Dealer Spotlight: Next Generation Genetics

Simple Actions Grow Dealership

BioZyme® dealers Tod and Sondra Brancel, Next Generation Genetics at Endeavor, Wis., wear many hats. They work together to manage and operate a registered cow herd, both work off-farm jobs and are raising two children involved in activities. Despite their busy schedule, they have experienced significant growth in their BioZyme business and their action rewards points in their second year as dealers. Sondra says their success stems from following the golden rule.

“We try to treat people the way we’d want to be treated if we were the buyer. Be good to all people,” she said. “We aren’t high-pressure sales people. But we’ve used the product, and the product has allowed for us to be not high-pressure sales people because it sells itself.”

The Brancels first started using VitaFerm® products after conducting their own research and trying the products on their cows that were experiencing lowered conception rates, likely due to high iron in the water source. Once they started using Concept•Aid® and saw the results, they became dealers. Word of mouth and their peers knowing they use the product have been good marketing tools.

“Sometimes I feel like we don’t do enough because our lives are so busy, and we are going in so many directions, but I think we just try to keep things simple and let people know about the products we have. The fact that we use what we’re selling, and we first believed in the product before we decided to become a dealer, that holds value for people.”

Sondra also emphasizes that keeping a small, realistic inventory is key to keeping happy customers, while making economic sense to her and Tod. They don’t keep an extensive inventory but do know what their customers need and try to have it because she knows not everyone plans ahead.

“We are willing to have products a customer uses on hand, even if we don’t use them ourselves. I try to circle back with regular customers to make sure their needs haven’t changed before I place an order,” she said.

Involvement with industry organizations and communication with BioZyme staff are also important steps that Tod and Sondra take. Sondra has helped ASM Kevin Arand staff the booth at the Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Meeting. Tod and Sondra are also active in the Wisconsin Hereford Association and have hosted a tour stop at their farm, allowing other cattle producers to learn more about the VitaFerm products.

“The Wisconsin Cattlemen’s is a small enough trade show space that we get noticed, have an attractive booth, and other producers like to see me there as a producer who actually uses the products and carries the product. We don’t run down a competitor, but rather show them the data and research behind the products. The product they are using might be just fine for them, but our product might go above and beyond for them if they give it some time. You can’t buy six bags of mineral and expect to see a change overnight,” she said about working the trade show.

In addition to industry involvement and peer interaction, Tod takes his training as a veterinarian and embryologist to help others understand how good nutrition ties back to reproductive health. He is able to create partnerships based on his practical knowledge of using the products and his academic training to explain how and why the products work. He also works closely with Kevin to help customers test feed samples to make sure the customers are getting the right supplements for their animals.

Simple human interactions along with knowledge and tools are what have helped Next Generation Genetics grow their business. Sondra offers four final pieces of advice to any new dealers or those looking to grow:

1. Set goals on what you want to achieve.
2. Be honest and fair with people.
3. Know your product and know why someone would use it.
4. Be knowledgeable; use the tools BioZyme provides so people will turn to you as a trusted source.

“If you are confident in the advice you’ve given your customers, use the sales tools and product information that you’re provided as dealers, and treat others the way you want to be treated, you should experience growth,” Sondra said.

Why Growth Depends on Todays Actions

Dictionary.com defines “take action” as “start doing something.” For your business to succeed today, tomorrow and in the future, you must take action now. That seems pretty simple; however, as a business owner, manager and employee, you need to take initiative and know which action to take.

According to the best-selling author and Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden, “motivation comes from taking action and finding success, not the other way around. So, if you need motivation, then you are not doing it right.”

In business there are so many actions that can be taken, it is often hard to prioritize which step to take first. The key is to be sure to take a step and keep the action moving forward. An Inc.com article¹ outlines three truths to help you prioritize your action steps and keep growing your business.

1. Connect Team Objectives to the Organizational Mission. Your key objectives are the foundation for taking proper action. Make sure they are aligned with your company mission. This helps everyone get on the same page. If the alignment between objectives (goals) and mission is off, nothing will make sense. The more clearly linked the team’s goals are to the group’s mission, the more likely the proper actions will take place.

Every business, regardless of size, needs to have a mission. At BioZyme®, a summary of our mission is to create and produce the highest-quality animal care products that will in turn help our customers achieve greater profit. We don’t accomplish that mission by standing still, but by establishing regular goals that are in-line with our mission. For some teams, those goals might be established and measured monthly, others quarterly and some annually. Whatever your mission is, make sure it is clearly written so every employee has access to it. That way they know if their goals for action are connected.

2. Weed out Non-essential Actions. Although taking action is critical to growth, moving backward does not grow a business. Sometimes we try to do too much, and those actions are not essential to growth. As the article on Inc.com states, “Weeding out mediocre opportunities allows you to spend time with the winners.”

3. Create Authentic Relationships that will Drive you to Take Better Actions. Action in business is about different parties making connections. In today’s world it is easier to make those connections if you are authentic – being your true self – instead of being the person you think somebody else wants you to be. Remember, “taking action is so much easier when everything you do is natural, is real, and is in congruence with who you are. Deciding on the correct action is not hard when you know who you are and do not try to hide it.”

With proper action comes growth. Set your objectives to make sure they align with your mission. Don’t waste time on non-essential actions or people. And, be true to your true self, and the actions will flow much easier.

 

¹ – Article Source: https://www.inc.com/mareo-mccracken/dont-wait-for-motivation-why-your-companys-growth-depends-on-todays-action.html?cid=search

 

6 Steps to Hosting an Effective Producer Meeting

Producer meetings are a great way to share your business story, bring together people of common interests, renew enthusiasm in loyal customers and gain new customers all in one setting. However, effective producer meetings don’t just happen with a phone call or text to your Area Sales Manager (ASM); they require some advanced planning in order to become more than just another social event.

“It’s evolved. The first time I had one as a new dealer, I didn’t even have product on hand and the next day I sold a semi-load of product. Now after some meetings I sell up to eight semi-loads or more within a couple weeks after the meeting,” said Keith Micke, Triangle K Feed at Glendo, Wyo.

Micke hosts two large producer meetings each year, spreading them out over his sales territory. He shared some of his what he’s learned over the years that helps make his meetings successful.

1. Schedule in Advance. It is a good idea to get dates on a calendar as early as you can. That way you can start working with your ASM and the marketing team to get invitations designed and mailed, reserve space at a restaurant or other venue of your choice, and make sure the BioZyme® staff you want to speak are available on your dates.

2. Plan your Invitation List. Micke said he likes to invite a mix of both his regular customers and potential customers to the meetings. He will ask his long-time customers to share their success stories during the meeting, and it is always good to have a well-respected, prominent rancher in attendance, because he said often a new customer will try the products because he or she wants to be like the neighbor.

“That’s really solid. They are getting the information from someone besides a salesman, how the products work and what it’s done for them,” Micke said.

Micke said he will send around 80 invitations each fall for his two meetings, where he usually has around 30-35 people at each one. And since ranching is a family business, he also includes the wives and children, as he knows many young families don’t always have access to a sitter.

3. Focus on a Topic. Although there are a lot of subjects a dealer could cover, Micke said he typically picks one topic to cover at each meeting, and then follows the topic by explaining all the products and highlighting any new products or changes. Narrowed down topic subjects might include how Amaferm works or the importance of protein.

4. Educate with Fresh Faces. Micke likes to include outside experts at each meeting.

“I get a lot of benefit having my sales manager and a nutritionist there. Then they can learn about the research, and the ranchers know there’s more than just a dealer out there. They bring in a fresh face, a different look,” he said.

5. Be Flexible. Micke said he is always up for trying new things. He originally had two fall meetings and two spring meetings each year. Then he discovered that the ranchers were busy calving in the spring, so he quit having those. He has had some smaller dinner meetings with four or five customers with similar interests. And, at his larger producer meetings, he has even seen ranchers eating at the same restaurant who weren’t invited to his meeting. He pulled them into the meeting, bought their dinner and turned them into customers.

6. Follow Up. At the meeting, you will want to keep track of everyone who attends, either by way of a sign-in card or sheet. Make sure you have their phone number, email or address so you can follow up with them. It is said it takes seven touch points to make an impression. You’ve likely already made a few with the invitation and the interaction at the meeting. Be sure to give them a day or two, follow up, answer any questions and see what products they would like to buy from you.

“It’s become a social event for a lot of guys now because they get to see the other ranchers there, and they really enjoy it,” Micke said.

Yes, your producer meeting can be effective AND enjoyable at the same time. Remember a worth-while producer meeting is a way to increase your customer base, show appreciation to your existing customers, and be a great educational forum.

As you make plans for your next effective producer meeting, be sure to reach out to your ASM.

Growth Starts with a Plan

Set your goals. Increase your sales. Grow your business. These are all great thoughts; however, do you have a plan on how to accomplish these tasks? A business without an action plan doesn’t really have a plan at all. And although creating an action plan might seem like just another thing to add to your growing “to do” list, the steps of creating an action plan are a healthy way to gain another perspective of what your company is doing and hopes to accomplish.

According to an online resource, Community Tool Box, there are five reasons a company, business or organization should create an action plan:

1. To lend credibility. An action plan shows members of the community (and your employees, board members) that your business is well ordered and dedicated to getting things done.
2. To be sure you don’t overlook any of the details.
3. To understand what is and isn’t possible for your organization to do.
4. For efficiency: to save time, energy and resources in the long run.
5. For accountability: to increase the chances that people will do what needs to be done.

It is wise to start creating an action plan as soon as your business is formed, but an action plan is an evolving document that will change and grow over time. Remember, once it is created, use it. Don’t just stash it away in a folder, never to be seen again.

Action plans can be grueling to create. They aren’t going to be generated overnight, and they are going to make you think about the priorities in your company. However, once you have the plan created and have shared it with everyone who works for you, your employees should be more efficient, and will spend more time working on the actions rather than doing tasks that don’t lead to growth or success.

Let’s review some key components of an effective action plan.

First, outline the clear goals you plan to accomplish with your action plan. When making a goal, make sure it is “SMART,” specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Next, assign the person, people or team to complete each particular goal. Yes, it might involve others along the way, but these people or teams should be the primary action-takers. Then, list the action steps to be taken to attain that goal and give deadlines for each step.

There is some other key information you will need to consider for your plan. What will you need to do to start your action? What are some obstacles that you might face? How will you overcome those? What resources will you need? Do you need sales coach help? If so, who will you reach out to? And finally, list the milestones you will reach along the way.

It is vital to have a plan to accomplish your goals. An action plan helps you to stay on task, make sure what you are working on is pertinent to the company and lets everyone know who is responsible for given deadlines. You may even find as you are creating an action plan that a goal you had in mind was actually a task to help you accomplish a greater goal, or it wasn’t part of the company’s overlying mission or vision, so there isn’t a need to spend time on it.

As the new year gets started, we challenge you to think about the goals that will drive your success in 2019 and create an action plan to help you get there. We can’t wait to watch your business grow this year!

January 2019 – Letters from Lisa

I realize there are lots of potential goals in business but I, wrong or right, always assume businesses want to grow. With that in mind, growth always starts with the belief that it’s possible.

Once you have belief in the growth potential of the business, action must come next. This includes action from you and all those on your team. Your action is the key to focusing on the right information in the right order—much like the combination to a safe. You cannot attract abundance without taking action. Unless you are doing at least one material thing each day to move your business forward, you are never going to grow your business as quickly as you could.

I’ve always been a firm believer that one of the simplest and most important secrets to success in any discipline is ACTION, just the simple act of doing. Leadership is essentially nothing more than swift and responsible decision-making that in turn creates consistent action. The research shows that often the most successful people are those that simply tried many different approaches until they found one that worked.

What is a material action?

Material action is something that has meaningful revenue or profit implications from its output.

On the revenue side, it could be things like launching a new marketing campaign or making a new sales call, ideating a new product line, expanding to a new target-customer or geographic market, hiring a new salesperson, holding a producer meeting, etc. Anything that will drive new revenues.

On the profit side, it could be things like cutting your cost structure or improving your business efficiency. Or, it could be improving your company morale and productivity or similar tasks. Anything that will drive higher margins for your business.

On the flip side, there are a lot of demands on our time that are important but are not material action. These are things like posting to social media accounts or writing a new monthly email newsletter. Or, it could be managing the ad agency, doing one-on-one meetings with direct reports, running payroll checks, upgrading systems, relocating the office, etc. Yes, these are important tasks that need to get done. But none are going to propel your business to the next level.

What to do to achieve material action?

Where are you spending the vast majority of your time? If you are not spending at least 20% of each day on “material actions” you will not have a reasonable chance to grow your revenues and propel your business to the next level.

I encourage you to keep a TO DO list that is divided into what I like to call normalcy versus material action. In my opinion it is very easy to stay stuck in normalcy all day, every day. This list approach helps to remind us of the material action we need to take and jolts us into realizing that we aren’t on the right track when we review it EACH WEEK.

So, what else can you do today to take some action?

1. Choose something today and take action immediately!
2. Don’t get stalled by negative feelings of ‘fear’ or ‘what ifs.’
3. Don’t worry if your idea is not 100% perfect – it never will be.
4. Remember to be open to different outcomes and to relax and enjoy the productivity of ‘DOING SOMETHING’!

I guarantee you that by taking action and DOING SOMETHING (no matter how small) you will come out feeling positive, enthused and energized – so do it now!

National Producers’ Meeting

On January 30th, the first evening of the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, BioZyme® will host an off-site Producers’ Meeting at the Pat O’Briens Briar Suite on Bourbon Street. Come from 7-10 PM to learn about the value of quality nutrition from Alan Lee, Director of Domestic Business Development for BioZyme Inc., and get your questions addressed by a live producer panel!

Transportation to and from the convention center will be provided. RSVP by invite ONLY.

If you are attending the NCBA convention or have customers or potential customers attending that you would like to receive an invite to this private event, please send those names and email address to Jessie Judge at jjudge@biozymeinc.com by January 9.

Dealer Spotlight: Kaycee Macgibbon

Most of the time we think of community as the area we live – it might be our rural neighborhood, our town or even our county. But for one BioZyme® dealer with a passion for the equine business, her “horse” community stretches from New Mexico to North Carolina and from Wyoming to Florida. Kaycee MacGibbon, from Crouse, N.C., comes by her passion rightly; she is the fourth generation born into a rodeo family. She and her family always worked with horses – raising, training, breaking, showing and competing on them. It wasn’t until tragedy struck in 2014, that she started advocating for their health.

“Equine nutrition has evolved over the years. We always knew how horses worked, unfortunately we didn’t have a good nutrition program back then because we didn’t have all the research and knowledge we do now,” MacGibbon said. “I always tried to feed the best feed I could, but unfortunately in 2014, all my horses died of Rumensin toxicity. That is when I would start educating myself on equine nutrition. Through that and through learning proper diet and nutrition for horses, I found out about Vitalize® , and I started feeding it and it did wonders for all my horses – even the horses I thought were looking good and really healthy. They improved another 75% at least, once I put them on Vitalize.”

Although MacGibbon experienced immediate results when she put her horses on Vitalize, it was almost a year later before she decided to become a dealer. And now, she shares the Vitalize message of the importance of a “good gut feeling” with her equine community, rodeo friends and family both near and far.

“A lot of time when you start new products, the first 60-90 days you are like ‘wow, this is really working,’ then it plateaus, and it quits working. But with Vitalize it did not do that. It improved the animal’s overall health, digestive tract, hoof, hair coat, brain, everything. It continued a year later, which was really impressive to me because I have never seen another product do that. I wanted to become a dealer because I wanted to share this with all my people in the barrel horse industry, rope horse industry, the rodeos, the shows, and everybody to be privy to this information and have this help their horses as much as it has helped mine. And through that I met (ASM) Justin O’Flaherty, and I became a dealer and it has been a huge snowball effect from there,” MacGibbon said.

With such a large network of friends and colleagues in her equine community, MacGibbon said it hasn’t been hard to sell the products. And if she gets people interested in the product too far from home, she will point them in the direction of an another ASM like Rowdy Pope who will help them find a dealer in their area.

MacGibbon said the split is about even with her approaching people to tell them about the products or people coming to her seeking advice about their horses. But her advice and the outcome are almost always the same – the horses usually have gut health issues, and Vitalize typically makes them feel better.

“If the gut’s weakened, the body’s weakened. And 99.99% of the time, it is poor digestibility. Basically, their horse’s digestive tract has shut down, and we get them on the Vitalize. In 10-15 days, I get a text, saying ‘Oh wow! My horse is already looking better. They are happier; they are healthier. Thank you so much.’ I usually say, ‘Don’t thank me. Thank Vitalize,’” she said.

And for the skeptics, who are used to a “supplement on every corner,” and not sure they want to try Vitalize, MacGibbon offers some free product because she knows once they try the Vitalize, they will be hooked. She said to this point, she’s never had one person try a “free” sample, who hasn’t returned as a paying customer, making those samples well worth the investment.

“The product speaks for itself. If they try it, they stay with it,” MacGibbon said.

Reaching out to the equine community is what MacGibbon is passionate about. By raising awareness of a sound nutrition program that starts with gut health, she knows she is making a difference for her generation of equine enthusiasts and those generations to come.

Host a Holiday Open House

It’s the time of year for holiday parties, Christmas cookies and egg nog. Sounds like a great reason to host an open house at your business. An open house doesn’t need to be extravagant, costly or time consuming. However, it is a great way to open your doors to the community, your customers and spread some extra cheer during the winter.

If you have an actual store, especially in town or on the edge of town, perhaps hosting an open house makes a lot of sense. It is a chance to promote your business and share in the spirit of the holidays. Often, smaller towns will have a holiday parade, dedicate one night a week when they are open later for shopping or have a community bazaar. These are ideal times to hang a little garland, turn on the coffee pot and host your open house.

If you are an on-farm dealer, you can still host an open house; it might just take a little more planning and preparation. You might put more effort into promoting your event and issuing invitations. You can tidy up the shop or barn where you store product, and still put on the coffee and show your appreciation for your customers – your community.

First, you need to establish a date when you will host your open house. Find out when other events are happening and if it makes sense, plan your open house with those. If there are not a lot of other community holiday events, plan your event during a time when there are not other local community events like a basketball game or concert. Promote your event through local advertising, your store sign, a poster on your door and your social media channels. You might even want to make some phone calls to key customers or potential customers.

Next, plan what will make your open house special from regular store hours. Will you offer food and beverage? What will that involve? Are you thinking sugar cookies and punch? Meat balls in the crock pot with cheese and crackers? Or something more substantial like sandwiches and chips? Whatever you do plan, make sure you have plenty to offer. Nothing is worse than having an event and running out of food.

Provide a learning opportunity. Especially if you are a storefront, maybe not everyone in the community knows what products or services you offer. Make yourself available to share your story or have some type of game or entertainment to showcase the products. Think a store scavenger hunt or BioZyme® Bingo.

Give back to the community. Perhaps you can have a toy drive for local kids or a pet supply drive for the local animal shelter. Make it interactive – bring in a toy or purchase a bag of dog food to leave for the pet shelter and get a $5 off coupon toward your next purchase. There are a variety of ways to give to others this time of year.

If you are an on-farm dealer, your open house might resemble that an open house where you get together with friends, neighbors and customers. People are always looking for a good reason to slow down for bowl of soup and good conversation. And remember, you can also take part in community opportunities and spread the cheer.

For more ideas on hosting a holiday open house, contact Ashley Fitzsimmons at afitzsimmons@biozymeinc.com or (307) 575-1082.

Community Support Comes in all Sizes

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

This quote by Helen Keller epitomizes the spirit of community, especially at this “most wonderful time of the year.” It is often hard to think about those less fortunate in our communities and how we’d like to help them, especially with the agricultural economy in its up and down cycle. We are busy paying our own bills and trying to provide a nice holiday for our families. However, if we come together with our coworkers, friends, a church group, or another organization we can make a difference without breaking the bank.

One thing that BioZyme® did during November is gather food for community food banks. That’s right; employees across many locations including St. Joseph, Mo., Haskell, Texas, and Area Sales Managers and other remote workers gathered nonperishable food items for local food banks. Between the St. Joseph and the off-site workers, employees had the potential to donate to 30 banks in 16 different states from Pennsylvania to Texas to Montana to Missouri.

One employee visited a local grocery store where she purchased two cases of canned vegetables, four cans of chicken, a large tub of peanut butter (think non-perishable protein), a box of crackers, a jar of meaty spaghetti sauce and a box of pasta for less than $25. If each person gives similarly, that can feed several people for several meals. And in that employee’s mind, that is two trips through a fast-food drive through for her family or roughly four “foo-foo” coffees for when she gets to the big city – not a major sacrifice for others that are truly in need.

Perhaps your town has a local soup kitchen. Those places are always looking for volunteers to make and serve a meal. Would it really hurt business to shut down to a skeleton crew for a few hours one day to go and serve the community? Perhaps leave a few employees at the store to serve your customers but take the rest to the local soup kitchen or homeless shelter to help prepare and/or serve a meal. The gratitude levels do vary, but your personal satisfaction in knowing you made a difference will soar.

Several organizations typically have an opportunity to “adopt a family” by providing gifts and holiday meals for families that might not otherwise have a nice holiday. Adopting a family as a company might seem daunting or not in the budget, but if your company and its employees work together to adopt a family it can be a little easier on everyone’s checkbooks and make a lasting impact on a family. I remember when I worked at another company, we adopted a family with four or five kids one year, and they all needed winter coats and wanted bicycles. Well, we worked with the local Wal-Mart and K-Marts in town to get bikes at reduced rates when we told them what we were doing. Several of my male co-workers who didn’t really want to “shop” all pitched in a set amount – probably around $20 – and we made sure that family had bikes and warm coats. I signed up to help with the delivery that year. And even though we contacted the mom to see if she wanted to have the bikes be from “Santa” she refused. She wanted her kids to know that kind people gifted her kids those bikes. I’ve never seen 7 and 8-year-olds cry tears of joy for coats and bikes, and it was truly one of the best Christmases I’ve ever experienced.

Giving back. It is more fun to do as a group and the impact is often greater. It doesn’t have to put a big hit on one person or company’s checkbook if we all work together to make a few sacrifices to give to those less fortunate. And together, we can do so much more.

Get Involved in the Community

For business people there is no better way to receive recognition within your community than to become involved in the community where your business is located. That is especially true if you are a smaller or specialized business that not everyone might have a purpose to support on a regular basis (like a feed mill or feed and farm store.)

Taking an active role in your community is important for a number of reasons. Here are 5 ways we encourage you to get involved in your community, year-round; not just during the holidays. You might just meet some new customers while you’re at it.

Community Boards. Most communities have a plethora of boards that are always looking for people to serve on them. These can include school boards, hospital boards, extension boards, 4-H boards, FFA alumni boards, cattlemen’s boards and the list goes on and on. Remember, pick organizations that you are truly passionate about helping, and don’t spread yourself too thin. A volunteer that has too many irons in the fire is often not as helpful as one would like.

If you have never used the hospital and you are a normally healthy person who doesn’t think you’ll ever be in the hospital, perhaps that board isn’t for you. However, if you are a cow-calf producer, trying to educate consumers on the benefits of eating healthy, lean red meat, then perhaps a role on the county cattlemen’s board would be ideal.

Volunteer. Volunteering shows that you are willing to give your time – one of your most valuable assets. You might volunteer with the local ag groups like 4-H and FFA to help them with educating youth or running a judging contest or clinic. Or you might volunteer to coach youth wrestling, teach Sunday night youth group or help with a cause like Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Whatever you volunteer for, make sure it is something you are passionate about doing and have time to make a priority. No one appreciates a volunteer that is always “too busy” to meet their commitments.

Build partnerships. If you are getting involved with your community, building partnerships would seem logical. Perhaps you are building a partnership with a local feedlot to run a mineral trial. Or maybe you find a way to build a partnership with a local high school ag class. The opportunity for agricultural businesses to partner, share promotions and advertising budgets and even costs for producer meetings are endless.

Offer internships. Young labor is typically inexpensive and hardy. Are you looking for someone to help in the store after school and on weekends? What about one of these young “techno-kids” that could help you with your social media presence. Young people are always looking for “real-world” experiences, and often are willing to work for little money or the experience they can list on their resumes.

Host & participate in events. As livestock nutrition suppliers, it would make sense that you would host and participate in events, like judging clinics, livestock shows, barrel racings and ropings. However, you chose to participate in these events, be sure to get your company name exposed as much as possible so others in the area know who the title sponsor is.

Getting involved in the community – it’s probably something you do anyway. Take the time to make a difference in someone’s life and the future of your community. You might just meet a new customer along the way.