BioZyme Online Dealer Center

Help Your Customers Understand How to Properly Compare Tags

Helping your customers properly analyze tags is important when comparing products. Here is some helpful information to help you ensure your customers are comparing apples to apples!

When analyzing feed tags, you must adjust for feeding rate in order to properly compare products. See example charts below.

Protein, Fat, Fiber and Macro Minerals
(calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium) are listed as a % minimum or maximum.

A supplement that is 20% protein would contain 0.20 lb. of protein in each 1 lb. of feed.

Trace Minerals
(copper, zinc, manganese and selenium) are expressed as “ppm” or parts per million.

One part per million is the same as one milligram per kilogram
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
Must know feeding rate in pounds to truly compare ppm

Vitamins A, D and E
are expressed in IU/lb.

An IU is an International Unit and is based on the effectiveness of a particular vitamin.
A supplement that lists 100 IU/lb. of Vitamin E, fed at 5 lbs. per day, provides 500 IU’s per day.
A supplement that lists 800 IU/lb. of Vitamin E, fed at 4 oz. per day, provides 200 IU’s per day (4 oz./16 oz. = .25 times 800 IU/lb.)

Power Your Herd with BioZyme Protein Products

It is a widely known and accepted fact that supplementation is a large portion of cash costs for every cattle operation. Protein is a crucial nutrient in a beef cattle diet (or any species for that matter). Unfortunately, protein supplementation is frequently a high-cost item in the nutritional program, and therefore, often ignored.

Protein is essential within the diet of a ruminant to supply the ammonia needed for microbial growth and provide the amino acids needed for absorption from the small intestine. A deficiency in protein can limit microbial activity, microbial protein synthesis and rate of digestion. All of these can impact feed and energy intake. Furthermore, if an animal receives insufficient amounts of protein, production of meat, milk and wool can be dramatically reduced.

However, when a producer is supplying supplemental protein to their livestock, they don’t always think about how much of that protein the animal is actually utilizing. Regardless of the nutrient, there is a portion that can and can’t be utilized by the animal. The component that is available to be utilized by the animal is considered “digestible”. On average, only about 40% of supplemental protein can actually be digested by the animal and used for growth, reproduction, lactation, etc.

So how can we make digestibility of protein more efficient? By increasing production of microbial cell protein (MCP). Microbial cell protein is the purest form of protein (up to 80% digestible) and is derived from bacteria present in the digestive system. Amaferm^®, found in EVERY BioZyme product, has been shown to result in an average increase in MCP of 34%, which correlates to more performance and ultimately more profit in your pocket.

In addition to the use of Amaferm, here are a few extra tips to proper, economical protein supplementation.

1. Identify your animal’s requirements.

In order to develop a cost effective supplementation program, you must first know the protein and energy requirements of your animals. Requirements for protein vary throughout the year and are dependent on the animal’s stage of production. For example, growing calves and cows in early lactation have some of the highest protein requirements. From weaning to puberty, cattle experience the largest increase in protein deposition throughout their lifetime. In turn, their requirement for dietary protein is particularly high as well. In regards to a cow that has just calved, her requirements are highest the first two months post calving due to the increase in protein demanded for lactation; while her lowest requirements are seen post-weaning. A cow’s protein requirement will begin to gradually increase again as fetal development increases.

2. Identify what is in your feed.

The second step in creating a successful supplementation program is knowing the protein content of your total diet. Protein can come from pasture, stored forages and supplemental feeds such as grain. BioZyme provides lab testing and ration balancing services free of charge to its customers. By understanding the nutrient profile of your available feedstuffs, you can better identify what supplements you can add to your feeding program to meet nutrient requirements and optimize animal performance without over or under feeding.

3. Identify which product best fits your management situation.

Generally, protein supplementation is needed in the late summer when forage quality is at its lowest and when grazing crop residues in late winter. For fall calving herds, forage protein is usually limited during early lactation. BioZyme offers a variety of high-quality protein supplements to meet a producer’s supplemental protein needs. The Concept•Aid^® POWER Products all contain 20%, all-natural CP and provide enough vitamins and minerals to serve as a replacement for loose mineral supplements. VitaFerm^® offers its POWER protein supplements in tub, meal and block form to fit differing management scenarios, allowing for maximum convenience along with improved animal performance. As a more economical alternative, the VitaFerm 30-13% Protein Tub offers a higher protein level in a smaller feeding rate, as well as a complete mineral package in every feeding.

Proper protein supplementation at various stages of production can prove extremely beneficial to overall animal productivity. The Amaferm advantage present in VitaFerm products increases the rate of digestion, allowing animals to meet their nutrient requirements faster and on less feed. Increased forage digestion provides for greater microbial growth and production of microbial protein to provide the animal with more protein for growth, lactation and reproduction.

September 2016 – Letters from Lisa

ADD VALUE TO YOUR MARKETING IN A DOWN CATTLE MARKET

During the past few years, beef producers have been experiencing record high prices. However, according to “Money” magazine, “Beef prices, which have been increasing for years, recently hitting rates high enough to inspire outbreaks of steak thefts at supermarkets and even the return of cattle rustling, are finally coming down to earth.”

Down to earth? The magazine goes on to say the decline in price is not because demand for meat has decreased, but because cattle are fatter? The author has obviously never gone through calving, dealt with VFD or tried to find feed when a drought or flood is at hand. He calls prices “down to earth”; the beef industry calls them challenging. In any case, producers will have to take steps to improve margins, and we will have to market our products to them in a way where they will see the added value of using BioZyme^® products.

Value is a funny thing. There is no doubt that in the absence of value-added marketing, virtually any product’s price can be driven down to the most bottom line – price. The problem? When you are only selling price you’ll never be able to sell value. Adding value requires creativity, innovation and a willingness to out-work your competition. But the real sad truth is that if you continue to sell the way you always have, price will continue to rule. So, make a change before your competitor does! As the famous confederate general, Nathan Bedford Forrest, once said following a battle, “I won because I got there firstest with the mostest!” You need to do the same thing. The question then is, what do I do? Step one is to keep marketing top-of-mind. Most of us cut marketing in tough times – DO NOT DO THIS! In addition, make sure you incorporate these eight strategies into your marketing plan:

1. Set expectations high – just accepting that times are challenging, therefore, sales will be down, just isn’t OK.

2. Never stop studying – the products, the market, the attitudes, etc.
– in every down turn a new millionaire is born.

3. Find your light bulb – if you are turned on, the customer will
be too.

4. Make sure you can differentiate yourself – be faster, cheaper or
have a sharper focus on customer service.

5. Build your spokes – hire passionate, experienced team members
and work with the best partners, like BioZyme, to ensure a great
product and customer experience.

6. Be bold – just do it!

7. Plan ahead – five minutes of planning saves 30 minutes of doing.

8. Really understand the products you sell.

– What are the features?

– What benefits do they offer?

– Who will buy them?

– How can you easily match their traits with the customers’ needs?

A value-added attitude must result in an active mind with “Just DO IT” actions! After watching the Olympics this summer, being motivated should be easy. Let’s go get ’em!

Introducing BioZyme’s 3-Step Gain Smart Program: 3 steps to draw stockers/backgrounders to you

The job of stocker cattle is to turn cellulose into red meat, by putting on weight in the most cost effective way – gaining smart.

The Gain Smart Stocker Program provides a 1-2-3 punch to get calves eating and staying healthy. It includes 2 products to jump start appetite and a line of vitamin and mineral supplements with the Amaferm^® advantage that promotes health and economically produces pounds by maximizing the natural energy and protein available in forage.

Feeding the Gain Smart program with the Amaferm advantage:

Makes the most of the cheapest feed available to any stocker operation: forage
Accelerates gain by stimulating the calf’s rumen to function at top efficiency
Improves health by reducing the impact of stress, the largest sucker of immunity
Pays a 2 to 1 return through more gain, more health

Exciting news!!
This program will easily draw stockers to your doorstep due to its effectiveness on gain and health. However, to add icing on the cake, we have launched an exclusive partnership with Superior Livestock Auction. Beginning October 2016, calves selling through Superior Auction will be able to add a value-added emblem (see below) if they have been fed Gain Smart for the 45 days prior to the sale or have been on a VitaFerm mineral for the 45 days prior to sale. This program will be heavily marketed to bring new business to your door.

Click Here for details on the Gain Smart Program. Call your ASM today to order Vita Charge Drench, Stress Tubs and the Gain Smart Mineral that is best for your customers.

BIOZYME/SUPERIOR REP PREFERRED PARTNER MINERAL PROGRAM
FYI :: We have developed a program for Superior Reps to be able to purchase VitaFerm and Gain Smart products at a discounted rate. Seeing is believing, and we hope to encourage any Superior Rep to try our products first-hand. If you have a relationship with a rep in your area, please make sure they are aware of this program! Contact your Area Sales Manager for assistance in filling out the required form for this program.

Introducing Feed the Future: Investing in youth by bringing Hereford breeders to your door

BioZyme^® is excited to launch the new “Feed the Future” program in partnership with the Hereford Youth Foundation of America. The program contributes $1 to HYFA for every bag/tub of eligible BioZyme supplement any American Hereford Association member buys during the year. This program will be marketed all year long by both HYFA and BioZyme. BioZyme does all tracking and contributing, you just say, “Thanks for the sale.”

Share these Feed the Future Program Details with your Hereford Breeders

Step 1. Select the correct VitaFerm supplement to maximize the potential of your cow herd. Contact Erin Creason, Inside Sales Coordinator, at 816-238-7084, visit www.vitaferm.com or speak with your dealer to learn more about these products.

Eligible VitaFerm products and product lines include: Concept•Aid®, Heat and Cattlemen’s Blend™, the Mineral Lyk Tub, 30:13 Protein Tub™, Roughage Fortifier and Sure Start® Pellet.

Step 2. Each time you purchase an eligible VitaFerm product, take a picture of your invoice with your smart phone or camera and email a copy of the invoice to hereford@biozymeinc.com or text it to the BioZyme office at 816-383-3109.

Step 3. BioZyme will donate $1 per bag or tub with the proof of purchase to the Hereford Youth Foundation of America. Donations will be made annually.

Feed the Future Program Details for the BioZyme Dealer

Identify Hereford breeders in your area and send a list to BioZyme to connect to new customers by “Feeding the Future.”

At BioZyme, we believe in the value of partnerships. This starts with the one we have with you, but will certainly be impacted by the ones we are starting with Superior and HYFA. We believe programs backed by powerful partnerships are the key to improving sales, margins and profits, to exponentially increase business success.

New Gain Smart Program

Good nutrition has come to the forefront as one of the keys to healthy, profitable cattle.

RECEIVE: Vita Charge® Drench
Administer within 48 hours post weaning

Jumpstarts feed and energy intake
Stimulates cattle’s immune system
Allows maximum effectiveness of vaccinations

START: Vita Charge® Stress Tub
Feed 14-21 days post weaning

Ignites appetite
Provides a nutritional punch
MOS helps trap bad bacteria to keep digestive upsets at bay

GROW: Gain Smart Mineral
Feed for remaining stocker period (minimum of 45 days)

Gain Smart Wheat
Ensures stockers on wheat or other small grains are accurately supplemented

Gain Smart Stocker (formerly VitaFerm® Beefmaker™)
Ensures stockers on range grasses are accurately supplemented

Gain Smart Balancer RU 1600 (formerly VitaFerm® Feedlot Medicated RU 1600™)
Ensures stockers on grains are accurately supplemented

Gain Smart POWER 37 (formerly VitaFerm® Sure Power 37™)
When protein is needed

In a field trial conducted by Tracy Leonard, Huntington AR, 110 calves were delivered, 10 doctored, and then they were put on the Gain Smart program consisting of Vita Charge Drench, Vita Charge Stress Tub and Gain Smart Mineral. Of the group, only 1 calf had to be re-doctored within the first 45 days.

“We use the products because they pay for themselves. Vita Charge helps straighten calves out and get their gut activated. We pull less calves, and any time we don’t have to pull out a bottle to treat a calf, it saves us money. Every operation is different, but everyone needs cattle to eat and Vita Charge gets them started right.” – John Terrell, Prairie Creek Cattle Co, AR

A Producer Meeting Sure to Produce Results

It makes sense to align marketing strategies with positioning products, and producer meetings are a great way to get your brand in front of customers and potential customers. Invite them to your store, showcase your products, provide them some valuable information that might add profitability to their outfit, and offer them refreshments. And, before you know it, you have just shared your brand with a group of people who need and want your services and products.

In addition to promoting specific products, producer meetings are a great way to let producers learn more about you and your business. Time is a precious commodity. Make sure your producer meetings are time-sensitive to what your customers are dealing with. Prior to breeding season you might address pre-breeding and cow nutrition; weaning is a critical time in an animal’s life, so host an informational meeting prior to weaning to showcase products that will help reduce stress and promote gain.

The Sure Start^® Program is one program that you can promote at a producer meeting. It was designed as a simple program to keep calves healthy, eating and performing. The three step program is an easy sell, but you have to get the program out in front of people in order for them to notice, then ask about and finally utilize the program.

Our statistics show that overall growth for dealers that held a producer meeting is 78.8%. By following these simple steps you can easily host a Sure Start Weaning Producer Meeting or a meeting with the topic of your choice.

Reach out to Your Area Sales Manager to Discuss the Date and Location
Our marketing team can help with invitations and posters to let your audience know about the meeting. Details about the event and who you would like to send the invite to must be received three weeks prior to your event.

Request a Sure Start Weaning Marketing Package
Call Jody Purvis, Sales Support Coordinator at 816-344-5755, and request a Sure Start Weaning Marketing Package. We’ll send you literature and signage for your store and meeting.

Hang Signage in Your Store and Create a Display Area
A display area could be as simple as putting a Vita Charge^® Counter Display next to your till or creating a pyramid of Vita Charge Stress Tubs

Send Out a Text Message Reminder
So many people communicate via text message these days. Email a list of cell phone numbers to Katie Vaz, Marketing and Communications Manager at kvaz@biozymeinc.com, and we’ll send out a reminder to all your contacts the day before the meeting.

Host the Meeting
Your ASM will give the presentation, but it is nice to have a few producers there that can give a testimonial about how well the program has worked for them.

Follow Up
Follow up is important to any good marketing effort. Make sure you have all attendees fill out a contact card at the meeting. These cards should be given to your ASM ASAP. We’ll send out a follow up card and make sure these potential customers are included in any future national marketing campaigns. Don’t forget that a personal phone call can go a long way in securing the order.

Trust and Experience Help Dealer Position Products

Personal testimonials and relationship building have been equally important in positioning BioZyme^® products to customers for one novice dealer in southeast Iowa. Cecil Reed, who became a dealer in January, says the fact that she and her family have had personal success using various BioZyme products helps her marketing strategy. The producers in her area build a stronger trust factor when they hear about her personal experiences, and that helps build relationships and sell product.

“Once the growers know that I have had success using the products on mine and my family’s operations, I find out the grower’s goals for their operation and suggest products with their goals in mind,” Reed says.

The marketing tools that BioZyme provides allow Reed to back up her testimonials with research and product facts, which help position the products. She has posters and brochures grouped by product lines in her office, and she carries literature in each vehicle so she has something to put in front of potential customers, giving them something to read and think about after she leaves. She adds that direct mail is part of her future marketing plans since so many producers in her area still rely on the written word.

“I have found it beneficial to have posters hung around my office and buildings as they strike up questions and conversations,” she says. “I also really like using the flyers to hand out to customers that want to use our products. When I am able to get something into the hands of potential customers it keeps them thinking and keeps their interest sparked.”

Reed grew up near Bloomfield, Iowa, on her family’s diversified farm that included cattle, row crops and a sheep flock that allowed her and her sisters to show competitively at the local, state and national levels. She graduated with an agronomy degree from Iowa State University in December 2014 and within the next year married and started her business, NexGen Ag Solutions. In addition to selling BioZyme, Reed also sells Pioneer seed.

“Adding value to your farm” is the tag line for NexGen Ag Solutions, and carrying value-added products for the producers in her area is important to Reed. With producers watching their expenses and questioning the prices of BioZyme products, Reed can share her personal success stories. She says her go-to message is the “Amaferm advantage” because it does increase digestibility, and in her area where forage quality isn’t superb, this message really hits home.

Another testimonial she shares is for Vita Charge^® products, especially Liquid Boost^®. She says her dad treated a freshly-weaned lamb crop that went off feed with these products, and he witnessed immediate results when they started eating again the next day. Reed said her dad was sold on the products.

“The products are simple to use, and yet cover a diverse audience,” she says. She said after attending the recent dealer retreat in June, she was impressed that the same HEAT supplement works for producers in the extreme heat of Louisiana and other Southern states. When she shared those endorsements with her own customers, they were convinced that the product would work for them, and it has.

Reed has been aggressive in sharing her vision for the products. She has a business Facebook page, where she shares information with customers and potential customers, has used radio advertising and newspaper articles to inform growers that she is a dealer and talks one-on-one with people in her area. She is sponsoring awards at the Davis County Fair – a bag of Sure Champ^® – for the grand champion overall steer, heifer, wether, ewe, barrow, gilt, buck and doe. She also plans to have a hospitality area at the fair with cold drinks for the exhibitors where she can talk about BioZyme and its products. She says in the future she would like to host producer meetings to educate producers as well as exhibitors and their parents of the benefits of various BioZyme products.

Reed plans to use the CONNECT Online store more heavily in the future. She predicts that CONNECT will benefit her Vitalize^® horse customers since many of those products have a lower feeding rate and are not reordered as often, as well as assist her with inventory control.

Cecil Reed is a true believer in the BioZyme products and the differences they make in livestock. With her winning attitude and belief in the product, she has positioned the products in the spotlight for many producers in her area. “As long as I build trust with my customers, and trust helps build relationships, it is easy to position the products,” she says.

Consistency is Key to Great Branding

Your favorite country band is coming to town and you have tickets. After months of waiting, the night of the show is finally here and you get to hear all of your favorite songs. However, that morning the band decided they didn’t like playing the same songs every night so they played two hours of pop covers instead. You leave feeling dejected and can’t understand why they wouldn’t play the music that made them great.

Though this would probably never happen with a band in real life, it does happen with brands quite often. Consistency is repetitive, and because we are the ones delivering that message day after day we sometimes feel like our message has become boring. What is actually the case is that consistency paves the way for creativity with an impact and is what moves your brand from a good one to a great one.

So, what is your brand? A brand is what sets you apart from everyone else. It can be anything – a symbol, design, name, sound, reputation, slogan, emotion, employees and more – that separates one thing from another. A brand gives your business an identity. Do you want to be just a feed salesperson, or someone everyone knows because of your consistent message and identification? The sales person who listens to your customers’ goals and offers suggestions to help achieve those goals? According to North Star Marketing, here are four advantages to being consistent with your branding message:

Consistency helps manage perceptions. By thinking carefully and deliberately about your brand, you can shape how people perceive your organization. Consistency connotes professionalism, purpose and stability.

Consistency conveys outlook and attitude. A focused effort to establish and maintain consistent branding will deliver a very specific set of impressions: Are you serious? Are you intentional? Do you follow through? Are you focused?

Consistency eliminates issues surrounding brand confusion. For many companies, their branding is actually more of a hindrance than a help. A consistent brand should instill confidence rather than confusion.

Consistency protects your investment. Without established brand standards, many organizations spend thousands of dollars crafting a logo and building a message, only to have it degraded by inconsistent, sloppy application. Build equity in your brand by being consistent.

As you position your product before customers, be sure to brand yourself or your business. Keep the message consistent in your producer meetings, brochures, Facebook posts and media interviews. If you use a tag line on the bottom of a direct mail piece, make sure that same tag line is on your web site. If you have a logo, keep it consistent on your marketing pieces – don’t change the font or color. Remember, when you need help with marketing pieces, you can contact Katie Vaz at kvaz@biozymeinc.com. She can help you work toward consistency in your positioning by adding your logo or brand slogan to any of the current marketing pieces.

Source: http://www.northstarmarketing.com/2015/05/07/the-difference-between-a-good-brand-and-a-great-brand-consistency/

Added Value Should Mean Added Profitablity

Adding value is the process of changing or transforming a product from its original state to a more valuable state; from one set of characteristics to other characteristics that are more preferred in the marketplace.

Today, the “produce-then-sell” mentality of the commodity business is being replaced by the strategy of first determining what attributes consumers want in their products and then creating or manufacturing products with those qualities. Market forces have led to greater opportunities for product differentiation and added value because of:

Increased consumer demand regarding health, nutrition and convenience;
Efforts to improve productivity; and
Technological advances that enable production of what consumers desire.

Adding value to products can be accomplished in a number of ways, but generally falls into two categories: innovation and coordination. One or both of these must do more than add value. To be sustainable, they must also increase profitability.

Innovation

Innovation focuses on improving existing processes, procedures, products and services or creating new ones.

Impact on profitability – sales revenue is a function of volume and price. Value-added products allow more emphasis to be placed on the price part of the equation, initially, but ultimately they will also impact the volume, thereby increasing sales revenue. Your company’s strategy should be to find sources of revenue where you can have both high volumes and good prices.

The relatively new HEAT product is a great example of value-added innovation. By adding Xtract 7065, garlic and Amaferm^® we have a summer mineral that adds value by:

Lowering heat stress so animals eat instead of standing in the shade or the ponds
Repelling insects
Increasing digestibility so food consumed is utilized more efficiently offsetting the negative impacts of fescue in certain areas of the country

The product is priced such that we have the profitability part of the
equation covered. In its first year, 26 tons of product was sold.
However, the added value that this product provides has impacted the volume part of the revenue equation as well; sales grew to 455 tons in 2015, and to 1,202 tons as of June 30, 2016. This value-added product has accomplished the strategy of finding a source of revenue where we can have both high volumes and good pricing for maximized sales revenue.

Coordination

Coordination focuses on arrangements among those that produce and market products. Horizontal coordination involves pooling or consolidation among individuals or companies from the same level of the food chain. An example would be hog producers combining their market hogs to make a truckload. A coordinated effort is needed to impact cost reduction.

Impact on profitability – before examining value-added processing and marketing, cost minimization must be achieved. Only efficient businesses will be able to survive and compete. Adding value cannot take the place of reaching the efficiencies attainable through technology and economies of scale.

Our mega dealers are a good example of coordination. They buy large orders and then disseminate the product out in smaller amounts at a significantly lower cost and more efficiency than an LTL company.

No matter innovation or coordination, in the end, value-added is a fairly simple concept. Create relationships with customers to encourage repeat business, improve tactics and your profits will go up.