Latest / Got Any Cows? / 54. Marketing Akaushi w Tim Stallings, Chairman of the Board at the American Akaushi Association

Transcript

54. Marketing Akaushi w Tim Stallings, Chairman of the Board at the American Akaushi Association · Got Any Cows?

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the Got Any Cows Podcast.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_02: If you want to learn all you can about the beef cattle industry, this is the podcast for you.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_02: My name is Seth Christopher.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_02: My company has sent beef cattle genetics to 45 of the 50 states and 12 countries around the world.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: I've had the chance to learn from some of the best and brightest in the beef cattle industry, and I invite you to join me for those conversations here on the Got Any Cows Podcast.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_02: I'm here at the American Akeyusio Association Convention in College Station, Texas, sitting down with Tim Stallings from Artesian Ranch.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: Tim, if you would go ahead and give us a quick intro on who you are and where you come from.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_03: Well, my name's Tim Stallings.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um uh currently I'm I'm not no longer with Artesian.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, I apologize.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: Boy, we're not even a full sentence in and I've botched the intro.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_03: No, that's no problem.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: That was that that's fairly fairly recent.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um April the 1st was my last day.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_03: I'm I'm currently right now kind of uh I guess you might say doing some consultant work with some Akushi breeders and helping them with some marketing and perfect and uh kind of building that, see how, see where that goes.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, that's a valuable capacity.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_02: So please let's let's jump right into that if you would, Tim, as far as if somebody was interested in in working directly with you and having you consult with them on because it's it's a there's a need right now for sure within the Akioshi marketplace.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: How do we market these things?
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's probably one of the most common questions I get.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_02: How does somebody get a hold of you to maybe bring you on board to help in their marketing endeavors?
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, they can they can call me.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um at my cell phone number is 979-830-3808.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: And uh they can call and reach out to me, we'll visit.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, we we can we we can help anybody from a small breeder to a large breeder, uh feeder calves all the way through to selling cattle in sales, getting them, you know, advertised and promoted and and uh try to get them the top dollar, you know.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_03: It it we we're we're pretty flexible on what we can do.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_03: We also uh provide nutrition and other aspects of ranching, you know, consultant work that maybe maybe they need help with maybe some some budgeting issues and things like that to make them a little more profitable, but we we can pretty much help them with about anything.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_03: And and you know, there it everybody's operations different.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_03: So to say you're a consultant and you do this or that, uh, you know, it it may apply and and be able to help what one operation out of a hundred.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: We're we're more like we we'll help you whether you got five cows or you've got two hundred and three hundred head of cows.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_03: So uh, you know, we're just trying to to help as any way we can and and make uh you know, we're we're passionate about the Akayushi breed, it's been good to us, and uh you know, we we want everybody to be successful in it.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, you bet.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: Well, and I can absolutely endorse you there, Tim.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean it's whenever somebody says they're gonna consult, you know, you always gotta say, well, what what background are they coming from, you know, or what kind of qualifications do they have?
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: And and just for me, you know, I mean, observing from afar and then working for with you a little closer, more recently on the sale committee for this Akiushi Association convention sale, I can vouch for your ability and your experience and would absolutely recommend that folks give you a holler and say, hey, I mean, I look at that as a real opportunity for a lot of people.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_02: Now, like I said, I'm just finding out now.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: I I apologize not to have been aware that a change had been made, you know, the last 60 days.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: But but I think that's a real opportunity for a lot of people that really need help.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_02: In most cases, the people that have your degree of experience and aptitude, frankly, aren't available because they're committed full-time in a management position like where you had been with artesian.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: But to say, hey, someone like Tim with a lifetime of experience behind him that's Aki Usi specific these last few years, working in a successful operation is available to the average person, whether they have five cows or 250 cows, I think is a real asset to the breed, and I hope is something that that ends up being rewarding for both you and for your clients going forward.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm actually excited that to hear that news.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's a good thing.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: So if you would, Tim, maybe let's go back in your career prior to RTES and maybe even prior to Akeyushi, what did you do before you were in Akeushi cattle?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: What were you doing professionally?
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_03: We we worked uh a total of thirty-eight thirty-eight years for on on the same ranch with two different owners.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um over a period of 38 years.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_03: We started out with Mac Men Ranches, which was uh originally a pulled Hereford operation.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we had probably one of the largest pulled Hereford herds in the United States.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um marketed about 250 bulls a year and uh had a had a female cell, annual female cell on the ranch, and we market you know, where we marketed maybe a hundred and fifty f elite females.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we did that for a number of years.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_03: We showed cattle all over the United States and Canada.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um had had uh national champion bull in 1994 and uh really really had a really good career there with the MacMins.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: We we dispersed that Hereford herd and uh bought uh a herd of Angus cows in a dispersal type situation and brought them in and built that herd up uh over a period of four or five years.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_03: Ended up.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: We uh sold sold the ranch in Brenham, Texas to uh uh Angus breeder and he bought the cows with the ranch, so we were out of the Angus business.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: We uh when we after we sold the ranch in Brenham, we purchased a ranch in uh Comanche County in Texas and and uh kind of got off into the we had Angus cows and kind of got into the um commercial end of the cattle industry, uh raising raising calves and selling the calves back to 44 farms.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_03: We did and we did that for about whole ten years, I guess.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_03: Uh and uh was uh uh uh a learning experience and coming from a purebred background and then into the commercial industry where you're selling feeder cattle and stuff like that.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_03: It it's a different world, but it's one I really enjoyed as we as we went along and and uh you know uh kind of got introduced.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um the McMinns passed away and we we stayed on and sold the ranch to uh Dr.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: King with Artesian.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we stayed on as their managers and kind of got interested in Akayushi when he came along, um made the switch.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_03: We we we had a cow herd, we'd been selling, like I said, the 44 farms, the feeder calves, for about 10 years.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_03: So we had some carcass data on the cow herd.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we'd we'd been able to achieve about a 19% prime on those calves over the 10-year period.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_03: And uh so as we got to looking at the Akeushi, that was one thing that perked our interest was the percent prime that people were claiming they were getting.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: So I mean you were using quality Angus genetics and 19%, which nineteen percent still double the national average.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean you're doing well.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_03: Well, and and and and I saw a slide the other day that those numbers haven't changed very much.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_03: So so uh when when we made that move, it some part of it was based on premium and part of it was part of it was and probably the main thing was based on percent prime.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_03: You know, because if you're gonna sell cattle and you just will be selling the best you can.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_03: And if you ever go to selling on the grid, you want you want that high percent prime.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, you bet.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_03: And so as as we made the made the decision to switch over to Akaushi bulls, we turned those bulls out on the same cow herd that had been producing the the uh 44 or the Angus.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um we turned those bulls out, and the first set of calves we killed went from 19% prime to 55% prime.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: That's yeah, and now that now that's a testament too, because I think it's easy for people to say, you know, in theory or on another ranch or in an abject situation, like, well, they'll do better, or they should be this or they should be that.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: But to say you're coming from one of the largest Angus programs in the United States in 44 Farms and their partnership with Walmart, and you're going from that program, an equality Angus program, and and making the change of the bulls, leaving the cows, and going from 19% to 55%.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's that's serious math.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's that that's that's not like oh well, you know, one or two percent statistically insignificant movement.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: No, that's real number.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_02: That's a changer.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that's real numbers.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: And and so after after that, we were hooked.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_03: And and uh we just went ahead and and uh built the moved the whole herd to Akuchi.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: And uh over over a period of uh maybe four or five years, we decided that we wanted to try to do uh the introduce the full blood into into the operation.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_03: And so we we purchased some cows and and uh I think there was six in the original purchase, and and really in my mind that was more or less to raise bulls for ourselves so we didn't have to go out and buy buy bulls every year.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_03: But yeah, uh, you know, we we got into it and we we started keeping some females back and really enjoying it and and liking what we saw, so we increased numbers, increased numbers, and uh got it to the point where we were selling a few females here and there and for some pretty good money.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_03: And um, you know, it it it's really been a uh it was a really good move to to move to Akaushi because in my mind Akaoshi, what it what it does over some of the other breeds or most all the other breeds, is you've got so many avenues of marketability through those cattle.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Oh absolutely.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_03: You know, from from your feeder cattle all the way through to the full blood uh industry, but it there's a lot of opportunity there for marketing.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yes that that's not there in other breeds.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_03: And uh you know, we we developed a beef program there on the ranch where we we were selling about 75, 50 to 75 steers out of our own beef market there.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_03: Wonderful, wonderful.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_03: Was really a good move and and uh really opened the eyes to a lot of people how how really uh on on the upper end quality akaushi beef really is.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, absolutely.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's one thing.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I want to pause you even right there.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_02: You talk about how much better that beef is.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: That's one thing that I've noticed.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's not just as as impressive as the percent prime is, or as significant as that shift is, it's not just prime.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's a different flavor profile, it's different health benefits, it's different to cook.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, everything about it is is a distinct product.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, we're in the same boat.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, once you've tried it, you mentioned you're kind of you're you're hooked and it's ruined me.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I can't I used to be any given cut of beef was fine, beef was beef.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_02: Not anymore.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's not it all.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_03: It will spoil you, and and the thing, the thing that I I thought was the best uh I guess testament for the beef is that uh the repeat customers that would come in, yes, you know, they they wouldn't buy it anywhere else.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_03: And they they'd even, you know, they'd come in and brag and brag on the ground beef, you know.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, it it it is a good high quality product.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, that's something that I think going forward that the association's gonna be really pushing because it is that that that's aushi is the beef.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, absolutely.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: So you went from you'd been running Hereford's and then you ended up in Angus and dealing with 44 farms.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: That transitioned into Akeushi cattle, which then went from from crossbreeding and then harvesting cattle, seeing the proof and the pudding there, getting into some full bloods, um, and then even selling some beef direct and things like that.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you and I, I said I I've just gotten to know you over the course of the last couple years, and especially this last year working together on on the Akeushi Association Sale Committee.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and you know, one of the things I've been most impressed by, Tim, and in your abilities and your skill sets from from all those years of experience that you just walked us through is is your ability to market and market well, you know, and and I guess walk us through um I some of the things that you would say were were keys to success, even in your prior to these last couple sales, what was the year you sold, you sold a female at 37,000, if I remember right.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Was that Merida?
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe walk us through a little bit of that story, if you would.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_02: What what does it take to not only make a female that's worth that, but then get her to trade at that value?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think it's a missing piece, so commonly a missing piece, and why I'm so excited to see it available as a consultant is that there are good, good cattle, but making good cattle, they have to be good before they sell it good money.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: But then being good by itself isn't enough.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: They have to be presented well, presented appropriately, marketed appropriately for a high-quality animal to achieve a high quality price.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: Walk us through some of that Merida story, if you would.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: Well, Merida was a special individual.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_03: You know, uh she's an A E.T.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: heifer um out of a bull called Rushamaroo.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_03: Mm-hmm.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_03: Uh who has had he's he's done a w a very good job in a breed.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: Good bull.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, we we that mating we had we had bred those to develop females to keep.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, as well as I do, you'll run across individuals and flushes that just are standouts.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_03: And Meridel was one of those.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_03: And uh w when we got involved with the association sales, we thought that would be a good opportunity to, you know, when when you're starting out and you you're wanting you're wanting to get people familiarized with your operation, what's the best thing you can do is put the best thing you got out there and let them see it.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_03: What was she the first that you offered from Artesia?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_03: That was the first heifer we ever sold for.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: What what an opener to say, hey, we're gonna come in and just sell one and oh she'll just top the sale at 37,000.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_03: Well done.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_03: Well done.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_03: Well less.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, she was she was the right kind for the right time.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_03: And uh sh I guess it all started with the picture.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_03: You know, the photo, the photo that uh, you know, and I've always thought that the photo, especially in days like today where everything's online, you know, people don't have the opportunity to go to a cell these days and actually lay eyes on a living, breathing animal.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yep, yep.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_03: So the the photo becomes the most important part of your marketing.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_03: Yep, yep.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_03: And and to you to us, we we thought that that was a great photo.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, absolutely.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: People agreed, apparently.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_03: And and you know, it starts with with the photo and and and then then as you go along, uh, you know, presenting that animal to people and and it and getting her out there to as many people as you can.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, twenty-five years ago when we were having sales, we didn't have the the luxury of social media.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_03: And and so it was all done through catalogs and and uh flyers and mailing out, and i it it was very costly and slow process.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: And uh nowadays you can you can flood flood social media in a day's time with with getting an animal out there and and and we really took advantage of that, uh, working into the sale time and and uh you know uh getting that animal out to as many eyes as we could and reaching as many people as we could that probably never heard of us before they saw that picture of Merida.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: And uh she was just really the the the one that kind of got Artesian ranch on the map.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: You bet.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: And uh the the folks that bought her have taken her home and and they've flushed on her and I've I saw her last year and and uh she'd made a tremendous cow, so that that's what you want.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we we can sell them all day for all this big money and and take great pictures of them, but at the end of the day they've got to raise a calf.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_03: And she she definitely did that, and we were proud of that.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, you know, that that was our first experience selling for artesian and well, and I'd pause you there, you know, and one of the things I I tipped my hat to you on as far as the the female you selected, like you mentioned, when people came to know I mean who artesian even was or that artesian even existed, it becomes associated with this Merida, who was an exceptional cow that took an exceptional picture and then was well promoted.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_02: And that's one of the one of the common mistakes I would say I see people make is they say, hey, their first time out to a sale where they're gonna pick a, especially a sale like this one, where they're gonna pick up national exposure, and frankly, they're dumping a coal in it.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I mean they're taking it out.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, well, I didn't want this one, you know, and so I'm putting it in this sale, or I'd like to be rid of this, or you know, I mean, this this doesn't fit, so I'm putting it in this sale.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_02: And all that does is take the bottom of your herd, and now what people's image in their mind of what your herd is, say, oh yeah, you know, kind of that ugly dink at the bottom of the sale, that's what this program is.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas your entry, and now I I I don't know how you could do it any better than what you did, but then to say, hey, your entry into the the national scene, we'll call it that, that the national scene with the Akeushi breed, saying, hey, at a national sale, we're gonna bring, or you took your best.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: You chose to consign your best, not a call, not an okay one.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: You took your best, and then you put her in a high profile sale, and then you did you did your job to market her, because that's the other mistake I see.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_02: The two most common mistakes I would say I see people make that you didn't hear was say number one, selecting a low quality animal, but then number two, assuming that because it's consigned to a high profile sale or one where cattle have traded at good money, it will magically trade on its own.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: If you show up without any buyers or without any prospective bidders, or without somebody that you know is interested in this animal, the likelihood of them magically appearing on sale day out of thin air and paying significant money, I would say is slim to none, personally.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, but anyway, the uh two two things I tip my hat to you there on that that's a good thing.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: And that's a mistake that's made a lot in consignment sales.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: You know, uh a lot of people will will tend to put animals in that they can't sell at home.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_03: You know, well usually there's a reason why you can't sell them at home.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_03: So yes, you know, I always I I've just always strive to put your best forward.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_03: And and if if if you can do that, it'll come back to you in folds.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_03: And and you know, we we we always kept some cattle back from flushes, but we always sold the best ones.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, sure.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_03: Because you can always go back and make more.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_03: Sure, sure.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: And and I just you know, it's it's it was a really good time for us.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we came back the following year and I uh uh sold a a sister to her and she topped the cell also.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um we had success in a Vegas sale with a with a half sister and and uh you know so we we had a lot of successes in sales and and they they're continuing on with that.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, it it's just marketing has always been kind of fun to me and something I enjoy doing.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, if you enjoy something, you just wants to try to do the best you can at it.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_03: And that's kind of kind of where we are.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: So touching on that Meredith story specifically, when it came time to hey, you've got the you got the right animal picked that we talked about, got a great picture, well promoted.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: What were some things you did did that you felt like were important as far as making sure you had buyers that are ready to bid?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: When it comes time rubber hits the road, we talked about, you know, or I mentioned waiting for a magical buyer to show up.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_02: How did you go about finding buyers and and saying, hey, you want to be in the stands this day, or you want to be online this day?
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_02: We you you want to chase this effort?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_03: Well, well, fortunately, you know, when you're in a seed stock operation or purebred operation and you you get a lot of peop traffic coming in looking on a daily basis that that uh you know, as we make those contacts through throughout the year we kind of learn what our customers are looking for and what their what their interests are.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_02: You bet.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_03: And uh I I did have I had several customers that I thought she might fit into what they need they were their particular needs were.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_03: You bet.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_03: And uh you know, so as time got closer to sell time I made a personal contact.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_03: I I you know I I I think social media's great and texting's great and emailing's great but there's nothing that takes the place of personal contact.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_03: You know pick up the phone go see them.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yep and and so we did some of that and uh ended up that that's that's where the buyer came from.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_03: And you know and and you can you can do too much sure of that.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: You know I I I know that you know there's a lot of that that goes on but I I don't think you've got to hound them you you you let 'em let them see why you think that that animal fits what they're looking for and let them make their own mind up.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 23:09
  SPEAKER_03: Because if they make their own mind up the chances are they're not going to quit over a five hundred dollar bid.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: Right, right.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yep yep yep.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_03: So I just I I think there's a lot of things like that that's more of a personal touch that gets gets you more people coming back.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: Well and I think what what people would like to hear as sellers is say like oh well you know that there's kind of a magic bullet a silver bullet an easy way to get all this done like I I think that's what people would like to hear is saying like well all you got to do is you buy this one ad this one time and the rest will just happen.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_02: Like I think that's what people would like to hear.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_02: But I mean to your point I mean I've definitely seen in what we do there's just no replacement for that personal touch because I look at it like if I don't care enough as the seller to reach out personally to people that I know and and clients that I've developed over time to say, hey, I personally think that you as my friend and my client might have interest in this individual that I genuinely believe is superior and would have a positive impact on your program.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_02: If I don't think she's good enough to be worth that time, that effort, that call, even that direct text, whatever it may be, direct contact with that person, then I'm really just hoping that they happen to run into the social media post or or the print ad or the email ad or whatever else.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_02: I hope they show ran into it and I hope they show up in bid and hope isn't a very I mean it's a nice thought but it's not a real sound sales strategy.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_03: No I don't think it usually don't work out.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: No I I think I think if you don't know some people that like hey I I know we've got some pretty sound like interest at least in this animal if you don't know ahead of sale the likelihood of them just magically appearing sale day not real high I would say you're right there and it it's it's something you've really got to work and you've got you know the you when when in my mind when you put an animal in a consignment sale just kind of my thinking is you know you do all the steps as far as getting the the photo out on social media and doing all that and and then you still gotta work it.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yes and and you know you you I usually start 30 days before the sale really working that animal trying to get her talk to as many people about her as you can you know and and uh just just try to get her promoted out there to as many people as you can because nobody else is gonna do it for you.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_02: No no no and I think it's it's it's frankly it's irresponsible to just assume and and it frustrates me and and I understand I understand being in the position of being a seller that says hey you know this animal maybe didn't bring what I'd hoped at a consignment sale or couldn't get this animal moved in that kind of setting.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_02: And I understand the frustration but I think it there is a certain degree of irresponsibility that starts to come in that that's common that people say well you know this sale should have done done more the sale management should have done more it's someone else's responsibility to have moved these cattle.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I think with so many things, whether we're talking about the care and nutrition of our cattle, whether we're talking about our repro programs or our sales programs or just data collection any one of those points that we have to be willing and able to take personal responsibility and say, you know what, I, the guy in the mirror, I am responsible for the fact that this animal does or doesn't do well, it is on me.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah I want to put good people around me and employ some sound principles and processes and things but I've got to personally say no I am responsible if this animal does or doesn't sell.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_03: You bet.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_03: And and you know that goes back to that as a consigner to consignment sale you are just one of many.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_03: And and so what what ends up happening in in in a lot of consignment sales those guys that don't work their animals and don't promote them and they they sat back and let everybody else do what they ought to be doing.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of times you'll find that those those are the ones that don't get invited back the next time.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_03: Right yes so you you should be pushing your animals so you've got a place to go with them next time.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_03: And and if if you're successful in a consignment sale it builds.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_03: I mean the the buyers will start well what do they got this year?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_03: You know and and that's what you want because every year you do that and you're you're picking up more and more clientele coming in it makes your job easier marketing those animals.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_03: You're not having to beat the brush to get buyers they're they're sitting there waiting to know they're hungry wanting to know what you've got.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_03: Right right and I think that's key to consignment sale.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm absolutely no and I'd agree with you because it does you build a reputation for whatever it is you brought.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_02: If you brought junk and didn't push it and didn't do a good job presenting your well number one if you brought junk you know like you get a reputation for that's what you brought.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_02: You know and if you bring something they say hey no this this is something desirable this is something that brought good money for good reason um people yeah they do start well what did Artesian bring this year you know what I mean like I had and and that can be done but it doesn't just like you said it doesn't just happen on its own.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: And to your point I mean you talk about these consignment sales everyone's got to put that work in and if you expect somebody else to do it for you like you say you may not get a shot to do that again.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's exactly right.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: So I if you would Tim I think we'll we'll compare last year's Aki Ushi Association convention sale with this year's and maybe compare and contrast some of the differences and and some of the work we did as a committee and with you as chair of that committee to to try to make this sales year or this year's sale an improvement over over the previous iteration and and then we'll make sure we wrap up in decent times we don't both starve to death there you go as you can see I'm I'm I'm I am just skin and bones myself.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_02: Been yeah starving to death but anyway between those two sales if you look back a year ago at the Akeushi Association convention sale um I mean still still a wonderful setting in the sense a lot of good people all together still a national sale still a visible sale still a lot of hard work put in by by some good consigners and some strong sale results you know I mean I I sold an animal at 26,000 you sold one I don't remember how much is it Sister America?
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah I think 38.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah 38,000 you know so I mean I'm not as good as Tim but I tried to know but like that there was some success there were some highlights you know what I mean some strong points there but there were also a pretty good chunk of lots that that I'm sure anyone watching anyone that consigned or purchased or just watched would say well this maybe wasn't as good as it could have been.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_02: I think it was what the common consensus after after that sale well you know may maybe we could do better at on on quality of cattle, quality of sale at large sale average all these different pieces and so I remember you know just the the conversations as they evolved between last year's sale and this year's sales hey how how do we make this better?
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_02: You know and you were selected as as do you sit on the board right now with the Akeyushi association.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah I actually uh was selected to be the yeah chairman of the board this year.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_02: Oh really wonderful so well look at all the things I'm learning sitting down with you Tim yeah well that's fantastic.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah it and and it's a it's a good time for the association.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_03: We've got a lot of changes coming and and good things are happening.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_03: So I I'm excited to see what the next year you know brings about.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_02: Oh absolutely and you know and I look at it it's so it was so exciting and encouraging to me to see the last night's sales results you know and the amount of of forward momentum there was between last year and this year I feel like the quality of the cattle was better you know sale average was better and just the the feeling in that room you know what I mean that was an ex it's an exciting setting to be in when a sale is firing on all cylinders is much less exciting when everyone's saying ooh you know this this is this is soft.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: What would you say I mean as as as we all worked together there between last year and this year and again under your leadership on that committee what would you say the differences were between last year and this year in making that sale so much better?
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_03: Well I I think the biggest thing we did was the nomination process.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely yes you know we screened those cattle and uh those those cattle were selected and I think going through a nomination stage it it wasn't necessarily the cattle that didn't make the sale it was the quality of the cattle that got nominated.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm yes well people knew they had to compete just to get in.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: That's right it wasn't just a dumping ground for your it was prestigious just to get through the nominations.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yes and so so I think that was probably one of the key factors in in the change and type of sale we had.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yes uh and the quality and and then also identifying what the market was you know uh what what numbers of ages of cattle, types of cattle, bulls bull how many bulls you could think you we thought we could sell you know I think we got pretty close to that we we've got some tweaking to still do on the sure going forward.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yes yep I think we made a great improvement there.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_03: Oh absolutely made the quality better uh we looked at numbers a little harder it's how many we thought we needed to sell sure and uh we we tried to stick within that number that that uh you know you you can have a sell and try to sell too many run out of buyers and everybody starts getting tired of setting there and they get up and go to the bar and you lose them.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_03: And I I think we did a better job this year of of keeping them in their seats and and I think when we finished we probably you know there was some people there that wish we'd have had a few more.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: Sure sure which is a good problem to have that's what you want.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yep and yep and uh so I you know I I think I think there's still some twe like I said some tweaking to do but I I think uh after last night's sale everybody everybody kind of is excited for for the next one.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_02: You bet.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_02: And it's an encouraging thing to see to see things sell well.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know like you'd mentioned even going clear back to to the commercial cattle involvement you'd had you know there's a market for for the coals for the bottom end as beef.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_02: You know you you don't need to take the bottom end and run them through a national sale you don't need to take the bottom end and sell them as breeding stock period you know one of the real blessings of Akeish is a hey go make prime beef if if they're not something worth breeding that's that's a good point.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_03: And and that that's something probably needs to be touched on more is you don't really need to keep a bunch of bulls to sale when when when you can get what you can get for a feeder.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_03: Oh absolutely we didn't keep a lot of bulls to sale.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_03: Right we we ran them through the beef store and we have castrated a fleet of embryo transfer calves.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_02: All the big name sires all the big name donors I don't care if they're not a stud they don't have testicles.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_03: That's exactly right that's exactly right and it don't make sense because to keep them because if if you put the dollars down that you make off a bull actually make off of a bull right you know after you develop him and all that and then you you you write down in the other column what you can get for him selling by the by the stake.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: Uh there's not much dollar difference right there so why go through all the trouble.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_02: And uh so we you know I I I think like you said that you know there's no reason to be bringing subpar cattle to a uh elite auction like let them be a great stake instead of a subpar breeding animal right and that goes back to this breed having some abilities that maybe some of the other breeds don't have absolutely absolutely Tim if you would say looking forward for anybody that is here as a new breeder or maybe somebody considering coming next year for the first time looking forward for those new breeders and the rest of us that are here at the next five, ten and twenty years in Akiushi, where do you see the breed going and what opportunities do you see for those new people andor existing players engaging?
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_03: Well is it you know we've had a lot of events here this year uh started with the Beef Challenge which uh I think there was close to 200 people at that event.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_03: Oh well attended that was really fun yes and and you know so going forward we've got some activities more and more activities happening that I I think are involving the membership more and and our numbers are growing year after year you you've seen it there's more and more people at the convention every year.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yes and and I I I think that Akaushi is really just starting to catch catch its step.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_03: And and it it's gonna be a a fun time in the next five years to watch this breed grow.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I would urge new members to get involved with their association volunteer for committees.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_03: You know get involved it's your it it is now a nonprofit which it means the membership has an ownership.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yep and uh we want them involved in every aspect of it and uh we're just looking forward to working with the men with and for the members as we go forward.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_02: Oh absolutely well and what a unique opportunity Tim and that to to touch on again your availability as a consultant I mean to have the chairman of the board willing and able to to work with you and help you figure this out you know and that you're coming from a lifetime of experience in cattle.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_02: This isn't you're saying well you know listen to me this is the first time I've ever done it too you know I mean you you've been around you know and and and I would absolutely encourage folks to hey take advantage of your availability in that capacity and take advantage of the chance to come here to convention to to meet all the different people to serve on those committees and and to just yeah take it on and take some personal responsibility for the success of your operation whether that's marketing seed stock marketing beef bringing in a good consultant or just engaging thoroughly in the association I think there's just a lot of opportunity going forward in the breed.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yes there is and it it it like I said it's a good time to be in in the Akushi uh world where you know we're growing we're having fun uh I I think the atmosphere at the convention this year was probably as good as I've ever seen it we're not finished yet we have some exciting we have a lot of exciting things coming today announcements going to be made through the from the board on on the past year's business and some of the things we've got coming forward are going to be I I think some major stepping stones to getting us to be one of one of the breeds that everybody wants to be a part of.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_02: So love it.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_02: Love it well I'm so excited about it and look forward to continuing to work together and uh and engage in this great breed of cattle and this great association.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_02: Tim if anybody is looking to to get a hold of you as as a consultant would you share your number please one more time and folks can reach out if they'd like to work with you first.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you can call me at 97930 3808 and I'd be glad to talk with you help you any way we can love it.
• 38:49
  SPEAKER_02: I'd recommend folks take advantage of that.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_03: Well thank you.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Gotany Cows podcast.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to subscribe rate and review wherever you get your podcasts and visit us anytime at gotanycows.com