Sacrifice is not one of those topics that garners a lot of enthusiasm. We all know the value of sacrifice, but we would prefer someone else do it.

Seedstock producers are no different. While intellectually we will talk about genetic antagonisms and concepts like selection pressure, we tend to prefer the concept that says we can be all things for all people — the idea that you can have your cake and eat it, too. That one animal can work for all management schemes, all environments and all markets.

We understand that in marketing you must sacrifice some things to gain a competitive advantage. You usually must give something up if you are going to differentiate yourself. This goes against the grain for most cattlemen.

I have always been fascinated by the game of chess. Great players are willing to sacrifice pieces to advance their overall goals. In fact, when it comes to end-game gambits, they are willing to sacrifice their most valuable asset (the queen) in order to win.

The goal of most breeding programs is to minimize the amount of sacrifice and maximize overall profits, while the aim of most marketing programs is to separate yourself from others in the marketplace.

When it comes to marketing, doing everything usually equates to doing nothing extremely well. Differentiation almost by definition is sacrificing some things. Mercedes gives up the mantra of being cheapest for quality and prestige. Ferrari gives up fuel economy for speed, etc. Starbucks and Maxwell House may both have successful coffee products, but they are serving two entirely different markets.

When it comes to animal breeding, we historically have had large market segments. Calving ease, growth, maternal, terminal and balanced trait are five categories we all recognize. A primary focus of our genetic evaluations is to identify those animals that defy genetic antagonisms, allowing for progress in two traits that typically move in opposite directions. Examples are growth and calving ease, marbling and ribeye area, or postweaning gain and mature size. The goal of most breeding programs is to minimize the amount of sacrifice and maximize overall profits, while the aim of most marketing programs is to separate yourself from others in the marketplace.

In marketing, loyalty and sacrifice tend to go together. Great accomplishments are synonymous with great sacrifice. More times than not, you can measure how much you separate yourself from the typical competitor by measuring your willingness to sacrifice. Marketing and teamwork have similarities as well. As a team member, you must demonstrate you are willing to put the collective needs of the team over your own.

Steps to successful marketing

The first step to successful marketing is understanding what your customer wants. There are two key elements:

1. Differentiation — telling your story, positioning your product, sales and promotion; and
2. The building of relationships based upon trust and integrity. Building relationships and trust arguably hold the most weight, but often they are the most neglected because they require the most sacrifice.

Marriage may be the best example we have for building and maintaining a relationship. Everyone understands a marriage requires sacrifice — willingness to put another’s best interests over your own. Many marketing relationships have fallen apart when sacrifice was required. And the need for sacrifice is inevitable. Even the best of win-win relationships are rarely win-win all of the time. At different times, one side tends to benefit more than the other.

Sacrifice is a good thing. It is a testament to one’s commitment to a noble cause. Sacrifice inspires perseverance and stimulates innovation. The one thing that servant leaders, war heroes, true friends, lasting relationships and those who achieve greatness in a specific area have in common is sacrifice.

Intuitively, we understand that sacrifice is a prerequisite for effective marketing, but that doesn’t make it any easier. The ironic thing is, I rarely find someone who resents the sacrifices they have made. In fact, I only find resentment if they were sacrificing for something they didn’t believe in or for a goal that they weren’t committed to achieving. Otherwise, I think Zig Ziglar had it right: “You don’t pay the price for success; you enjoy the price.”

Ranchers are like mothers. They instinctively understand the value of sacrifice. However, when it comes to marketing, we have a tendency to want to be all things for all people. The biggest sacrifice in marketing may be a desire to avoid sacrifice in the first place.

Editor’s note: Troy Marshall is director of commercial industry relations for the American Angus Association. [Lead photo by Paige Nelson.]