Our Vitalize Equine Health Seminar will take place on April 23rd at 5 PM central featuring Lynsey Whitacre, PhD discussing The Impacts of Stress on Your Horse. This Seminar is completely FREE to attend, so be sure to sign up and invite your customers too!
Below you will find important information about BioZyme’s response to the challenge of COVID-19. To ensure you receive any important updates, please sign up for our text alerts by clicking the link in the top right corner of the Online Dealer Center.
Official Government Issued COVID-19 Information:
We encourage you to be aware of the best practices outlined by the CDC and WHO in an effort to prevent the spread of illness.
Steps to Help Prevent the Spread of COVD-19
Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Important Information for BioZyme Dealers:
We understand the growing concern surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) across our communities. From the onset of this situation, we have been listening to the experts as we work to meet the challenges of this extraordinary situation. We are closely monitoring and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), to ensure we are doing our part to keep everyone in our circle safe, but continue to be able to feed the amazing animals that ultimately contribute to our survival.
We are actively monitoring the situation and assessing risks and are ready to implement immediate changes to ensure a high level of safety and provide the best possible experience during this time.
Our employees, customers and business partners are the heart of our company and we look forward to serving your needs wherever and however you choose to engage with our products and services.
How BioZyme is Protecting Our Employees:
BioZyme Infectious Disease Preparedness & Response Plan.
Vendor / Visitor Entrance
Vendors and visitors will not be allowed in the building unless:
Essential Employee Letter:
Employees that must come to the Stockyards or Easton facilities to ensure production of our products continues uninterrupted are being provided an essential employee letter to carry with them. Click Here to download the letter.
All employees who are able to work remotely are doing so, including the Sales Team, International Team, Outreach Support Center, Marketing Team and Office Support Staff.
DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS
SHIPPING UPDATES
PRODUCT UPDATES
Sales diversification is one of BioZyme®’s five goals for the next three years. Why? No matter how you dissect it, BioZyme is very dependent on the U.S. cattle market. It represents about 60% of every dollar of revenue we have.
You can look at that two ways. Way to go team! Or, what are all the ways we can change that will allow us to have more revenue from different things? That thought means looking at how to grow international sales, equine sales, small pack (treatment for a challenge) sales and even pet sales such as dogs and backyard chickens. (Did you know 8% of the 10 million households in the USA have chickens in their backyard?)
Why would anyone want to add all that to their plate if you can be successful just doing one thing for one species? Here’s why:
Sales can dry up, so keep investing in them
It should go without saying that businesses can’t rely on a single sales source to keep them afloat (never mind grow the company). It doesn’t matter how great your client or customer is, or how well your relationship might be working right now. Anything could happen to change that. Continually be on the lookout for new sales in order to build a solid portfolio of customers. No matter how well things might seem to be going, you can’t afford to be complacent. Set aside some time every day to capture and chase leads, even if it’s just one hour. You’ll be surprised by how much you can achieve in that time.
Competition will be tough, so make the most of your resources
The benefit of diversification is that it enables businesses to maximize their use of resources and fully realize their potential. You might only be able to diversify horizontally, by adding a new product or service to appeal to your current customer base. Or you could jump into an entirely new market segment, with a new customer base, to take advantage of high growth potential. But, either way, you will be making the most of your resources and ensuring you aim for the best return on your investment.
Finding out what your business does well (and better than your competitors) is a good way to see if your resources are being used to support these strengths. It can also help you identify where you might be wasting time, money and skills. This will allow you to see where you can potentially add value for current customers with new products or services, or how you could use your resources better to add value to an entirely new market.
It’s easy for one revenue stream to drain your energy and distract from growth
I’ve seen this happen too many times. One main revenue stream starts demanding increasing focus until it takes over everything. It might be your first cherished customer, or it could be the income source that has been the most lucrative. Regardless, it can quickly become an obstacle to success by taking up too much of your energy and resources, leaving you little for taking advantage of new opportunities. Learning to avoid this from happening up front is way better than trying to untangle yourself afterward.
It is widely acknowledged that while business diversification is appealing for a number of reasons, it is a ‘high-stakes game.’ In other words, both the rewards and the risks are potentially extraordinary. Yet one of the reasons diversification strategies can fail is because they are often undertaken when the company is under pressure and there isn’t time for well thought out options. Think about diversification of your revenue streams ahead of time, when you’re not under pressure and you can give the proper authority to make a good decision. This will allow you to more likely find success– and protect the future of your business.
With the current limitations on travel and event attendance due to the COVID-19 outbreak, getting your dose of education and industry networking can be challenging. However, we are making it easier than ever with our NEW Virtual Producer Meetings! Please share this opportunity with your customers and invite them to join us!
These meetings are completely FREE for you and your customers. We have 2 segments available for you to attend; March 30th and 31st.
You and your customers can sign up using this link: https://vitaferm.com/virtual-producer-meetings/…
Online shopping; some say it is a double-edged sword, but it is here to stay. It is an efficient way to purchase the supplies a person needs and wants without fighting crowds and pushy salespeople. Others contend that it takes away from local businesses. However, one BioZyme® dealer, who is an innovator in e-commerce, has found his niche in the online retail business while educating his consumers.
Chris Mallon, owner and manager of A to Z Vet Supply (www.atozvetsupply.com) in Dresden, Tennessee, was one of the first pet supply sellers to have an online business, back in 2003, when the internet was still the “wild, wild west.” Although the transition from a catalog to a website didn’t happen over night and not without trial and error, his company has grown, experienced some website changes; and he’s excited to launch a fresh designed, custom website in the very near future.
“We look at our business differently. I’m not a widget-seller. I’m an educator. I travel around the country and speak at conventions and educational seminars [for dog breeders]. The backbone of our business is dog breeding. We work with dog breeders to educate them on a sciencebasis just like BioZyme does, on nutrition and vaccinating and worming and all these things they need to bring healthy puppies to market and what happens beyond,” Mallon said. “Puppies grow up in a breeder’s environment and then they leave to go to a new household or go to a pet store to be sold. That’s a whole new environment and that just shuts down their system. Of course, the Amaferm® in the Vitalize® Dog Recovery Gel is a great thing to send along with that puppy to keep its system intact and even if it stresses, there’s no impact on its digestive tract and it won’t have diarrhea, etc., etc… So, we educate people on these things.”
Mallon said education is vital to what he does. Once he or his staff has educated a consumer on a product or how to use a product, the sale is secondary. When a consumer understands the product, the sale isn’t as challenging to make. And once they start using a product they trust that works, they don’t turn back. Then, they start telling their friends who tell their friends and referrals come pouring in. He said that is how he’s used the Vitalize Dog Recovery Gel and Vita Charge® Liquid Boost to grow his business during the past two years.
“I’ve got people hooked on those products. I gave a great educational seminar, so they try the products. Once they implement them, there’s no reason for them to think about it again because they keep coming back and are like, ‘wow, this really works!’”
As a pioneer in animal supply e-commerce, Mallon offers three tips to set yourself apart in online retail.
In addition to its website, A to Z Vet Supply is also found on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Mallon said he uses those tools to help draw people in to find his website. Although he uses the Promoboxx content on the Facebook page, he said his typical content is funny dog videos that people will watch, then they see his website, visit that and perhaps call him with a question. Another valuable tool he recommends is Google Analytics, a free resource to track and reports website traffic.
Yes, online shopping is here to stay. A to Z Vet Supply has proven itself an innovator in the digital information and retail space. Chris Mallon uses his skills and knowledge to educate before the sale, being a true champion of “care that comes full circle.”
Spring is around the corner, and temperatures are only going to get warmer and warmer as the days continue to get longer. Cattle aren’t gaining when they are all gathered up under a tree or standing in a pond; but they don’t really like being out in the heat of the day grazing either. That’s why it’s important to share the advantages of our full line of HEAT® products with your customers.
Share these key benefits with your customers:
Grazing bred cows in the summer heat comes with its own set of challenges, and it is hard to be profitable when cows are heat-stressed and aborting calves. Share with your customers the value of getting cows bred with VitaFerm® ️ Concept•Aid® ️and keeping them bred through the heat of summer with VitaFerm® HEAT®.
This line of vitamin and mineral supplements contains the Amaferm® advantage and Capsaicin, both research-proven to lower body temperature, which can improve conception rates by maintaining pregnancy. It also includes garlic, a natural insect repellent.
At BioZyme, we offer a variety of product testimonials from across the country, and you can share these with your customers online or in person with the click of a button. Go to vitaferm.com and click on the testimonial tab at the top for a full line of testimonials. If you prefer to share a video with your customer or on your website, click on the media tab instead. There is a line-up of video testimonials and scenes from The American Rancher HEAT episodes that will help you promote HEAT and other products.
Lynsey Whitacre, Ph.D., and Companion Animal Business Development and Field Support for BioZyme® Inc., was recently recognized as one of the “30 Under 30” Young Leaders for her outstanding leadership contributions in the production of animal or poultry feed by the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE).
The IPPE “30 Under 30” Young Leaders is a way to recognize professional leadership qualities and to provide exposure to the world’s largest trade show involving the production and processing of meat and poultry products and the manufacturers of feed and pet food products, according to the IPPE website. The program not only exposes these young leaders to the latest technology, but also allows them to attend valuable educational programs to assist in their leadership development. Whitacre attended the IPPE event and received recognition during a special ceremony the last week of January.
“We are extremely proud of Dr. Lynsey Whitacre’s selection to the International Production and Processing Expo 30 Under 30 Young Leaders Program. It has been amazing to watch Lynsey’s growth since joining BioZyme in 2017. She is highly respected and well-liked by her peers as she easily moves back and forth between science (research) and technical support (sales and marketing). Lynsey is an accomplished equine rider in jumping events and has a sincere passion for the companion animals she rides, hugs and pets. She is a devoted worker that uses her scientific training and experience to develop and promote new ideas to enhance animal well-being and performance. She is very deserving of the 30 Under 30 recognition,” said Bob Norton, BioZyme Chief Executive Officer.
Whitacre initially worked with BioZyme to expand its equine sales. Shortly after that, she started helping the company with its marketing efforts to the canine audience. She also assumed research project management in 2018 and new product development in 2019. As a result, she is now involved in all research and all products for all species.
“To be able to get an opportunity like this is really beneficial because you get to make connections to people who are working alongside you toward similar goals of improving animal health, production and sustainability, but using different techniques and technologies. The work that we are doing collectively as an industry is going to be very impactful both domestically and globally,” Whitacre said. “As a group, we can clearly see where the future of the feed industry will lead us, and we have the responsibility of creating precise, innovative solutions to today’s challenges, like antibiotic use for example. It’s a good feeling because together I think we can make a really big difference, not only in the lives and health of animals, but in the lives and health of humans as well.”
Marketing is essential to your growth as a business. Yes, many dealers rely on word-of-mouth as their number one marketing tool, but as more people become connected via their phones, tablets and even smart watches, digital marketing efforts are increasing. The BioZyme® marketing team has several ways it can work with dealers to simplify this cost-efficient method to reach existing and potential customers.
Promoboxx
Promoboxx is a digital tool that connects BioZyme’s national marketing efforts to its local dealers. The BioZyme marketing team creates social media content for its product lines each month and generates posts that dealers can publish on their own Facebook business pages. It saves time and resources of your already limited staff, and if you sign up for “auto share” in settings, the posts are automatically posted to your page.
“The biggest benefit to our dealers is that it is content that is going to marry up with what we say on a national level and because we do such a good job of pull-through national marketing, this is going to look like something their customers are going to have seen before. So, people are more likely to click on it and engage with it because they probably also like our Sure Champ® page, for example, and they are very comfortable with the look and the feel and how that content is presented,” said Ashley Fitzsimmons, BioZyme Inc., Regional Marketing Manager.
In addition to the similar look and feel to the national advertising, other benefits include the fact that busy dealers don’t have to create and plan a social media calendar regularly, and fresh content comes out monthly for each of the six product lines. For dealers that are interested in Dealer Reward Points, Fitzsimmons said 250 points are rewarded per quarter for dealers who engage in Promoboxx for that quarter.
Dealers who use Promoboxx are not limited to only the content on Promoboxx. They can use a combination of the BioZyme-created content from Promoboxx while also posting their own organic content on their Facebook page. And, if the brand has provided downloadable assets as part of a campaign, you can download the assets and publish/post them via your social channels outside of Promoboxx, so the post looks like it is an original from you.
Since BioZyme started making Promoboxx available to its dealers, dealer engagement through Promoboxx as a marketing tool has grown 270%, Fitzsimmons reported. It’s not a one-size fits all approach, and each dealer uses the tool at his or her comfort level.
Email Marketing
“I think email marketing is fantastic, and it is super underutilized,” Fitzsimmons said.
In an age where every marketing dollar spent counts, and reach and engagement matter, email marketing makes perfect sense. It is a free tool, that when used properly, can help you reach a large audience with little effort.
Fitzsimmons encourages dealers to create and build their customer email list. Once a customer database of email addresses is built, it is simple to send reminders about your in-store promotions, new products or product updates, or producer meetings. By using a platform like Mailchimp or Constant Contact you can also see analytics and determine effectiveness of your email blasts.
“Email blasts are a great way to more quickly and easily talk to your customers about the advantages of the BioZyme products or new product alerts. It doesn’t cost anything, but some time to build your customer database. It’s a really great tool when used sparingly, and we’d love to help you with it,” she said.
Website Banner Ads
A final digital tool that Fitzsimmons reminds dealers about is the use of the web banner ad. She said she has worked with several dealers who have a good web presence to create these ads that when clicked on, link to the BioZyme website for more in depth information, without bogging down the dealer’s web page with all that information.
“I’ve had some dealers who have been able to convince customers to add Amaferm® into a custom ration based off the information received off those click-throughs,” she said.
Again, web banner ads are an easy way to communicate and educate customers and potential customers about your products without spending resources and they can help you reach a potentially larger audience who is always connected to the online world.
For more information about any of these services, contact your Area Sales Manager or read more in the Online Dealer Center.
