Sharing Knowledge Helps Grow Business

In today’s world, you aren’t just a feed dealer, mineral supplier or farm and home store. You are more than a business. You and your sales staff become industry experts. Experts that your customers rely on for their nutritional advice as it relates to their herd, flock, show stock, horses and dogs. That’s why it is more important than ever before to have knowledge available and ready to share.

According to Shep Hyken, New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling author and customer engagement expert, 96% of customers will leave a business because of one bad experience. These experiences could range from poor customer interaction, untimely responses, lack of response, rude personnel, consistently being out of stock on a product or never showing appreciation.

In a recent presentation, Hyken offered several tips to help create customer amazement. The central idea to creating customer amazement is to be better than average. When it comes to customer service, no one wants just “fine” service, they want excellent service. Hyken said fine is an acronym that stands for: Fake smile, Insincere feedback, Never coming back, Emotionless (business is dead to the customer). Let’s explore the five ways he recommends providing customer amazement.

  1. Create moments of magic. Make sure that you provide the information and education that the customer is looking for. If they ask a specific question, answer that question directly, not five other questions and don’t beat around the bush. Share another customer testimonial or if you have used the product, share about that positive experience too. Customers want to hear about why something will work for them and their program.
  2. Embrace feedback. Both negative and positive feedback can be good things to help your business grow and share information with others. For example, BioZyme® heard your feedback about the paper mineral bags. A positive change was made due to that feedback. If you hear positive feedback about a product, you can use that to your advantage when talking to others about that specific product.
  3. Communication is key. When providing your customers with valuable information, remember communication is a two-way process. Provide information. Ask the extra questions. Listen for their concerns or challenges. Address their specific needs. Don’t talk circles around them, and don’t do all the talking, but always make sure to be sincere and listen to what they need.
  4. Offer convenient solutions. Perhaps you have all your product information on your website, but not all your customers have internet access. One of the best ways to lay out the information is in a FAQ document. What frequent questions do your customers have? Create the answers for those and answer them in one document and have them readily available to distribute when talking about a product or time in the production cycle.
  5. Show appreciation. You rely on your customers for your success just as much as they rely on you. Be sure to thank them for their patronage and for believing in you and your products.

Providing information is an ongoing process, and mastering the process is ongoing as well. Be sure you and your employees understand the above steps and the importance of providing education and information. Customer amazement is an important step to customer retention. Continue to educate your customers and watch your business grow!

Look to BioZyme Resources for Education and Information

As a feed and supplement dealer, your customers look to you as an expert in animal feeding and nutrition when it comes to helping them achieve their goals. Do you feel like you are armed with the proper information and knowledge you need to help the producers who ask you questions? Do you have the answers to the questions they seek? Are there existing resources to help you when you need them?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, or if you are just curious on how to be more informed and prepared to answer your customer questions, read on.

BioZyme® understands how important its Dealer Network is. That’s why we have prepared the tools to help you succeed when it comes to providing the best and most accurate information to your customers. The more information you can provide and in a timely manner, the more your customers will value you, and be more likely to return.

VISION

If you are reading this, you know that we care about getting timely information to dealers each month. We strive to provide you relevant product information and tips on how to position those products, give you sales and marketing tips, general business development guides and update you on company happenings.

Dealer Facebook Page

The BioZyme Dealer Facebook is a great space to share ideas with other dealers, see information about product launches, and keep current with happenings. Regular posts make this a great place to see information about live educational events and other news from the company.

Master Dealer Program

The Master Dealer Program was created to provide you and your employees the opportunity to learn more about BioZyme products, how to use them, how to market them, and how they can help the customer succeed. Multiple people from a dealership can complete the program to each learn about the products. Sign in to the Online Dealer Center to complete these quick learning tools today!

People

Each dealer should feel good knowing he or she has an Area Sales Manager and an Outreach Support Dealer Coordinator that they can contact for help. These people are a phone call or email away to help you with your needs. These staff members can also put you and your customers in touch with nutritionists to answer questions and help with hay testing services.

Online Dealer Center

Perhaps one of the most comprehensive places you can find the information you need to help you and your customers succeed 24/7 is the Online Dealer Center. Once inside the ODC, there are multiple tools and resources for you to use. You can ask questions and search for answers on the message board, place and track orders, learn more about the products in the Product Center, calculate LTL shipping costs, order swag and literature and download and print literature. Let’s explore some of the great resources available when you log in.

Product Center

The product center contains all the information you need about each product including selling points, feeding directions, ingredients, spec sheets and much more. It can be searched many ways to easily find the products your customers need. To access the Product Center, go to Products > View Products.

Message Board

Ask questions and receive feedback directly from the BioZyme staff on a variety of topics including nutrition, product information and more. To access the message board, visit Training > Message Board.

LTL Freight Quote

Receive an estimated freight quote for your order by filling out the LTL Freight Calculator located under Products > LTL Freight Calculator.

Literature and SWAG

All of our literature along with branded apparel and merchandise is available through the ODC. Literature is available to download in PDF format at Marketing > Marketing & Sales Aides. To have printed literature shipped to you or to order any of the swag, fill out the Literature Request or the Merchandise Request under Marketing > Marketing Requests.

Information is power. The more information you can provide your customers, the more they will rely on you to help them succeed. Good, reliable information builds trust. Trust builds relationships, and relationships are the foundation of a successful business.

Letters From Lisa – January 2021

Part of the customer experience includes product education, and it’s up to you to provide it. An educated customer is more likely to be a customer in the future. A customer desiring to use knowledge to learn about a product is entirely dependent upon how effectively knowledge is delivered to them by you, yes you.

Barring the rare customer who will dedicate significant time and effort to teaching themselves a product, most customers need guidance to help them gain confidence in using a product. Therefore, the effectiveness of the learning content provided is crucial.

Once you accept the fact that helping people get to know how to use products is a key to sales, it’s easy to see why customer education influences customer experience. Few things or products are so intuitive that they require zero instruction. All customer education efforts must remember four key points to be effective.

Accessibility

Don’t compromise access to learning your product because the content isn’t accessible enough for people without advanced computer skills. When product learning requires lots of effort and skills to access, one deprives scores of people of the ability to learn how to use the product offering. And if they can’t figure out how to use it well, they’ll simply go find another product that does provide the learning they desire.

Engagement

This is the part of the customer education process that will either cause excitement or indifference. Focused, concise bits of content that breaks the learning down into smaller pieces, makes the content much easier to follow so learners are more easily able to engage. This also helps you as you’re equally able to assess what works and what needs improvement in your learning content. People rarely stick around if they’re not engaged in what they’re learning. They’re already interested in your product (why they’re trying to learn), now it’s your responsibility to teach them in a manner that attracts their attention, engages them and delivers useful instruction in an easily digestible manner.

Care

Even with accessibility and engagement, the recipe for customer education isn’t complete. You must also deliver content that is unintimidating. Every bit of care you put into your learning content and customer education is telling your customers how much you care about their success.

Fun

Learning should be fun. Even if the learners are lacking motivation, lessons fused with laughter can be highly effective. Not only are they entertaining, but humor has actually been seen to boost retention significantly! By sandwiching humor between instruction and repetition, one can learn incredibly fast while still having a laugh. You have an obligation to your customers to be a good teacher.

You have an obligation to your own company’s success to be a good teacher. Because it’s not only about putting together a few presentations so people can get the gist of your products. It needs to be your goal to build learning content that works so well that your customers are excited about how good they are at using your products. When people are good at something, they talk about it. That team that buys your products and is excited about how great they are at using it will become product evangelists.

CHANGES COMING IN JANUARY 2021

NEW PRODUCTS

  • Vita Charge® HydraBoost™ RTU is now available as a ready to use formula in a 2.5 gallon jug.

PRODUCT UPDATES

  • In December, the sewn in tag was changed to a printed label for all non-pelleted products.
  • On January 1, 2021 we will be changing from Altosid (1-fly claim) to Clarify (4-fly claim) in all of our IGR products. The registration process of the new ingredient requires product name changes to several products:
    • VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S IGR will now be VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S with Clarifly®
    • VitaFerm® HEAT® IGR will now be VitaFerm® HEAT® with Clarifly®
    • VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S CTC 3G IGR will now be VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 5/S CTC 3G with Clarifly®
    • To prepare for this transition, we will not be manufacturing IGR products in December 2020 or January 2021 but will have product on the floor on a first come, first served basis.

ORDERING UPDATES

  • Starting January 1, 2021, when creating an order that will be a customer pickup, instead of defaulting to “I want it as soon as possible,” the order system will now require you to select a date that you are going to pick up the order. Any orders that are not picked up within 5 days may incur additional handling fees.

SHIPPING UPDATES

  • FREIGHT CLAIM REMINDER: Please remember that you MUST notate what was damaged and sign 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.

DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

  • On January 1, 2021, VitaFerm® Cattleman’s Blend™ CTC 3G and VitaFerm® Cattleman’s Blend™ CTC 3G IGR will be discontinued due to declining sales.

NEW EMPLOYEES

  • Mark Holmen has joined BioZyme as the Area Sales Manager for Wisconsin and Northern Minnesota.



CHANGES COMING IN FEBRUARY 2021

PRODUCT UPDATE

  • On February 1, BioZyme will launch a new brand, Backyard Boost®. Backyard Boost is a line of natural products that are purposefully crafted to support the health, wellbeing and productivity of poultry. Backyard Boost uses only the highest quality components and proprietary ingredients proven to support a flourishing flock. Two products will be included in the initial launch:
    • Backyard Boost Daily Essentials is a pelleted, natural protein supplement fully fortified with a prebiotic, vitamins, minerals and organic trace minerals to maximize growth and egg production and support overall flock health.
    • 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.
    • Please watch your email for more information and an upcoming webinar on the specifics of these two great new products.

CHANGES COMING IN MAY 2021

DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS

  • On May 1, 2021, VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® 10 will be discontinued due to declining sales.

Dealer Spotlight: Roy Umbarger and Sons

Focus on Quality, Family Priorities for Show Feed Manufacturer

Jackson Umbarger is the fourth generation to own and work at Umbarger Show Feeds in central Indiana. Although this family-owned-and-operated feed business has remained in the family for more than 80 years, he said it isn’t just blood that is considered family. The employees, the dealers and the customers are all considered part of the Umbarger family.

“We strive to have that feeling of family. We really do care about your kids and their show livestock. Our company has a family feel and our employee retention rate is high, with a lot of our people having been here 15 plus years. That’s how its always been, and that’s how we like it,” Jackson said.

Jackson oversees the daily operation of the feed company that places its sole focus on show feed manufacturing. A new state-of the-art mill was completed in November to better ensure a consistent, accurate product. All Umbarger feed is manufactured on-site and shipped to its dealer network on a regular basis to deliver accurate, fresh product. For dealers within a two-day driving range, the company uses its own dedicated truck line to deliver to customers. They work efficiently in their dealers’ favor since they are so specialized with low seasonal minimum orders, like this time of year for example. They will also mix products within a pallet.

One of the customer services that Jackson takes great pride in is partnering with like-minded high-quality companies with a show focus whose products they can also distribute to Umbarger dealers. That is one of the reasons their partnership works so well with BioZyme®.

“The BioZyme product line compliments ours. It matches what we believe in. We also put Amaferm® in a lot of our feeds,” he said. Umbarger Show Feeds also distributes Weaver show supplies to its dealers at no additional freight fee – another service to assist its dealers. As Jackson said, if an exhibitor is looking for a big item like a showbox or fitting chute, and his or her local Umbarger dealer can get that item for that person, that person is more likely to build loyalty to that feed dealer instead of taking his or her supply and feed business to a competitor.

One area that Jackson said he would like to focus more on is marketing; however, providing apparel that is trendy and recognizes winners has been effective over time. When he assumed a leadership role in 2008, the company awarded about 40 winners’ jackets that were personalized with the exhibitor name, show name and the Umbarger logo. In 2020, more than 1,500 jackets were awarded, showing the growth of the company and creating even more walking billboards.

Family. Quality. Customer service. For a company whose logo is “we feed champions,” it’s no wonder that they also provide “care that comes full circle.” A partnership like that is just one reason BioZyme values a customer like Roy Umbarger & Sons.

Mark Holmen Joins BioZyme® Inc. Team

Mark Holmen

Mark Holmen, Lanesboro, Minnesota, has joined the sales force at BioZyme® Inc., as an Area Sales Manager. In his new role, he will represent BioZyme working with dealers, potential dealers and end-users in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Holmen has an extensive background in the livestock industry. He was the fifth generation to be raised on his family’s farm and is currently raising the sixth generation, his two sons on that same farm, where they raise Angus and Red Angus cattle and show pig prospects. He has worked the past six years in the beef genetics business. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Saint Paul and was a member of its livestock judging team.

“Mark brings a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to this position, as well as a diverse understanding of the beef and dairy businesses. These traits combined with his eagerness to help all producers and dealers succeed will make him a tremendous asset to BioZyme in Wisconsin and Minnesota,” said Mike Wadle, BioZyme Director of National Sales.

As an Area Sales Manager, Holmen will continue to offer dealer support and grow business within his territory through education and promotion of the BioZyme product lines. He will help conduct meetings and represent the company at trade shows while helping end-users meet their goals.

“It doesn’t matter how good producers’ genetics are, if their nutrition is lacking, they are going to have challenges. I’m looking forward to using my diverse background in production, reproduction and nutrition to help them identify different problems on their farms and help them find success in their programs,” Holmen said.

Holmen and his wife, Becky, have two sons, Ryan a high school senior, and Carter a high school freshman. They have recently refurbished a 150-year-old home on their family farm, where they enjoy raising livestock. Holmen enjoys community involvement and was recently elected to his local school board. BioZyme is known for its supplement brands VitaFerm, Sure Champ®, Vita Charge, DuraFerm® and Vitalize®. The company also manufactures and markets Amaferm®, the key additive in all its supplements. For a list of BioZyme Area Sales Managers, visit https://biozymeinc.com/our-staff.

Protect and Recover on the Road with Vita Charge and Prep to Win with Sure Champ!

Vita Charge:

A new year means a new winter show season. Although some of our old favorite stock shows have been cancelled, both on the national and state levels, it seems for each one that is cancelled, at least one new show is planned. Stock show exhibitors are passionate. They are resilient, and the animals they haul need to be resilient to change too. With products from Vita Charge®, those animals will be sure to make the haul and be prepared for any show in any climate at any time.

Vita Charge is a fast-acting, multi-specie livestock supplement for use during stressful times like hauling, changing environments and the added stress of competition, when livestock need protection or assistance in recovery. The Vita Charge line offers versatility in many forms, including liquid, gels and a tub, making application easy depending on what is best for your animal.

Regardless if you are hauling your animal 30 miles to a jackpot or 13 hours to a big-name stock show, you want your animal to look and feel its best. Keep it eating, drinking and performing with the Amaferm® advantage found in Vita Charge products.

Sure Champ:

The Combination of Sure Champ® and Vita Charge in your show barn and on the road is a winning combination to keep your animals healthy and performing. Sure Champ is line a of livestock show supplements that proactively work to assist with the challenges created by the show environment.

Products like Sure Champ Extreme are vital during the heat of the summer, but keep in mind that Sure Champ Extreme is also effective during the extreme cold temperatures, too. And, don’t forget about the new Sure Champ Joint Juice, powered by MHB3® Hyaluronan, the most highly researched and proven hyaluronic acid available. Joint Juice is carefully crafted to naturally support, promote and enhance joint and soft tissue health.

Your Inventory Calendar Can Help Create A Marketing Plan

Developing an inventory calendar can be useful for more than just inventory management. It can serve as the framework and guide for your marketing schedule as well. It makes sense to align marketing and promotion with the inventory you’re housing at the time and to be prepared to turn seasonal stock as quickly as possible.

You know you have the inventory, so why do you need the marketing plan? You surely don’t want to set on the inventory you have for long, and you don’t want to be short on inventory for specific seasons of high demand like breeding, weaning or calving, for example. That is why it is vital to have a marketing plan, which often is synergistic with the inventory you maintain.

Create a Marketing Strategy
Before you create a marketing calendar, it’s important to decide on an overall marketing strategy. Some questions to ask yourself include:

• What is your estimated marketing budget for the entire year?

• Who is your target audience?

• How frequently will you promote your company?

• When is your peak demand? Factor in different times of the year, such as weaning, calving or fairs.

• What kind of media will you use? See the list below.

Once you have answered some of the above questions and have started thinking about your strategy, you can star planning your marketing calendar. Consistency is often one of the biggest struggles for dealers and establishing a marketing plan can give you a guide to follow to help you stay on course and in front of your customers in the most effective way possible.

First, establish the list of marketing tools you plan to use to reach your customers. That list may look something like this:

• Radio Ads

• Social Media – Promoboxx, Facebook, Twitter

• Email Marketing

• BioZyme Quarterly Mailers

• Print advertisements

Next, reference your inventory calendar to know what items you should be promoting for that respective month. Promotions need to be done in advance of your selling season to prepare customers, so it’s always good to set your marketing plans in advance. A general rule of thumb is to begin talking about products six weeks to a month before that buying season really starts to take off. Your customers and prospective customers are studying and researching the next product they’re going to use well in advance of making a purchase.

An inventory calendar will help paint a visual picture of the opportunities you have to focus on, what promotional efforts could be combined or if it is necessary to run multiple campaigns simultaneously. Obviously, margin and/or volume will factor into your focus each month, but don’t leave out ‘door-opener’ products that could generate traffic or interest as well. And don’t forget to have inventory for any cross promotion or upselling opportunities that you plan to promote.

Once you’ve established your product focus for the month, detail your marketing plan to include specific tactics, contacts you need to reach out to, deadlines, etc. If you haven’t, be sure to sign up for Promoboxx to get the most updated BioZyme content. In addition, coordinate with your ASM to have any custom materials designed to help you spread your specific message.

At the end of the month, you should revisit each marketing medium used and analyze its effectiveness so you can make any necessary adjustments for coming months. As you review your marketing calendar, be sure to also revisit your inventory schedule to make sure you have everything on hand so you can meet the demands of your future marketing plans.