial-minded companies at heart with an emphasis on teamwork, quality and a culture of the customer first. One of the things I have observed is a sense of family that starts with the sense of leadership with Bob and Lisa (Norton),” 44 Farms COO Doug Slattery told the attendees at the sixth BioZyme Dealer Retreat during an industry update.

A BioZyme customer who understands the importance of good nutrition and health, 44 Farms includes Amaferm® into many of their rations. When 44 Farms started their own branded-beef business, they were processing 30 head a week. Now, the highly successful 44 Steaks program processes 300 head a week, all calves that are part of their customer buy-back program.

As someone who works in customer service every day, Slattery said there are five key traits that exceptional customer service requires.

Communication. If you are going to create a new customer or retain a current customer, you must communicate with them. Reach out and see how they are doing with their product(s) they purchased. Often times the follow-up is just as important as the sale. It shows the customer that you care. Making a phone call or stopping by for face-to-face communication is worth a lot to a customer.

Personal, customized service. Just like selling bulls, selling a nutrition program, isn’t one-size-fits-all. While you are communicating with them, ask them what their needs are and offer a solution that will best help them. Perhaps, they are new to the business and need management advice to get them started in addition to a nutrition plan.

Think outside the box to meet their needs. Maybe the potential customer you’re talking to needs a fresh idea. He or she might be running their stock on limited land or they are trying to feed them for niche market like all-natural. Be sure to ask questions to find the best solution for them, even if it is a little on the non-traditional side.

Listen to what they really want and need. It all circles back to communication and asking the right the question. If they are trying to stay in an all-natural marketing program, make sure you are recommending products and practices that will keep them in that program.

Attention to detail. A satisfied customer will become a repeat customer. Pay attention to details and keep track of their information for them. If you know it’s been a while since they ordered product, reach out to them and remind them they are probably running low. Or if it is time to switch to a VitaFerm® HEAT® mineral, remind them of that when they order. Customers will appreciate that you have kept track of these important details when the busyness of their lives hasn’t allowed for it.

Customer service is often as important as the goods or products you
are selling. Selling a great product is the easy part but making sure the customer is satisfied and had a rewarding customer service is the key to repeat customers.

“A happy customer is your best salesman, and that starts with successful, exceptional customer service,” Slattery said.

June/July 2019 – Letters from Lisa

This past month was our 6th annual dealer retreat. This event brings together our top volume dealers to challenge all of us on how we can be the best versions of ourselves in our day to day business. This year’s theme was Decode the Mystery of Growth.

Mystery is defined as something that is difficult or impossible to understand.

This recent article in Feedstuffs is a mystery to me. How can I include chocolate as 30% of my diet without affecting my carcass composition?  Seems if I just include it at .000003 percent it significantly impacts my carcass. Now that is a mystery.

The “love of gain” is human nature. So, a desire or even a need for growth is not mysterious. It’s how to create it that’s mysterious.

We must work every day to solve that mystery using a variety of ways including:

  1. Investing in human capital
  2. Committing to learning
  3. Standing out
  4. Setting bold goals
  5. Making big changes

The common point to all of these is ACTION – Nike says Just Do It.  If “just do it” was enough, we’d have already just done it by now.  So, if all we need to do is “just do it,” why do we go through one year after the other without “just doing” the things we know we need to do to grow?

Because successful growth isn’t about just doing, it’s about:

  • Identifying the need for change
  • Creating that change
  • Preparing for the challenges that will present themselves along the way of change
  • Grabbing a hold of an “all in” belief so you don’t just give up

If you skip any of those steps, whatever you “just do,” won’t be sustained long enough, repeated often enough, or executed well enough to create the action needed to grow.

Once you know what actions you need to take each day; you’ll find that “just do it” is the effective warning it was intended to be.

Why Growth Depends on Todays Actions

Dictionary.com defines “take action” as “start doing something.” For your business to succeed today, tomorrow and in the future, you must take action now. That seems pretty simple; however, as a business owner, manager and employee, you need to take initiative and know which action to take.

According to the best-selling author and Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden, “motivation comes from taking action and finding success, not the other way around. So, if you need motivation, then you are not doing it right.”

In business there are so many actions that can be taken, it is often hard to prioritize which step to take first. The key is to be sure to take a step and keep the action moving forward. An Inc.com article¹ outlines three truths to help you prioritize your action steps and keep growing your business.

1. Connect Team Objectives to the Organizational Mission. Your key objectives are the foundation for taking proper action. Make sure they are aligned with your company mission. This helps everyone get on the same page. If the alignment between objectives (goals) and mission is off, nothing will make sense. The more clearly linked the team’s goals are to the group’s mission, the more likely the proper actions will take place.

Every business, regardless of size, needs to have a mission. At BioZyme®, a summary of our mission is to create and produce the highest-quality animal care products that will in turn help our customers achieve greater profit. We don’t accomplish that mission by standing still, but by establishing regular goals that are in-line with our mission. For some teams, those goals might be established and measured monthly, others quarterly and some annually. Whatever your mission is, make sure it is clearly written so every employee has access to it. That way they know if their goals for action are connected.

2. Weed out Non-essential Actions. Although taking action is critical to growth, moving backward does not grow a business. Sometimes we try to do too much, and those actions are not essential to growth. As the article on Inc.com states, “Weeding out mediocre opportunities allows you to spend time with the winners.”

3. Create Authentic Relationships that will Drive you to Take Better Actions. Action in business is about different parties making connections. In today’s world it is easier to make those connections if you are authentic – being your true self – instead of being the person you think somebody else wants you to be. Remember, “taking action is so much easier when everything you do is natural, is real, and is in congruence with who you are. Deciding on the correct action is not hard when you know who you are and do not try to hide it.”

With proper action comes growth. Set your objectives to make sure they align with your mission. Don’t waste time on non-essential actions or people. And, be true to your true self, and the actions will flow much easier.

 

¹ – Article Source: https://www.inc.com/mareo-mccracken/dont-wait-for-motivation-why-your-companys-growth-depends-on-todays-action.html?cid=search

 

6 Steps to Hosting an Effective Producer Meeting

Producer meetings are a great way to share your business story, bring together people of common interests, renew enthusiasm in loyal customers and gain new customers all in one setting. However, effective producer meetings don’t just happen with a phone call or text to your Area Sales Manager (ASM); they require some advanced planning in order to become more than just another social event.

“It’s evolved. The first time I had one as a new dealer, I didn’t even have product on hand and the next day I sold a semi-load of product. Now after some meetings I sell up to eight semi-loads or more within a couple weeks after the meeting,” said Keith Micke, Triangle K Feed at Glendo, Wyo.

Micke hosts two large producer meetings each year, spreading them out over his sales territory. He shared some of his what he’s learned over the years that helps make his meetings successful.

1. Schedule in Advance. It is a good idea to get dates on a calendar as early as you can. That way you can start working with your ASM and the marketing team to get invitations designed and mailed, reserve space at a restaurant or other venue of your choice, and make sure the BioZyme® staff you want to speak are available on your dates.

2. Plan your Invitation List. Micke said he likes to invite a mix of both his regular customers and potential customers to the meetings. He will ask his long-time customers to share their success stories during the meeting, and it is always good to have a well-respected, prominent rancher in attendance, because he said often a new customer will try the products because he or she wants to be like the neighbor.

“That’s really solid. They are getting the information from someone besides a salesman, how the products work and what it’s done for them,” Micke said.

Micke said he will send around 80 invitations each fall for his two meetings, where he usually has around 30-35 people at each one. And since ranching is a family business, he also includes the wives and children, as he knows many young families don’t always have access to a sitter.

3. Focus on a Topic. Although there are a lot of subjects a dealer could cover, Micke said he typically picks one topic to cover at each meeting, and then follows the topic by explaining all the products and highlighting any new products or changes. Narrowed down topic subjects might include how Amaferm works or the importance of protein.

4. Educate with Fresh Faces. Micke likes to include outside experts at each meeting.

“I get a lot of benefit having my sales manager and a nutritionist there. Then they can learn about the research, and the ranchers know there’s more than just a dealer out there. They bring in a fresh face, a different look,” he said.

5. Be Flexible. Micke said he is always up for trying new things. He originally had two fall meetings and two spring meetings each year. Then he discovered that the ranchers were busy calving in the spring, so he quit having those. He has had some smaller dinner meetings with four or five customers with similar interests. And, at his larger producer meetings, he has even seen ranchers eating at the same restaurant who weren’t invited to his meeting. He pulled them into the meeting, bought their dinner and turned them into customers.

6. Follow Up. At the meeting, you will want to keep track of everyone who attends, either by way of a sign-in card or sheet. Make sure you have their phone number, email or address so you can follow up with them. It is said it takes seven touch points to make an impression. You’ve likely already made a few with the invitation and the interaction at the meeting. Be sure to give them a day or two, follow up, answer any questions and see what products they would like to buy from you.

“It’s become a social event for a lot of guys now because they get to see the other ranchers there, and they really enjoy it,” Micke said.

Yes, your producer meeting can be effective AND enjoyable at the same time. Remember a worth-while producer meeting is a way to increase your customer base, show appreciation to your existing customers, and be a great educational forum.

As you make plans for your next effective producer meeting, be sure to reach out to your ASM.

Growth Starts with a Plan

Set your goals. Increase your sales. Grow your business. These are all great thoughts; however, do you have a plan on how to accomplish these tasks? A business without an action plan doesn’t really have a plan at all. And although creating an action plan might seem like just another thing to add to your growing “to do” list, the steps of creating an action plan are a healthy way to gain another perspective of what your company is doing and hopes to accomplish.

According to an online resource, Community Tool Box, there are five reasons a company, business or organization should create an action plan:

1. To lend credibility. An action plan shows members of the community (and your employees, board members) that your business is well ordered and dedicated to getting things done.
2. To be sure you don’t overlook any of the details.
3. To understand what is and isn’t possible for your organization to do.
4. For efficiency: to save time, energy and resources in the long run.
5. For accountability: to increase the chances that people will do what needs to be done.

It is wise to start creating an action plan as soon as your business is formed, but an action plan is an evolving document that will change and grow over time. Remember, once it is created, use it. Don’t just stash it away in a folder, never to be seen again.

Action plans can be grueling to create. They aren’t going to be generated overnight, and they are going to make you think about the priorities in your company. However, once you have the plan created and have shared it with everyone who works for you, your employees should be more efficient, and will spend more time working on the actions rather than doing tasks that don’t lead to growth or success.

Let’s review some key components of an effective action plan.

First, outline the clear goals you plan to accomplish with your action plan. When making a goal, make sure it is “SMART,” specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Next, assign the person, people or team to complete each particular goal. Yes, it might involve others along the way, but these people or teams should be the primary action-takers. Then, list the action steps to be taken to attain that goal and give deadlines for each step.

There is some other key information you will need to consider for your plan. What will you need to do to start your action? What are some obstacles that you might face? How will you overcome those? What resources will you need? Do you need sales coach help? If so, who will you reach out to? And finally, list the milestones you will reach along the way.

It is vital to have a plan to accomplish your goals. An action plan helps you to stay on task, make sure what you are working on is pertinent to the company and lets everyone know who is responsible for given deadlines. You may even find as you are creating an action plan that a goal you had in mind was actually a task to help you accomplish a greater goal, or it wasn’t part of the company’s overlying mission or vision, so there isn’t a need to spend time on it.

As the new year gets started, we challenge you to think about the goals that will drive your success in 2019 and create an action plan to help you get there. We can’t wait to watch your business grow this year!

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.

How Employee Personality Profiles Can Save You Turnover Loss

If you’ve ever read the book, “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, you will understand getting the “right people in the right seats on the bus.” Companies don’t fail because they have bad employees, employees that aren’t trained properly or employees that don’t have the right personality. Companies fail because they don’t have the right people “in the right seats.” In other words, they have great employees, but perhaps they don’t have them in positions where they were meant to succeed.

Employee turnover is costly. There is no real way to measure it; you have the time and effort it takes to promote the vacant position, another employee has to fill in, resulting in decreased productivity; if the employee that left was one that others liked and respected, other employee morale could be down, also resulting in lowered performance or even causing others to leave their jobs. By the time you replace one employee that already understood your company culture and policies, recruit, hire and train a replacement employee, you are looking at spending thousands of dollars, and potentially having lost revenue due to losses in employee performance.

In his book, Collins talks about getting people in the positions that they are best suited for. Sometimes a company will hire someone on the premise that that person thinks they know their skill strengths, but they might not always realize their personality strengths and weaknesses. Although personality assessment does take time and money, the investment is typically one that pays off in the end and is less costly than employees leaving and having to recruit, hire and train.

At BioZyme, the employees took the Prism assessment. The results revealed insights into the employees “Emotional, Relational and Team Intelligence (ERT-i). This highly relevant and transformative data will provide you with critical information to impact your personal and professional performance, productivity and success.” In other words, the report likely told each individual things he or she already knew. However, it is an opportunity to let others within the company know more about how to work with each other and for supervisors to make sure they have the right people in the right seats on the bus.

Prism is just one of many assessments that companies can utilize. There are many options available at a variety of price points. Some come with further training while others provide a report and guidance on how to use that report.

So just how important is personality? As Virgin Mobile CEO Richard Branson put it, “Most skills can be learned, but it is difficult to train people on their personality.”

Let’s look at this example. For one Ohio-based company, taking a personality assessment helped its Human Resources and Management teams get people in the right positions. They discovered the person they had working the phones in a marketing customer support role was an extreme introvert. And while his degree was in marketing, he had a passion for graphic design. The company moved him into a design position where he could better use his talents and had no interaction with customers. He became very successful in his job. The same company discovered they had an employee who was very outgoing who hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to customers. They moved her into that customer support role, working on the phones. Not only did her career flourish, but customer satisfaction improved too.

Employee satisfaction and attrition go hand-in-hand. You can save the time and expense of employee turnover by making sure you have the right people in the right positions.

How Employee Strengths Help Serve Customers

Customers are the backbones of our businesses. They are the reasons we have a business, after all. And many customers are friends first or become good friends over time. They deserve the best when it comes to customer service, and you want to provide the best to them.

However, it might be that not every employee you have is programmed to provide the customer service your customers expect. And that is ok. Every person has some strength or strengths that make them a valuable part of your team, and it is important to evaluate those strengths, communicate those strengths to them in the form of affirmation and use those strengths to be an important part of your team.

Perhaps you have an employee that is impeccable at cleaning, stocking shelves and maintaining inventory, but finds conversation with others mundane or even uncomfortable. Keep that employee in the back to clean and stock, and only use for customer service if someone needs help loading product.

On the other hand, perhaps you’ve hired someone to load out product and stock shelves, that never can complete the assigned task because he or she is always talking to customers and making product recommendations. That person clearly needs to be in a customer service role. Typically, extroverts who enjoy helping others make great customer service reps.

But what does this have to do with overall customer satisfaction? Employees who are doing what they are good at, show up and are engaged and will provide better service. Better service leads to increased customer satisfaction.

According to an article by Stuart Hearn on www.brandquarterly.com: “A 2016 Gallup poll showed that strength-based companies enjoy more profit, better sales, and higher levels of customer engagement. In large part, this is due to the fact that when employees feel positive about their performance, and they are able to work to their strengths, they feel more engaged, and are therefore more passionate about their company and their work. They’re also more invested, meaning they go that extra mile to ensure customers have a great experience. Employee engagement has been termed the ‘wonder drug for customer satisfaction,’ so every time you emphasize strengths in your employees, you should remember the domino effect it creates.”

It all goes back to getting the right people in the right positions. Capitalize on employee strengths to make sure your customers have the best service around. Customers can go anywhere to buy feed and mineral, but make sure they are coming back to your business to get the best customer service that they deserve!