| Courtesy of Tracy Coffland |
 |
Midwest Edition Electronic Newsletter |
| Calendar | Click-N-Print | Useful Web Sites | Questions & Comments | Contact Information |
| Merchandising/Business Operations | Cattle | Companion Animal | Horse |
May 12, 2006
Volume 1, Number 1
Hello! Before I go too far, let me introduce myself to anyone
who I might not have met. My name is Tracy Coffland, I’ll be taking Paul Homb’s
place as the Lifestyle Feed Account Specialist. I’m from Blairstown, IA, about
20 miles west of Cedar Rapids. I farm and feed cattle with my Dad, and have a
small herd of registered Angus cattle. Prior to taking this position in January,
I managed a farm store in Marengo, IA, and did a substantial amount of clipping
and fitting of show and sale cattle.
I’m very excited about this position, and I honestly hope to help each of you to
grow your business! I’m also thrilled about this newsletter that we are working
on. In every issue, we will include a Merchandising/Business Operations section
that Paul Homb and the Retail Development Team will contribute to give you
merchandising ideas and business operation tips. You will also note that
we have sectioned this newsletter into different specie areas so that you can
easily find information by the different product areas. I think this will be an excellent
way to transfer product updates, new products, specials and so much more! This
month, I’ve included a variety of updates on pet food, and show feeds.
The best way to increase sales is top notch marketing, displays and events. I’ll
be looking forward to working with you on promotions and planning to put on the
kind of events that will drive customers to your location, and keep them coming
back again and again! Now is a great time to plan pet events, fitting and
showmanship clinics, wildlife and pond management meetings and to continue to
work on in store merchandising! Keep in mind the upcoming Expo’s this summer,
and the Show Chow VIP in June. Once again, thank you all for your business!
Tracy
Tracy Coffland
Account Specialist, Lifestyle Feeds
Land O'Lakes Purina Feed
(319) 350-5003
E-Mail:
tlcoffland@landolakes.com
Calendar
June 8th & 9th Extreme Performance Show Lamb Camp, Plymouth
County Fair Grounds - Lemars, IA. See details in Companion Animal section.
June 14-16 Show
Feed VIP, Honor Show Feeds & Show Chow Brand Sign-Up. See details in
Companion Animal section.
Make plans to
attend a Retail Solutions Expo this year! Two events in one! Buying
Expo and Retail
Experience Training Conference! Over 100 exhibiting
companies plus feed . . .
Buying specials, training sessions, prices and more . . . Retail Solutions Expo
-- The Total Retail Experience!
Ask your Land O'Lakes Purina Feed Representative for details. You can't
afford to stay home!
July 25-27
RETAIL SOLUTIONS EXPO - Reno, NV
Aug. 22-24 RETAIL SOLUTIONS EXPO
- Arlington, TX
Sept. 12-13 RETAIL SOLUTIONS EXPO - St. Paul, MN
Sept. 26-28 RETAIL SOLUTIONS EXPO - Savannah, GA
Business-Building Tips
Can you learn some business-building tips from a dog named Spud?
Click here to see what Spud has to say!
At Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC, we are committed to helping you
succeed in the competitive business that we are in. We have the tools available
to assist you in a store upgrade, business evaluation, or our concept store
program (Premier Services). If we can help you with this, please give your
salesperson or myself a call. The number one factor in the success of any
organization is the people. We appreciate that you are part of our team.
The following is a list of factors that can make a store successful. “People
like to buy from people that they like.”
10 Good Reasons Why Independent Retailers Succeed:
1. When you open the door in the morning, look at your store through your
customer's eyes!
2. Train and provide clear direction for your employees.
3. Review your financials routinely -- (daily sales charts) set targets.
4. Make your customers feel important. (Big Boxes can't do that!)
5. Have a marketing plan -- know your target.
6. Offer a product mix that fits your target (economy - mid-range -
premium).
7. Make your store interesting -- offer new products -- specials.
8. Shop your competition.
9. Continue learning by attending Retail Expos and training seminars.
10. Have fun, and your employees and customers will, too!
Retail Solutions Expos
Make plans to
attend a Retail Solutions Expo this year! (Check
the Calendar section of this newsletter for dates and places!)
Paul Homb
Retail Development,
Land O'Lakes Purina Feed
(815) 541-3406
E-Mail: phomb@landolakes.com
Research
The LongView Animal Nutrition Center at Gray Summit, MO is the premier
private research facility in the Feed Industry. Millions of animal owners
benefit directly from the nutritional expertise that comes from LongView. There
is an excellent bulletin on the Land O'Lakes, Inc. Cattle website (http://www.beeflinks.com/cow_calf1.htm)
that tells cattle producers about the basics of a good brood cow program. While
you are there, browse the other bulletins as well. You are likely to find
several others that will help you, also.
Brood Cow
The demands on a brood cow are huge. We expect her to breed promptly, milk
efficiently, produce a big, healthy calf at weaning and calve the following year
on time and unassisted, plus she needs to move through that cycle for 7-10 years
without ever taking a break. Needless to say, you can’t meet these expectations
without a strong nutrition program. Mineral supplementation is a cornerstone of
nutrition in the brood cow. Supplying Calcium and Phosphorus is important, but
appropriate trace mineral feeding is equally as essential. On top of all that
the mineral fortification needs to be delivered to the cow in a feeding package
that is palatable and predictable without over consumption.
Many cattlemen have started using Rangeland Mineral Tubs for those reasons.
They enjoy consistent intakes plus the convenience of tub feeding plus the
nutrient package is similar to the Rangeland “weatherized” products. Matching
the cow’s mineral needs in a convenient cooked process tub makes Rangeland
Mineral Tubs a feeding alternative that deserves consideration.
HONORTM Show Feeds
HONORTM Showcalf Performix signed for the needs of show cattle.
Click here for product features and benefits and detailed product
information and directions for use.
VIP Sign-Up
Show Feed VIP - Honor Show Feeds & Show Chow Brand - June 14, 15 & 16
Sign Up.
(Click here for details and to view VIP Sign-Up Form)
Extreme Performance Show Lamb Camp
June 8 & 9, 2006 - Plymouth County Fair Grounds - Lemars, IA -
This camp is designed for all ages of showman, from beginners to seasoned
veterans. It is designed to raise the show person's ability to exhibit at
a whole new level of competition. To learn details on this event,
click here.
Meetings Pay!
Following is a letter that Tracy Coffland received from Donnie Bloes
following a Wild Bird meeting held at his store in Jesup, IA. Two separate
meetings were held -- one in the morning and one in the evening, with a total
attendance of over 170 people! Keep in mind, Jesup is a small community of
about 2,200 people.
"Thanks for the compliments
on our Wild Bird Seminar. Honestly, I was expecting a crowd, but will
admit to being overwhelmed
by the crowd that showed up.
The total sales for the day of the seminar were up about $800 over the same day
last year. However,
since the seminar, I can
honestly say bird seed sales are up, and many of those who did not buy that
evening are coming in to buy
now. For instance, last
Saturday, I had a gal who was from Independence come in the store and bought
$136 worth of bird seed
and feeders alone. She
had never been in the store and was totally impressed and promised she would be
back. Since then, we
have also had two couples come in to
thank us for the seminar and to tell us how well they liked it. We have
received thank you
letters and many, many nice
comments being received as we meet people on the street. Already people
are asking when we will
do it again. So, yes,
it was a huge success and I want to thank you for your part in making it so.
If I was to do it differently, what I
would do is rather than give
a free 20 lb. bag away, I would probably give a free 10 lb. bag away and they
can achieve a free 20
or 50 lb. bag, depending on
the dollars they spend within the store. Just a thought!"
This is a testament to how meetings work to drive business!
Horse Care
Dr. Katie Young provides insight on "Frequently Asked Questions" on
Horse Care --
Click here to view
this interesting article.
Sherman Tegtmeier, New Horse Influential
We are happy to announce that Sherman Tegtmeier has joined the Horse
Influential Program. Sherman, a long-time customer, is available
for demos and clinics in your area. Please
click here for bio and picture of Sherman. You can also learn more
about Sherman Tegtmeier by going to
www.nereiner.com.
Equine MeritTM
Click here to view information on Lake CountryTM Advantage Program (Coupon
expires May 31, 2006) and Retail Solutions Expo - 2006!
(To learn more about Equine MeritTM
brand
horse feeds, visit our web-site at
www.honoranimalnutrition.com.)
|
Show Pig |
HonorTM Show Feeds
See how HONORTM Show Feeds gives you the cutting edge of show pig
nutrition.
Click here for information on HONOR Showpig Grower L200.
Honor POWERFILLTM
Click here to view presentation on "The Ultimate in Showpig Nutrition."
(To learn more about HonorTM specialty
feeds, visit our web-site at
www.honoranimalnutrition.com.)
Click-N-Print
A Complimentary Counter Flyer
With spring in the air, true garden
lovers can't help but begin planning for the sunshine ahead! What better
way to get ready for summer than with a butterfly garden? If
any of your customers are interested in creating a butterfly garden, please use
this special "Click-N-Print" section of this issue to print an
in-store flyer for your customers. You could place copies on your counter or in
the
home and garden area of your store as a complimentary item for customers.
To view the flyer click here!
(By the way, you will need Adobe's Acrobat
viewer to view this flyer and to print it out. If you need a copy of Adobe
Acrobat viewer, you can download a free copy by
clicking here.)
Don't miss a single issue of our
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Feed Co-Op Electronic
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