The fall calf run is upon us, and most everyone is looking to sell their cattle at higher prices this year. However, very few commercial ranchers have a marketing plan that goes beyond selecting the preferred sale barn and expected marketing date. Beyond that, we tend to turn it over to third-party entities that focus on marketing cattle on a daily basis.

Those who specialize on the transaction side of buying and selling do a good job for the most part. They provide an invaluable resource to the industry, helping to create more uniform load lot sizes that can be managed and marketed effectively.

As good of a job as they do, it is rarely part of their business model to help you differentiate your calves. Their role tends to be more about price discovery than value creation and capturing that value, which is the essence of every marketing plan.

While it is oversimplification, cattle marketing can be summed up as putting the right cattle with the right information in front of the right people at the right time.

The right cattle

The first step is to determine your definition of the right cattle. What will differentiate your cattle from others in the marketplace, and what are the right genetics, right weights, right marketing window, right target market, right buyer, right information and right documentation?

Let’s imagine going to a car dealership, with the goal of buying a pickup truck. The dealer shows you a lineup of trucks of all different sizes, colors, option packages and transmissions, then turns you loose with the only caveat being that the black trucks will cost more than the silver ones, which will cost more than the red ones, which will cost more than the camouflage-painted ones.

The right info

You would want to know what is under the hood. Is it a V6 or a V8? Is it diesel or gas? What is its towing capacity? Horsepower?

What type of transmission does it have? Is it the plain Jane version, or does it have leather seats, a moon roof and electric windows?

The right people

There are buyers looking for work trucks. There are others looking to haul big loads down the highway in comfort, others looking to go off-roading, others to make their neighbors envious when they pull into their driveway.

What they all need is the information to make a good buying decision, information that they trust, whether it be third-party-verified like mileage estimates or horsepower ratings, or as a result of the confidence that comes with a brand.

Removing the risk

Not every truck is right for every buyer. That is why marketing becomes so important. Of course, it is only natural that certain dealers would specialize in certain types of trucks. They would develop trust with buyers who are looking for those types of trucks; and they would be able to provide specialized knowledge, service and insight to make the purchase more enjoyable while removing the risk buyers feel.