> What short 1 question, or 2-3 questions, ought we ask of someone we phone 
> or write for bees, in order to promote this health advantage? (And what 
> ought the answer(s) be?

Well, confrontation will not help, so the trick is to keep it friendly and 
conversational.  Also, if you look influential or likely to be a big repeat 
customer, you are more likely to have an effect.  Frankly, the answers are 
not as important as bringing up the subject repeatedly in a non-threatening 
way.  You are usually going to hear some fiction, intentional or not, so 
don't sweat it.  What counts is that you brought the issue forward.  When I 
was qualifying as a ski instructor, I my instructor would stop on the hill 
and say, "Don't think of a pink elephant", and then smile and look us in the 
eye, then say, "What are you thinking about?  The lesson was not to mention 
negatives when teaching, but to emphasize the correct answers in a clear, 
easy-to-imagine manner.  Whatever is discussed is visualized and whatever is 
visualized becomes closer.

So, for a new prospective supplier, something like I (my bee club, our 
10,000 hive operation.. or whatever...) am/are looking for 
(reconsidering...) our supplier of queens for the coming year.
 We hear that there are some pretty good stocks out there that combine good 
production, (blah, blah) with fairly good resistance to mites, such that 
they don't need much treatment and sometimes none.  How are your queens 
stacking up?  Oh, really, that's great!  How do you achieve this?  Do test 
for x, y, z?  How consistent is the stock?  (etc.)

For an existing supplier: Hi we're thinking of ordering some queens again 
this year.  How are supplies?  Last year we experienced (whatever...).  Did 
others see this too?  That is good (not good).  Are you making any changes? 
Incorporating any new features?  We are hearing that ...



 

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