Category: Business Resources

Letters From Lisa – May 2022

This month’s focus is on Sure Champ® and Vita Charge®, two product lines that have experienced growth. What has created this success? Supporting young people involved in livestock. I know you are wriggling your nose right now, and thinking this lady is nuts. Nuts since we all know that helping young people doesn’t grow sales or pay bills. While whether I am nuts or not is debatable, my response is not. Economics are not all that matters, even in business.

BioZyme®, under the leadership of Bob Norton, started supporting youth in livestock back in 2007 when it became the title sponsor of both the National Junior Hereford Expo and the National Junior Angus Show. Why did we do this? Because these events and junior programs help create and shape youth that matter. As I was writing this note to all of you, I took a moment and asked Bod why he started making this a focus. His response was pretty simple, “The people in the industry are a lifestyle worth working to sustain. Livestock families are unique and special and extremely important to the welfare of the community, the state and the country.”

Darcy from the blog, Success is Reason Enough, lists the following facts about youth people who show cattle, but in my opinion, it applies to kids who show any animal.

  • They wake up early before school, to feed and care for their animals.
  • They stay up late in the evenings working hair, feeding rations and making sure their steer is rinsed one more time before they head to bed.
  • They know how to respect others.
  • They know how to receive critique, how to ask questions and how to push just a little bit longer.
  • They know how to evaluate their own cattle and others; and how to defend themselves verbally in front of a judge.
  • They know that one little tweak in a showing can be the difference between a championship slap…. or nothing.
  • They know that whatever you placed first or last…. you still need to shake the judge’s hand.
  • They can load up a trailer and set off to a show halfway across the country by themselves, because they know how to care for their livestock and budget their money, so they still have enough for diesel on the way home.
  • They know that those around them are trying to beat them in the ring…. but when they walk out the gate, if a fellow showman needed the proverbial shirt off their back, they’d hand it to them in a heartbeat.

That sounds like the perfect applicant for every position we have at BioZyme. And without this type of workforce in out future, the USA will never reach its full potential.

If you are still asking why we do this, let me reiterate that these young people are our future. More importantly, they are agriculture’s future. And for them, the experience of showing matters. And making kids feel like they matter; well…. it matters to us.

Dealer Spotlight: Results Lead Lazy SK to Believing in Amaferm ® Advantage

Seeing is believing. That’s what it took to get Spike Buffington hooked on the BioZyme® products. Spike, a Montana rancher, who has been involved in the cattle business his entire life, had never heard of the products five years ago. But when he went to work for his wife’s uncle and saw the way it worked on that cow herd, he became a became a believer. 

“I liked what I saw. The cows seemed healthier, and they looked healthier. I studied about the Amaferm® in the VitaFerm products. That seems to make a big difference,” he said. 

Since there wasn’t a dealer very close to his family’s ranch, Spike decided to become a BioZyme dealer, under the name of Lazy SK LLC, to be able to access the products more easily near Miles City, Montana. He said with a ranch to tend to and four kids, he wasn’t looking for another full-time job, but more of a sideline.  

Even as a “sideline” business, Spike has been able to grow his BioZyme dealership as word spreads from rancher to rancher. In the big country where his located, larger herds of commercial cow-calf operations exist. He interacts with the ranchers and shares the benefits of the Amaferm in the VitaFerm line, his most popular products. He has diversified to offer DuraFerm® and Vitalize®.  

“The results are noticeable. If a guy hasn’t fed a mineral for a while or is a new customer, they will notice the visual things right away. The hair coat quality is better and on black cattle, the color turns a true black,” Spike said. “Overall, my customers find their herd health is better and with the Concept•Aid®, their conception rates are better.” 

He shares a story about a customer who switched to Concept•Aid, who saw a 10% jump in his herd’s conception rates and weaned off calves 25 pounds heavier than previous years – during a drought. Both Spike and his customer credit the nutrition program with those results since that is the only change that ranch had made in at least two decades.  

Spike uses the resources and tools that BioZyme offers and suggest that other dealers do as well. From the marketing support to ASMs, he said the people are professional and have helped him promote a good product. 

“Lean on your ASM. If they don’t know the answer, they will find it for you. The Marketing Team does great, professional work and is easy to work with. Everyone just wants to see you succeed,” he said. 

When seeing is believing, and that is backed up with results – that defines “Care that Comes Full Circle.” Thanks for being a great promoter of Amaferm and the BioZyme products, Spike! We’re glad you’re part of the BioZyme family.   

TUNE IN TODAY!

You won’t want to miss this month’s Facebook Live! With so many new updates and things happening, we thought it was time to hear from a familiar voice to many – Jennifer Miller! Jen is going to provide updates on the Updated Master Dealer and the new look of the Online Dealer Center. And as always, she’s got a little fun up her sleeve, so you won’t want to miss this Facebook Live! TODAY at Noon, Central.

Two Minutes In Ag: April

They say the world is full of bad news; unfortunately, there is some truth in that. However, we can always find the good if we look, too. This month we will bring you some of both in our industry in a quick two-minute read.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has impacted poultry production in more than half the states so far. To date, the virus is linked to the death of nearly 23 million birds. Iowa—the nation’s largest egg producer—is the hardest-hit state, having lost 13.2 million poultry already. This is the largest virus outbreak in the poultry industry since 2015.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a relief package specifically for livestock producers. USDA will launch the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) to address increases in supplemental feed costs in 2021. The ERLP will use data from the 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) to make payments to affected producers—producers do not have to apply for the aid if they were approved for an LFP payment. There will be a pay cap, but details have not been released on that front.

Phase 1 of the payments is expected to total $577 million, basing the payments on percentage of an eligible producers’ gross 2021 LFP payment—90% for historically underserved producers and 75% for all other producers. USDA said it was evaluating impacts of 2021 drought and wildfires on livestock producers as it develops the Phase 2 component.

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, does offer some encouragement for profitability in the cattle business, as prices are higher than they were a year ago at this time, and he doesn’t expect them to dip. Where the revenue will be affected is on the expense side of the equation, as drought continues. Feed prices will be the highest input cost for producers. Peel recommends grazing cattle as long as possible without feeding hay, even if that means some targeted fertilizing for both pasture and hay production. This is just another reason promoting a mineral with Amaferm® is so important for that nutrient utilization.

Tell Everyone: Use Multiple Marketing Systems To Get Your Message Out

You can have the best products or services in the world, but until you put aside time and resources for marketing, you likely aren’t going to see a growth in your sales. Marketing is vital to helping discover and qualify leads and maintain contact prospects. Although many companies traditionally separate sales and marketing into individual pillars, when the two work collaboratively, a company will likely
experience increased performance, which leads to more revenue and ultimately more profit.

How do you choose the marketing system that works for your business? There are many opportunities for marketing from print and radio to social media and in-person trainings to signage and promotions. Therefore, it is best to utilize more than one marketing system to capture your audience and share your message.

“There are so many ways to get your company’s message across that it’s best if you don’t focus on just one,” said Macall Compton, Senior Manager of Marketing Operations at BioZyme Inc. “The goal should be to capture as many potential customers as possible, so you want to be where they are.”

According to Compton, social media is the common place where many customers and potential customers gather. A majority of Americans now have smart phones or tablets, and farmers and ranchers use that technology at their fingertips to get the weather, check the markets and even research and purchase their animal nutrition products.

With the use of social media in mind, the BioZyme Marketing Team created a partnership with Promoboxx, providing its dealers with current content across all
brands to post to their social media platforms. The content is free to use, is updated regularly to align with the national marketin campaigns, and Promobox provides 24-hour customer support. Compton said Promoboxx is simply the easiest way for
dealers to post pre-created content to their social media at no cost.

Another valuable tool she recommends is the producer meeting. Though many dealers are familiar with producer meetings, BioZyme will print and send invitations to customers, with a proper mailing list and adequate preparation time. These meetings are also a great way to interact and let potential customers hear from others who use the products.

Another valuable tool she recommends is the producer meeting. Though many dealers are familiar with producer meetings, BioZyme will print and send invitations to customers, with a proper mailing list and adequate preparation time. These meetings are also a great way to interact and let potential customers hear from others who use the products.

“Producer meetings are a great way to expose more people to your products and get in that valuable face-to-face time,” Compton said. BioZyme staff are available to speak at the meetings and help you help your customers.

Multiple other ways of sharing your message are also available from the Marketing Team, through the Marketing Request Center (see more about this on page 9). BioZyme’s Marketing Team can help you design mailers, print advertisements, radio spots, e-blasts, signage, swag and more!

It’s best to use multiple ways of marketing to reach multiple people. Each person responds differently to different messages, and it takes an average of seven impressions to make a point. Multiple marketing systems work! Reach out. Share your message. Watch your business grow!


Know Your Checkbook: How Can An Inventory System Increase Efficiency?

With so many systems and procedures for a business to use, there is one that undoubtedly can help you be more efficient in all your daily activities. An inventory control system might sound complex, but in reality, it will make your daily transactions run smoother and help you provide products to your customers in a timelier manner. You can’t sell what you don’t have, and an investment in inventory management just makes sense.

Jamie Miller, BioZyme Director of Operations Support, said there are three primary benefits for a business to have an inventory system in place.

First, the inventory system will allow the business to visualize its actual inventory. With stacks of feed or supplement bags that may be similar in colors, it can be challenging to keep track of what is actually in stock, especially with multiple employees selling current inventory or unloading new inventory. A centralized computer system helps manage the inventory so you can sell your older stock first, making room for new merchandise that has a longer shelf life.

Miller recommends using the FIFO (first in, first out) system as compared to the LIFO (last in, first out) system to keep inventory its freshest.

The second benefit Miller suggests is warehouse management.

“Depending on the sophistication of your software, these inventory control systems also serve as a great way to know where each product is located in your warehouse so you can go directly to the bin or area to streamline order processing and delivery,” Miller said.

Whether you have one warehouse or multiple warehouses, knowing where products are located by product or lot number will increase the efficiency of filling orders.

Traceability is perhaps the most important aspect to an inventory system, according to Miller. Being part of the Safe Feed, Safe Food certification, BioZyme’s inventory tracking system allows it to track all ingredients from where they came from through the products they are put into and to what dealer they are sold, which is important for any recall that might happen.

“Traceability is the biggest thing of importance in animal livestock nutrition inventory systems,” Miller said. “Even the simplest inventory software systems typically have a recall report to help with traceability, which would be very important in the case of a feed mill.”

Inventory tracking isn’t as simple as counting bags or tubs of products or chalking up tally marks on a legal pad. Increasing efficiencies with product deliveries, mapping your warehouse and tracking products are all important to the success of your business. Don’t let the investment in the software scare you off, because you will see long-term rewards.

Know Your Customer: Is A CRM A Necessary System?

You know how important it is to build quality customer relationships. But how essential is it to have a Customer Relationship Management System in place to help keep and track those relationships? Very, according to one article posted on Forbes.com.

“Any company will benefit from maintaining a record of which conversations, purchases and marketing material can be associated with leads and customers,” wrote author Jason Kulpa.

Veteran BioZyme sales reps agree that managing customer information is vital to any company’s success. Mike Wadle, Additive Territory Manager, and Rod Hutcheson, Animal Health Business Development Manager, shared their thoughts on the importance of organizing customer data and the systems to use.

Keys to Success
Wadle said tracking customer information is vital to help the customer succeed. When dealers understand each operation’s challenges and goals, the dealer takes on the role of a trusted confidant – more of a friend or consultant than a salesperson. With multiple customers it is important to keep all of that information in one location and to keep it current.

“The relationship between the dealer and his or her customer is part of the success of the business. If the customer has success, then I have success. If he has failure, then I will likely fail too,” Wadle said.

Hutcheson shares one example of how he has gathered information over time that makes the customer feel like he or she matters. When he pulls up at a producer’s place and the family dog runs to greet him, he remembers that the producer says, “get back, Charlie,” while calling the dog off. On his next visit, when the dog approaches him, Hutcheson can greet the dog, “hey Charlie,” and scratch his ear, impressing the producer that he remembered his best companion’s name.

“People will do business with those who care about them. It all goes back to the adage, that people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,” Hutcheson said.

Choosing a System
Just like anything, there are many CRM tracking systems. Hutcheson and Wadle agree that it is most important to use a system that the user is comfortable with, especially if you are a smaller business or not sharing that information across several people or departments. “The best system is the system that works best for you,” Hutcheson said. “That might be an index card or 3-ring binder or keeping
information in your iPhone. I always pull up the person’s contact information in my phone when I’m with them to make sure everything is still correct.”

The next step might be to track customer information electronically via an excel spreadsheet or other database system. You can then share this across users via Dropbox or other sharing platforms.

Of course, there are more technical CRM software systems that allow multiple users to share a plethora of information about customers, similar to what BioZyme uses. These can track basic customer information, orders, marketing, shipping, contact methods and conversations and more. These come with a price tag, but are worth the investment, especially in a growing business.

The bottom line is the customer likes to feel valued. Make sure you know that customer and his or her vital information and can manage that information using a system that works best for you and your business. You and your customers will find success!

Letters From Lisa – April 2022

Systems and processes are the essential building blocks of our companies. Every facet of our business—on the production floor, in the warehouse or in the office—is part of a system that can be managed or improved. A system is designed to connect all of an organization’s intricate parts and interrelated steps so they can work together for the achievement of success.

There are several reasons to implement a business system.

Improving Top-Line Performance: In short, a business system takes care of your future. It ensures if you know you are meeting your customers’ expectations, which is key to growing a healthy business.

Meeting Customer’s Expectations: If you use a system like a CRM and a systematic approach, your organization will be motivated to analyze, measure, compare and test all the possibilities of what your customers want and don’t want.

Employee Development: The goal of the development system is to enable proper education and opportunities to all employees so they can complete their work more efficiently and effectively.

Reduce Costs and Increase Profits: It has been proven time and again that the implementation of a sound business system helps reduce costs. However, a good business system is intended to reduce costs without taking the shortcuts that often lead to an erosion of profitability by lowering quality expectations or service levels.

Unfortunately, you can’t just go buy a business system, you must build it, and it includes 100 parts: an information system, an IT system, a CRM system, a production system, a drive Lisa nuts system and an etc.,etc., etc. system. The choices are many, and therefore the decisions are many, which is sometimes hard. I am by no means a system expert, but this month we will focus on sharing about the three that I do feel we have done well – the CRM, Inventory and Marketing Project Management. I have always believed that most every challenge in business can be solved if you 1) get the right system in place, 2) then develop the processes to properly use that system and then finally 3) ensure the people involved are in the right seat on the bus and are personally inspired to keep themselves accountable to these system and processes. So, you can see I believe systems are first. Why?

  1. Systems provide consistency: With business systems, you can more easily produce the same products and services with the same level of consistency. Once you have created your systems and developed the processes engaged with the systems, your employees can easily be consistent.
  2. Change is easier to accomplish: Systems make a business predictable. So, when change impacts your business – which may often occur these days – knowing that becomes easier. You will also then better predict how the change should be handled.
  3. Training new employees becomes easier: New hires can be quickly integrated into your business when there is a system and a set of procedures for them to follow, so they know exactly what is expected.
  4. Staff can focus on what they do best: Once business systems are established and implemented, some activities can be performed on “autopilot.” Repetitive activities in your business become routine, so you and your team can focus on activities with higher payoffs.

Systems are what make businesses grow, flow, endure and be sustainable. Businesses that effectively use systems find themselves winning against their competition. I leave you with this thought. If you don’t have the resources or time to pick a “high tech” system don’t ignore this letter of ideas. At BioZyme, we have had to start with a paper “system” MANY times. What I have found is that what is not ok to say is, “I will get a system when I can afford it or once this or that happens.” DO IT now, even if it is using a concrete tablet.

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BEAT THE HEAT THROUGH SPRING AND SUMMER

It’s hard to imagine warm days coming anytime soon as the snow piles up outside my office window on an early March morning while the local school district has yet another snow day. However, as you read this April VISION, hopefully the grass is greening, trees are budding, and the sun is shining!

The transition from spring to summer can be a beautiful time of year: however, the heat brings added stress to both people and their animals. If climatologists are accurate, the drought will continue to be prolonged, meaning even more challenges for your customers. That is where the HEAT® products help to maintain normal body temperatures any time the temperature reaches 70 degrees or hotter, or anywhere fescue is present. They also include garlic, a natural insect deterrent. Couple these technologies with Amaferm®, research-proven to maintain performance during heat stress and increase forage digestion, a common issue with fescue.

Regardless of the species or the production cycle, BioZyme offers a solution for your customers to help beat the HEAT.

For Cattle:

Between the lines of VitaFerm®, Gain Smart® and VitaCharge®, several options exist with HEAT: VitaFerm HEAT, VitaFerm HEAT Tub, VitaFerm HEAT with ClariFly®, VitaFerm HEAT CTC 3G, VitaFerm Concept•Aid®5/S HEAT, VitaFerm Concept•Aid®5/S HEAT with ClariFly, Gain Smart Stocker HEAT, and Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT.

For Sheep:

DuraFerm Sheep Concept•Aid HEAT “I used DuraFerm® Sheep Concept•Aid® HEAT® mineral last summer and the ewes grazed longer throughout the day (even the hot parts of the day) resulting in better body conditions and more ewes stuck on the first cycle.” – Justin Rapp

For Show Livestock:

Sure Champ® Extreme, Sure Champ EXTREME with ClariFly, Vita Charge Climate Control Gel, Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT.

“We used the Sure Champ® EXTREME product all summer when our temps started hitting the low 100’s and we learned about this great product. We could not be happier with the results of using the Extreme. Our market goat and doe stayed on feed and seemed to be more comfortable in the high temps than in past years. Extreme & Vita Charge Gel will be getting added to our feeding programs yearly moving forward.” – Hunter Wilson

For Horses:

Vitalize Blazin’ is one of the newest products BioZyme offers to help combat heat stress. Vitalize Blazin’ contains a proprietary blend of ingredients to support blood flow and dissipation of body heat and contains antioxidants to reduce damaging free radicals caused by exertion and heat.

BACKYARD BOOST® IS KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL CHICK DAYS

Depending on your location, the ever-popular “Chick Days” will be here before we know it, and products like Backyard Boost® will help these young flocks flourish! We encourage you to work with your ASM or reach out to Shelia Grobosky, the Dealer Brand Manager, to help you promote these natural products that are designed to support the health, wellbeing and productivity of poultry.

Backyard Boost Daily Essentials

Backyard Boost Daily Essentials is a pelleted, natural protein supplement fully fortified with the precision prebiotic Amaferm®, vitamins, minerals and organic trace minerals to maximize growth and egg production and support overall flock health. Amaferm is research-proven to increase digestion and absorption of nutrients to help maximize egg production and quality. In addition, Daily Essentials contains additional protein to support growth, feather quality and egg production and calcium and other nutrients for natural improvement of eggshell and yolk quality.

  • 2.5 lb. or 10 lb. resealable bag.
  • Fed at a rate of 0.5 oz/chick/day.
  • For a 6-bird flock, 2.5 lbs. will last 2 weeks, and 10 lbs. will last 8 weeks.
  • Feed daily, either in the feeder or scattered in the pen.
  • Intended as a supplement, not a complete feed

Backyard Boost Defense

Backyard Boost Defense is a liquid supplement that promotes feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery to help support digestive health and a healthy inflammatory response. With natural products like the prebiotic Amaferm that helps combat the negative effects of stress and gets your hens back to producing eggs faster, and MOS to trap and expel unwanted disease-causing pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm, Defense promotes feed and water intake. It also contains electrolytes to support proper hydration and works with antibiotics to improve health and recovery.

  • 16 oz and a NEW 8 oz twin neck bottle with dosing chamber.
  • Added to water at the rate of 1 oz per gallon.
  • Mix daily to best freshness.
  • Designed for intermittent feeding during stress/recovery; can be fed at same time as Daily Essentials.
  • Maximizes the effectiveness of antibiotics.

SMART STRATEGIES FOR SELLING BACKYARD BOOST

Upselling and cross-selling are marketing tools that will help both you and your customer. They help your customers succeed in their feeding and production endeavors, and they help you meet your sales goals. When you combine the two and work them together, your business will experience even more growth.

Upselling is the is the practice of encouraging customers to purchase a comparable higher-end product than the one they might be originally considering. Cross-selling urges customers to buy related or complementary items. These two practices are most effective when they are used synergistically, and the end result for you, the dealer, is increased sales and hopefully a customer who sees better results.

Cross-selling is a practice that should be used in business nearly every time you make a sale. Products in the new Backyard Boost™line like Backyard Boost Daily Essentials and Backyard Boost Defense were created for cross-selling opportunities. Most people won’t immediately think of nutritional supplements for their backyard birds. However, they will think of other essentials like coops, heat lamps, bedding and feed. When they go pick out their feed or have questions about bird health, these are some ideal times for some cross-selling statements.

  • Have you thought about how you’re going to keep your chicks healthy?
  • Would you like to add a supplement to your chick feed to keep them feeling healthy and keep them happy?
  • Did you know that a product like Daily Essentials will help your chickens get the most nutrient supply from their feed?
  • How are you going to treat your chicks when they stress out and get sick? Have you thought about Defense.

Cross selling allows you to add on an essential product that will benefit the customer in his or her endeavor. Often times when you cross-sell, the customer hasn’t thought about that additional need yet, but when you mention it, it becomes an “ah-ha” moment for them, and a cross-sell suggestion often saves the customer a trip back to the store in the future, while helping you create a sale.

Upselling is a tool that should be used anytime you have a product that contains Amaferm®. With a prebiotic like Amaferm, products like Backyard Boost Daily Essentials and Defense are already more beneficial than other supplements that exist on the market. The Amaferm advantage and other natural ingredients in these supplements will:

  • Support performance and health of the birds by supporting the digestion and absorption of nutrients.
  • Reduce digestive upset, therefore improve the overall health and wellbeing of the birds.
  • Increase egg production, while improving eggshell and yolk quality.
  • Supports growth and feather quality.
  • Boosts immune response and combats negative effects of stress.

Upselling allows you to share experiences of a high-quality product with your customer and those benefits that a premium product will provide. Remember, a premium product doesn’t always have to be the one with the highest price tag; it is the one that is backed by research and has the most high-quality ingredients included in it.

Take the time to practice upselling and cross-selling across all species and products. There is always a product that will add value to another product.