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My dad was a high-school football
coach. He was what we now would call “old school.” He believed
fundamentals built winning teams. The most sophisticated offense
or defense could not overcome poor blocking or tackling. It
seems simple enough, but he spent hours of practice in drilling
his players until those seemingly basic skills became natural
and the execution was in such a way that the job was
accomplished in the most efficient manner.
The seedstock business is similar.
Certain fundamentals are necessary to experience success.
Producers who are experiencing success have common traits. They
produce a good product (one that is documented as such), have
sound marketing programs and build lasting relationships with
customers. If any of those things are not in place, the
probability of success lessens or is nonexistent.
Documentation begins with the
registration paper. The pricing study the North American
Limousin Foundation (NALF) conducted with Colorado State
University (CSU) showed profoundly that commercial producers are
willing to pay more for properly registered animals.
Additionally, breeders should want their customers to have that
information to assist in making future genetic selections. In
many added-value programs, some type of parental verification is
a prerequisite. If a properly transferred registration is not
furnished, the offspring’s marketability is limited. Helping
your customers’ cattle qualify for marketing programs is a small
investment in building good customer relations.
Proper management and
recordkeeping are other fundamentals where successful breeders
excel. Would you buy an animal that did not have expected
progeny differences (EPDs)? Do you buy animals without
ultrasound-scan data? Gone are the days when visual appraisal is
the only tool used in purchasing seedstock. Do not expect
customers to purchase cattle that do not have EPDs. If they do,
do not expect them to pay any premium for them.
Marketing can be as simple as
picking up the telephone. It might include a Web site that
allows a worldwide audience to read about your program. Print
advertising keeps your name before a wide array of potential
customers. In any case, a consistent presence is a key
fundamental to a program’s success. Some people feel their
enterprises are the center of the universe so they sit and wait
for people to “discover” them. Marketing is not a “sometime”
thing. Successful seedstock producers do some form of marketing
365 days of the year, not just a month before the sale.
Let’s get back to the “old
school” and begin by registering calves. Registered calves are
worth more. Registration verifies seedstock with reliable
pedigree, performance and EPD information. Registration enables
comprehensive breed marketing, progressive research and a
variety of member services. Registrations are the lifeblood of
breed success.
Let’s get back to the “old
school” by transferring registration papers. Transfers
authenticate pedigree, performance and EPD information.
Transfers provide official ownership history from breeder to
buyer. Transfers demonstrate breeder commitment to superior
seedstock and service after the sale. Transfers provide
selection, management and breed-promotion information to the
buyer. Transfers indicate a promise of long-term customer
satisfaction.
Paying attention to the
fundamentals is the beginning of being successful in everything
we attempt to do. My dad was inducted into the state football
coaches’ hall of fame. Paying attention to the fundamentals
proved to be successful for him, and it can for you, too.
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