I just returned from the manufactured housing show in Louisville. I was very pleased with the optimism and attitudes of both the exhibitors and attendees. Most, including myself, believe we have turned a corner and the industry is moving forward, once again.
In many of my conversations, the coming elections were a hot topic and much of what I heard got me thinking about marketing. I heard it often that the candidates have not defined themselves or that their messages were not consistent. I heard from a gentleman from Iowa that I’ve known for several years, that the recent caucuses were drastically different from 4 years ago, when he was consistently receiving calls, mailings and doorbell rings from candidates and their teams. The candidates were just not doing a good job of selling themselves was the over-riding theme.
Now, look at your business. Have you clearly defined your business? Is your message to your prospects consistent? Are you reaching out to those prospects?
Define your business. I spoke with a woman, who with her husband is opening a retail center selling mid to high range manufactured and modular homes. In her area, there is already a retail center that concentrates on the lowest priced, entry level homes. They know that their clients and products differ greatly. So, they have focused their energy on selling the higher grade construction, and real value of the homes they showcase to a different audience. They know that their display homes must be fully skirted, nicely furnished and have instant eye appeal. They’ve also produced high quality marketing materials and trained their staff to educate their prospects. She and her husband are working hard to clearly define their business in the community they live.
Consistency in Messaging. At the show I encountered several salespeople from one manufacturer, who I could tell had great training and did great pre-show prep work. Their answers to every question was carefully crafted to demonstrate their knowledge of their homes and to highlight the distinctive values within each. On top of that and maybe most importantly, each talked about their company and working for that company with a sense of great pride. No matter who a prospect spoke with, the message was consistent.
Out reach. An exhibitor I spoke with told me that he probably learned more about each of his booth visitors than they learned about his products this week. He said, “now when I get them one on one, I know a lot about their business, I know exactly what they’re looking for and how to sell them what I have.” He’ll follow up after the show with a thank you email, he’ll arrange meetings with those he’s not already scheduled some post show face to face appointments, and will extend invitations to demonstrations and new product rollouts. His purposeful and continued out reach will yield results.
If you clearly define your business, be consistent with your message and effectively and repeatedly make contact, your prospects will vote for you with their dollars. ##
post by
Jeff Templeton
Business Development and Advertising
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