Category: What’s New

Tips to Make Your Summer Sales Sizzle

BioZyme® Inc. offers a multitude of products for all species to beat the stress of summertime heat. With temperatures warming up, or in some parts of the country fluctuating, we wanted to focus on each of them in this issue. So, we asked our sales team to offer their viewpoint and give their best sales pitch for some of the summer’s HOTTEST products.

DuraFerm® Sheep Concept•Aid® HEAT®

“This nearly mirrors what we are doing on the cattle side. When these temperatures start getting hot, we want the DuraFerm HEAT out there to help regulate internal body temperatures. I see a bigger influx of trying to gear that toward my A.I. and embryo transfer program customers. That’s where we are going to see the most added benefit because they will be breeding in the summer. A lot of these show stock guys will start flushing and AI-ing and if we can control that internal body® temperature, that is obviously going to help with conception rates and help those ewes produce more viable embryos.” – SAM SILVERS, ASM, Texas & New Mexico

“I actually have quite a few commercial breeders looking to maximize their bottom line, and they view the DuraFerm HEAT as an investment. They know their true costs are tied up in getting their ewes bred, and as fickle cyclers, they have a smaller window of opportunity to get them bred and keep them bred. Once they realize the return on their investment means more lambs and more pounds of lambs to sell, the® DuraFerm HEAT sells itself as a premium mineral to increase their genetic potential.” – SHANDY BERTOLINO, ASM, Illinois & Indiana

VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S HEAT® & VitaFerm® HEAT®

“My goal is to help my customers reach their goals and help them save money at the same time. The HEAT package found in the VitaFerm HEAT and now VitaFerm Concept•Aid HEAT acts like extra insurance to get your cows bred back. The capsaicin in the HEAT package helps reduce heat, therefore lowering any heat stress, and helps those females retain more pregnancies, which is very important during those first 30 days of fetal development when heat stress can be unbearable in June and July. The HEAT mineral is a real lifesaver in Missouri, where we have so much fescue. The combination of Amaferm and capsaicin helps those cattle grazing fescue to lower their core temperature while converting the nutrients in the grasses.” – DAVE GALLAGHER, ASM, Missouri

“VitaFerm Concept•Aid 5/S HEAT is a really good option for both spring and fall calving herds. For the spring calving cows on Concept•Aid the main thing is to keep those cows out grazing, so they don’t circle up to fight the heat and fight flies, and the bull can still get his job done. The combination of Amaferm, chelated minerals and the HEAT package is amazing. Literally two weeks after you put it out, you’ll see your cows spread out and stay grazing all day long. They don’t huddle up, they’re never in the pond; I mean we’re dropping that core body temperature three degrees, so they can go out and keep pounds on those calves and keep rolling. And then on the flip side of that on the fall cows, Concept•Aid is golden for those guys because we want them on Concept•Aid 60 days prior to calving to get those vitamins and minerals in there to help them clean good, and yet some of them are still calving when it is 100 degrees, which takes a toll on them, so that HEAT pack is awesome.” – SHANE SCHAAKE, ASM, Kansas

Sure Champ® Extreme

“The whole concept behind Sure Champ Extreme is that if you can regulate body temperature and help reduce heat stress, your show livestock will stay on feed and water. Animals that consistently eat and drink are healthier and higher performing – this is true across all species.” – BLAINE RODGERS, ASM, Western US & Show Livestock Manager

“Sure Champ Extreme is a great product for customers that are gearing up for county fairs, state fairs, junior nationals or traveling the show circuit. From my own personal experience, I have found that the animals that are fed Sure Champ Extreme adapt better when arriving at the show. Traveling to a show during the summer heat can be very hard on animals, especially the ones that are kept in coolers during the day. I feel that when animals are fed Sure Champ Extreme the temperature difference does not affect them as much. This product is key when you are trying to get show heifers bred because it helps regulate the body temperature and helps reduce stress. When selling this product, I like to share my own personal stories and experiences. If I am a believer in the product, I feel my customers will gain trust from me and try the product out for themselves.” – KORI SOUTER, ASM, Iowa

Vita Charge®

“A lot of my customers run several thousand stockers a year, and a majority of these calves are high-stress cattle that are prone to sickness. I always let the customer tell me what their challenge is, and a lot of times, I hear, ‘If I could do better, I wouldn’t have to buy as much medicine, or I could get them eating faster.’ I don’t try to sell them a product for the whole herd. I want them to see the results for themselves, so I will give them a jug of Vita Charge Drench and challenge them to use it in a control group of 100 head out of 500 head group. They can see it work that way once they get their hands on it. As for the Vita Charge Stress Tub HEAT, those are another bullet in your gun when it comes to fighting heat stress, especially on black calves in the south. We have seen a big difference in the heat stress relief in some of those black calves with the introduction of that HEAT Stress Tub.” – CHRIS KYLE, ASM, Arkansas & Louisiana

Gain Smart® Stocker HEAT®

“No matter what product I am trying to sell, I always start by talking about Amaferm®. If they are running stockers on native grass, I will talk to them about Amaferm, and the value it brings to gain and feed efficiency and utilization of nutrients. In addition, Amaferm has a positive effect on gut health for those animals. Then, I will find out their interest in the HEAT package. Due to the capsaicin, that is research-proven to help maintain the animals’ core body temperature, the heat will dissipate from them, and they will be out grazing longer, converting more forage to pounds.” – JOHN JEFFREY, Feedlot-Stocker Business Development Manager

“Up north here, where I deal with a lot of customers, I encourage them to start feeding the Gain Smart Stocker HEAT by at least June 15. The capsaicin in the HEAT package works great at increasing blood flow and maintaining the body temperature, and the garlic works at keeping the flies off those cattle. This product works, and I know it works because I use it myself. The calves graze and stay spread during the day. When I’ve got customers getting calves ready for a Superior sale, they see the value in it, and they know they need to be on Gain Smart at least 45 days before they sell on Superior.” – JOHN TUCKER, Large Beef Accounts Specialist

Dealer Spotlight: Earlybird

For one dealer, keeping education at the forefront of its customer service is key. Earlybird, with three Illinois locations and one in Missouri, has a sales and marketing team of individuals who grew up in the livestock industry and know the importance of youth programs. That is why it is imperative that they continue to provide education, training and support to their young customers today.

“No question is a bad one. We encourage you to ask us all the questions about your livestock. It is our job to do everything we can to get you on the right track. Nutrition, animal management and prepping for a show all goes hand in hand, and how you handle one or the other will affect your outcome,” said Codee Schmidgall, Marketing Specialist at Earlybird. “The beauty about our team is that they grew up raising and showing livestock and many of them go home and put the exact same efforts into their own. They live it, breathe it and know what it takes to be successful. All you have to do is ask!”

In addition to answering customer questions, Earlybird takes a proactive approach to educating its customers and supporting the youth. They have conducted and sponsored several multispecies clinics and shows around the Midwest. Recently, they conducted a show pig clinic in southern Illinois where a few of their feed specialists talked about “how to take care of and manage show pig projects from the time they enter the barn to the time they reach their target show.”

“When we do host a clinic, we encourage the whole family to come especially if the kids are just starting out! Showing livestock is a family affair and we think that if everybody has a little insight on what to do then it takes the pressure off just one family member,” Schmidgall said.

Creating partnerships with companies like BioZyme, helps Earlybird when it is time to provide educational opportunities. BioZyme will help sponsor an Earlybird show or donate products for events like the Illinois Beef Expo and other shows.

“Not only do we enjoy working with the BioZyme team, but we believe that their products work! Vita Charge® HydraBoost™ has been an absolute HIT with many of the pig breeders around Illinois and has become more and more popular with our out of state customers. Around this time of year, many families walk away with products like Vita Charge® Liquid Boost®, Climate Control Gel, and the Stress Tubs because that is what they use to #preptowin,” she said.

And, what sells their Sure Champ and Vita Charge products? Amaferm®, of course!

“The Amaferm Advantage is key! BioZyme has done such a great job at pushing information out there that backs these products up which makes our jobs easy. I cannot speak for all the feed specialists because they have their own preferences and experiences, but I know my family does not leave for a show without a bag of Sure Champ Cattle in our trailer,”Schmidgall said.

Earlybird is around for the long haul, for its seasoned customers and for its younger customers who are just getting started in the show industry. In addition, they offer two summer internships to students interested in youth and the feed business. According to Schmidgall, the interns are also great at interacting with the youth at as many events possible and help promote their customers’ successes via social media.

“The Earlybird mission has been based on providing a variety of highquality feeds that exceed the needs of our large customer base, but most off all we have put a strong emphasis on our service, and our ability to help families achieve their goals. This family-owned business has always had its sights set on supporting and promoting the next generation of the agriculture industry; and we will continue to make it a priority!”

That’s care that comes full circle.

Products that Help #PreptoWin in the Ring and in Life

Care that Comes Full Circle at BioZyme® extends far beyond just the care for our animals – it extends to the care takers, too. Sure Champ® is a brand that strives to provide quality products for show livestock while extending a branch of outreach to the young people who care for the livestock, who hold the future of our industry in their hands!

Sure Champ® is a line of livestock show supplements that proactively work to assist with the challenges created by the show environment. Sure Champ uses only the highest quality components and proprietary ingredients proven to generate high-yielding results.

Sure Champ for your CATTLE:

Sure Champ Cattle, Sure Champ Extreme with Climate Control

Sure Champ for your Small Species:

Sure Champ Spark, Sure Champ Extreme with Climate Control

Sure Champ Leadership Team Scholarship

The Sure Champ Leadership Team Scholarship program strives to reward young livestock enthusiasts looking to sharpen and expand their leadership skills. Each year we award 10, $500 scholarships to people wishing to attend a breed association leadership conference of their choice. This year, we partnered with the Hereford, Angus, Simmental and Maine Anjou Associations.

This year’s team has representation from 10 different states and all four breeds!

Sure Champ Developmental Resources

The summer is a time of great opportunity for youth involved in agriculture when it comes to job opportunities and internships. Sure Champ serves as a hub for useful resources to help students achieve the outcomes they desire.

Summer Show Tour

We always love to hit the road every summer and show our support for the junior breed associations Junior National Shows. It is great to engage and connect with Junior customers both new and old! This summer you can find us at:

• The Exposition

• Maine/Chi Junior Nationals

• Simmental Junior Nationals

• Hereford Junior Nationals

• Steer Show Junior Nationals

AND we will have the help of a summer intern – another way Sure Champ strives to provide professional opportunities to our youth!

Letters From Lisa – May 2021

“Upon the subject of education. . . I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people may be engaged in.” – Abraham Lincoln

Too many companies seem to believe that ignorance makes for the best customers. Actually, the more informed and empowered customers are, the more satisfied and confident they are with their choice of you. And that kind of confidence almost always leads to loyalty. In the end, isn’t that what all of this is really about?

By only reaching people to convert them into customers, you are limiting your potential to generate new customers. So, if you want to change how people perceive you, you need to distinguish yourself as a leading educational voice.

Customer education doesn’t just boil down to one or two small benefits. Its positive effects are numerous. They’re also intertwined, and when done well, it feeds a much bigger machine, helping to fuel your business’s growth.

To begin assessing the needs of your customer education initiative you must know your customers’ pain points, then you can develop a plan to help overcome these. For this, you’ll need the right tools and resources to help.

There are a wide variety of first-class tools available through BioZyme in our Online Dealer Center. These will help you deliver efficient and effective training. The below graphic is a good visual to keep your education track on course.

CHANGES COMING IN MAY 2021

NEW PRODUCTS

  • On May 1, BioZyme® will launch two new Vitalize® products. Vitalize Blazin’ is a product developed for horses to support normal recovery from heat stress and exertion. It is available in a 64 oz and 32 oz bottle. Additionally, Vitalize JumpStart will be added to the price list and serve as a nutritional boost to support the immune system of foals, weanlings and young horses. It is available in a 1-gallon jug. Blazin’ and JumpStart will be offered in a liquid form, designed to be used as a top dress and drench, respectively.
  • On April 1, BioZyme launched VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S HEAT® with Clarifly®. This product will only be available in registered states. The states we have received approval for are: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

PRICING UPDATES

  • According to the March 31 Wall Street Journal, makers of everything from diapers to cereal are starting to feel the strain of higher prices on literally everything. Cheerios™ maker General Mills said it will raise prices to partly offset higher freight and manufacturing costs, in addition to rising commodity prices. J.M. Smucker Co. said it recently raised prices for its Jif® peanut butter and that it might do the same with pet snacks because of higher shipping costs. Global supply chains, which were already experiencing a crunch due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have seen additional supply disruptions. The February freeze that triggered mass blackouts in Texas led to chemical plant shutdowns and caused a shortage of the raw materials needed for almost everything. As a result, prices for polyethylene, polypropylene and other chemical compounds reached their highest levels in years. The maker of Gillette® razors and Tide detergent cited rising costs for raw materials, such as resin and pulp, and higher expenses to transport goods in their price increases. The point is that almost everything is going up in price. BioZyme has been hit hard by these same dynamics. We received notice this month that things that rarely change in price are all going up. This includes bags, mineral oil, ink, labels, ingredients, fuel surcharges, pallets, the plywood in between the tub layers (this one has gone up this year from $13 to $95) and the list goes on and on. We are trying to do everything in our power to keep these changes under control, but you should know that this is an unprecedented time in our history as it is for all of us. So, hang in there with this and we will all survive together and remember it is not how we stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but how we stand during times of challenge that really matter.

SHIPPING UPDATES

  • EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Due to consistent service delays, high damage rates and a change to their freight claim reimbursement policy, BioZyme, Inc is no longer shipping products with Dohrn Transfer Company. Customers and Area Sales Managers [ASM] can still choose to use Dohrn Transfer Company for shipping LTL orders. However, both the Customer and the ASM must sign a Release of Liability for each order for which Dohrn Transfer Company will be used.
  • FREIGHT CLAIM REMINDER: Please remember that you MUST notate what was damaged and sign the DRIVER’S copy of the delivery receipt in order to submit a freight claim. The freight companies deny our claims when the delivery receipt is not signed, and we cannot provide a credit on denied claims.

EMPLOYEE UPDATES

  • Carrie Butley has joined BioZyme as the new Concetti Bagging Operator.

CHANGES COMING IN JUNE 2021

ORDERING UPDATES

  • Starting on June 1, 10 lb. bags of Vitalize® Digest More® Plus can only be ordered in a case quantity of 4 instead of as single bags.

CHANGES COMING IN JULY 2021

PRODUCT UPDATE

  • On July 1, the Vitalize® Alimend® and Vitalize® Alimend® K9 labels will be getting updated to comply with NASC standards. Though the presentation of the labels will look different, the formula and ingredients will remain the same. The feeding directions will be changed to mL (instead of ounces), but the feeding rate will not change.

Dealer Spotlight: Maryville Vet Clinic

Vets Provide Year-Round Nutrition Plan

Care that comes full circle is more than a motto. It’s the way we live, taking care of the livestock and animals that take care of us – livestock that provide a livelihood and protein products to feed the world and companion animals that provide joy and friendships to many. An ideal candidate for a BioZyme® dealer is a veterinarian – they are providing care to animals in multiple ways – both preventative care to keep the animals healthy and restorative care when an animal needs healed.

Maryville Vet Clinic, LLC, Maryville, Missouri, has been a BioZyme dealer since the 1980s. Dr. David Frueh and his original veterinary partner were dealers, and when Dr. Frueh became a single-vet practice, he liked the products so well, he continued to sell them. Today, all three veterinarians within the practice, Dr. Frueh, Dr. Patrick O’Connell and Dr. Gina Stoll, like the benefits of the products and recommend them to their clients.

“Here, we try the product first. We never want our customers to be the guinea pig. So, if there’s a new product or a different product we feed it to our own cattle. Dr. Frueh has seen how products like the Concept•Aid® has increased conception rates and how the condition of his cows has benefitted from the mineral. He’s a believer in the product. Once you see how the product works, it really sells itself,” said Stacy Liebhart, Office Manager of the Clinic.

Liebhart said that 90% of their practice is large animals, and a majority of those clients are cattle producers. Therefore, they have formulated a nutrition program they recommend their customers stay on throughout the year to maximize their herds’ health. Their program includes the VitaFerm® HEAT® mineral.

From January through about March or April, during the bulk of calving, customers are recommended to feed VitaFerm Concept•Aid® 10; then during grass tetany season, they advise switching to VitaFerm Concept•Aid Mag/S. During the hottest months of the year, which can vary from May or June to September or November, it’s HEAT season, and that is when they sell and advise their customers to use VitaFerm HEAT. Once the temperatures consistently cool down, they put their cows back on the regular VitaFerm Concept•Aid.

Just like with any new product, Liebhart said the doctors tried the HEAT line when it was introduced. She said they were conservative with their first order of HEAT mineral to feed their own cows, but it didn’t take them long to see the benefits and wanted to get more to offer their clients right away.

“It only took one pallet of mineral and they were like wow this stuff works, and now that’s all we recommend during the summer months. So just like all products we had to make sure it worked before we recommended it to our customers,” she said.

Liebhart said their dealership is unique as their main source of income isn’t from supplement sales; however, those sales have made the animals that the doctors take care healthier and more productive over time.

She also recommends for every dealership, regardless of its situation to stay current on all the BioZyme products, which she says is her responsibility. She often recommends the products that she knows will work well to the doctors during various seasons because she is the one who makes the time to keep up on all the training. For instance, during calving she often recommends Vita Charge® Clench Gel to accompany treatments for scours or Vita Charge Gel when a calf is has digestive issues or Vita Charge Drench at weaning.

From preventative health care to making an animal feel its best, veterinarians are busy people. They work on animals big and small, and they make great BioZyme dealers, providing that care that comes full circle. Thanks for being fantastic dealers, Maryville Vet Clinic!

Letters From Lisa – April 2021

Don’t let Summer Stress You or Your Business

Just because some beef producers think that green grass means less need for supplementation (this is totally not true), doesn’t mean your business needs to slow down in the summer. Here are some ideas to make the summer work for you instead of against you.

Find other ways to bring in revenue
Your sales don’t have to grind to a complete halt during the off-season. Diversify your business offerings and see if you can sell related or complementary products and services. Determine the other needs of your customers and find ways to fulfill them even when your main business isn’t in season. May I note that most horse owners love to supplement their “pet” all year long, so please consider the Vitalize® brand. We’ve been through this diversification drill in these letters before; note, I won’t give up on helping us all remember to do this.

Build your community
Social media gives you tons of opportunities to connect with people all year, so keep your blog and social accounts active. Keep publishing blog posts and posting updates on all of the channels your customers follow. Use your downtime to come up with great content that can educate your customers. Doing so helps you build authority, strengthens your community and ensures that people will remember you when it comes time to do business again in the fall.

Reach out to the media
Publications usually plan their articles months in advance, so if you want to land a magazine feature just in time for the peak season, you’ll have to reach out NOW.

Attend networking and educational events
Use the slow months to broaden your knowledge and network. Virtual conferences and even local business events can help you gain new partnerships and skills that you can use in your business, so don’t pass up the chance to attend them.

Get feedback
The off-season could be the perfect time to get feedback and reviews from your customers. Consider getting in touch with people who purchased from you and ask them what they thought of your products.

Business may be seasonal, but your commitment to it shouldn’t be. Put these tips into action and find ways to thrive. I find summer to be one of the most inspiring times of year. It’s a great time to allow yourself to create things you might not normally create—or make progress in directions you wouldn’t otherwise prioritize. For me, summer has always been about picking goals that are less directly correlated with professional success, and more about self. It’s my way of maintaining some sort of connection to that child-like feeling of “summer vacation.”