3 Ways To Make Sure You Outperform You Competition

Differentiation is what sets your business apart from the four other farm stores, feed dealers and on-farm supplement suppliers in the tri-county area. But how can you set yourself apart in the marketplace? Just think about what makes it on your 10 o’clock news each night – besides politics and viruses. Stories that are unique, controversial or innovative find their way in front of the viewer audiences. Companies that offer unique or innovative products and services that leave customers something to talk about will attract business and create consumer awareness.

Differentiation is to your strategic advantage. Here are three ways to distinguish your business from your competitors.

Make Your Offer Compelling

Steve Jobs said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Compelling companies are leaders. They are the talk of the town, and this buzz allows the business to gain momentum and grow sales. Now, you’re probably asking yourself what you can do in your particular industry to create buzz. That’s where your innovation and creativity get to thrive. Perhaps you offer a timely promotion for your customers once a year on a product that most everyone uses. Or, you could offer a customer appreciation incentive based on volume of business or number of new customer referrals. Providing education through a producer meeting or open house often sets your business apart, as people appreciate being kept in the know on new products, how to solve challenges in their businesses and learning of new services your business might offer.

Remember, making your business stand out starts with a good product, but also needs to be complemented with exceptional service. That’s why it is important to hire and train employees who are knowledgeable that can show their passion for what they do.

Climb the Reputation Ladder

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it,” said Benjamin Franklin.

The words spoken by Mr. Franklin could not be truer, especially in a digital world, where one wrong move is recorded and can be shared globally via text message or social media with the click of a button. Being known as a reputable company that really cares about its people – both customers and employees – is the first rung in the ladder of trust. And, building trust is the foundation to any long-term relationship. According to inc.com, “creating a good business reputation means honoring a product-returns policy; delivering on time; providing timely and friendly service; publishing accurate ingredients, as well as keeping factual records; and ensuring that goods are safe for consumption.”

Earn Big with Premium Services and Products

The problem with offering products or services similar to everyone else is that it turns your company into a commodity business. Show your customers that you’re a value-added company by explaning how your products add value. It doesn’t take many testimonials or much math to show your potential customers the ROI on a premium product like VitaFerm® Concept•Aid®. Track your customers ordering habits and remind them when they are likely low on the products that they need for the particular season they are in. Offer delivery or stay open later for “after work” pick up. All of these things might seem small, but to the customer, they add a premium and a value, making you stand out from the competition.

Distinguish your business. It’s better to stand out from the crowd, especially when you are differentiating yourself in a positive light. Be unique. Be innovative and uphold the kind of reputation that will make your customers want to come back time and time again.

Identify Your Customers’ Pain Points and Help Eliminate Them

Physical pain is never good. However, for people in business, trying to make a living there is another pain that needs to be addressed. Did you know that in the world of marketing, your customers experience their own pain points? Although these pain points may not cause physical pain, they can still be challenging to “diagnose.” As a business owner or leader, you can distinguish your business by discovering pain points your customers have and providing a solution.

What is a pain point?

Pain points are specific problems that your prospective customer faces or simply put, challenges. Challenges come in a variety of forms and can be as different as your potential customer list. Some challenges can be prevented or eliminated due to proper management. Other challenges, like the environment cannot always be predicted, but can still be helped. Although a multitude of pain points exist, WordStream.com groups pain points into four broad categories and describes them as follows:

• Financial Pain Points: Your prospects are spending too much money on their current provider/solution/products and want to reduce their spending, or see a better ROI.

• Productivity Pain Points: Your prospects are wasting too much time using their current provider/solution/products or want to use their time more efficiently. With our audience this could be that they want to shorten their calving window or simply find a way to increase efficiencies.

• Process Pain Points: Your prospects want to improve internal processes. For our customer base, this could mean they want to treat fewer calves or they are looking for a more stress-free way to wean their calves and get them started on feed and water.

• Support Pain Points: Your prospects aren’t receiving the support they need at critical stages of the customer journey or sales process.

Once you start thinking about pain points in these four categories, you should be able to start to plan your positioning in a way that will address each of these pain points to show that your company is the best solution to their challenges.

How to Identify the Pain Points and Find a Solution

Now that you understand the four broad categories of pain points, how do you tell which pain point your potential customer is facing? Chances are, there are at least a couple of pains points that have your potential client reeling. So be ready to address their needs to set your business apart from the competition.

The best way to identify pain points is to have a one-on-one conversation with your prospects. Ask them directly what their challenges are and how you can help solve those challenges. Really listen to what they have to say before offering a solution. Although many prospects and customers will have similar pain points, everyone will have some variation on how they plan to manage to fix or solve those challenges.

Perhaps your customer is troubled with spending a large sum of money on a consumable product like mineral. This is a great time to have a conversation about the investment that customer or prospect will be making in the nutrition and overall health of an animal. Talk about the ROI for that customer, if he or she spends money on a product like VitaFerm® Concept•Aid®, and how that investment can produce more live calves, and therefore generate more income.

If the pain point involves support, you can offer numerous solutions based on the goods and services you offer while providing outstanding customer service. The personal services that back a product are sometimes just as important to the customer as the product itself.

We don’t want to see anyone in pain – physical or otherwise. By discovering your potential customers’ pain points early in your conversation, you can set your company apart by offering solutions to their challenges and helping to ease their “pain.” This should ultimately differentiate your business, and you can watch your business grow.

Letters From Lisa – April 2020

Differentiate Product Lines, Lower Risk

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.

Don’t Miss Out on our Virtual Producer Meetings!

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.

  • TRACK 1: The Importance of a Quality Mineral Program in 2020: The basics of the Amaferm Advantage
  • TRACK 2: Is Premium Nutrition Worth It: An in-depth look at a quality nutrition program

You and your customers can sign up using this link: https://vitaferm.com/virtual-producer-meetings/…

Dealer Spotlight: A To Z Vet Supply

An Innovator In E-Commerce

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.

  1. Educate your consumer. The only way Mallon said you will set yourself apart from your competitor is to provide education. Without a consumer being able to hold and “experience” the product, they need to feel connected to it. That might be with a testimonial blog or video, but make sure to offer more than a product picture, description and price. He said when people do visit his website, he hopes they call the 800-number, but if they do not, the information they need to know more about the product and make a buying decision is available directly on the website.
  2. Invest in a website. “Websites are the cheapest salesperson you will ever invest in and the more money you put into that salesperson, the better off you’ll be because that website is working 24/7, seven days a week for your initial cash outlay.” Make sure your website is user friendly, on a reliable platform and contains the items that you carry in your store, if you have a storefront.
  3. Prepare for the future. Mallon said that by 2025, its predicted 90% of all online orders will be submitted via cell phone – not a desktop computer or tablet, so when you do decide to join the world of e-commerce, make sure your website can be pushed through on a cell phone.

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.”

Things Are Heating Up, Get Your Customers Ready with VitaFerm HEAT!

Keep Them Grazing As Temperatures Heat Up

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:

  • Reduces heat stress when temperatures reach 70 degrees and hotter
  • Reduces stress when cattle are grazing fescue
  • Keeps cattle grazing more during heat of day
  • Reduces foot rot by keeping them from standing in ponds for prolonged periods
  • Fewer flies landing on and biting cattle

Keep Them Bred As The Weather Heats Up

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.

Did You Know?

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 Named IPPE 30 Under 30 Outstanding Young Leader

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.”

Technology Can Assist With Customers Service Success

There’s no doubt technology has evolved a lot in the last decade; even the last one to five years, we’ve seen and experienced technological advances that our parents or grandparents never would have fathomed. A lot of these advances have made life and business more efficient, and as the technology continues to evolve, those efficiencies will also continue to increase.

However, when it comes to doing business, especially in agriculture and rural areas, the value of a firm handshake and face-to-face interaction can’t be replaced by any amount of technology. Yet, there are some advances that can help simplify your business and help you create more time for those personal interactions.

Customer Databases

If you don’t already, you should have a customer database system to track your customers and their orders, keep their pertinent information and log your interactions with them. Several software options exist, but if you are just getting started or have kept these details on your handy yellow legal pad for years, consider even a simple Excel spreadsheet.

Keep track of all family member names, contact information including address, phone number and email, record important dates like when they purchase particular products, when they host their annual production sale and even their birthdays. Track when you’ve communicated with them or if they have asked questions you need to follow up on. Keeping track of your communications will help you remember to check in on them on a regular basis without seeming overbearing or pesky.

Portable Technology

Keeping a tablet or iPad with you when you make a customer visit is a smart move. And with Internet connectivity getting better with 4G and plans of 5G later in 2020, the ability to access those tools will become even better. Perhaps you are visiting a customer who has questions about the products or wonders what kind of Concept•Aid® to use, you can pull out your tablet and show them the Concept•Aid® Product Navigator or other online tools. We realize that not every corner of the countryside has these capabilities, but if you do, it will make talking to a customer a little easier and help answer questions as you go.

Data Security

Some folks are just downright leery of anything that comes through the world wide web. And really, who can blame them? However, since news of data breaches have entered the mainstream media, consumers have developed a greater awareness of how their data is treated, and there is greater corporate responsibility around data privacy. New security tools are emerging for both companies and individuals, and as long as people remain aware, it is now becoming easier to do more business online with these increased security measures.

Text Messaging

An increasing amount of communication is being done via text message. Many people still prefer a phone call or face-to-face conversation, but the younger generation relies on texts to have the written reminders and the ability to respond on their time. Texting can be an effective communication tool if you are sending a reminder about a meeting or order, or if you know the person has a busy schedule, it is a good way to request a call back at their convenience. And, texts will always be there in the hand or on the wrist of the recipient.

The need for personal interaction can never be replaced, but with the help of some of these technological advances, you can work smarter and not harder. Consider technology your office assistant that allows you more time to talk to customers and potential customers. With more time to make sales calls, you will be able to reach more people and watch your business grow.

Master Dealer Training Program Provides Resources

Information is power. The more informed you are when talking to your customers and potential customers, the more empowering you will be. Although there is nothing wrong with admitting you don’t have an answer readily available and you will find the answer, you are going to shine brighter and perhaps snag that sale when you have top-of-mind product knowledge ready on the fly. That’s why BioZyme® developed the Master Dealer Training Program and Advanced Master Dealer Training Program to help empower and train its dealers.

Since its inception, nearly 200 dealers have completed the Master Dealer training. More than 100 of those have finished the second phase – year 2 of Master Dealer Training. The Master Dealer program is a series of online training modules that cover a multitude of topics. A passed quiz must be completed with each module in order to complete the training program. In addition, a dealer must carry three out of four product lines every six months. Currently, Vita Charge® and Vitalize® are grouped together as one product line.

“This is a great training tool with helpful information on Amaferm®, all product lines, nutrition, effective marketing and overall business tips for all new dealers and great brush-up information for existing dealers. By completing the Master Dealer and Advanced Master Dealer programs, our dealers have more confidence to go out and promote BioZyme products and their business,” said Jennifer Miller, Outreach Support Manager.

Getting Started

The Master Dealer program allows individuals to complete the program at their own pace, and it allows multiple employees from the same dealership to participate. To get individualized employee login-ins to the Online Dealer Center, contact Miller or your Outreach Support Coordinator.

Educational modules for Year 1 include overviews of each product line and how Amaferm works with each of the of the various segments and each species. Year 2 covers topics that are more business and marketing oriented as well as more in-depth on selling specific products.

Once an individual has been a Master Dealer for one year, he or she will receive an email that reminds him or her to enroll in the Year 2 program. On-demand courses are also created and launched with new products or product changes, like transitioning from paste to gel, to keep dealers in the know.

The Benefits

In addition to adding to your knowledge base and becoming a more empowered dealer, there are other benefits to achieving the Master Dealer status. Once a dealer or an employee within a dealership passes all the courses and meets the product requirements of carrying three of four product lines, that dealer will show up on the BioZyme Dealer Locator with a Master Dealer logo. You will also receive a Master Dealer Kit, which includes a Master Dealer jacket and a Master Dealer sign you can hang up in your dealership. Remember, each employee who completes the training is eligible to receive a jacket.

Once a dealer has completed the Year 2 courses, he or she will receive a Master Dealer Yeti cup and VitaFerm® caps. Press releases about both the Master Dealer and Advanced Master Dealer achievements are written and distributed to ag media in the state of the Master Dealer by the BioZyme Marketing Team each month.

Information is power. The more information you have, the more easily you will be able to talk to the users and potential customers in your area. Become a Master Dealer today. It’s a simple way to train your employees and help them be more effective when it’s time to reach out to customers.

Digital Marketing Is An Efficient Way To Reach Customers

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.