MH Marketing Sales Management

by Bob Stovall

"The changes keep on changing and those good old days, you know they're gone". Never have those words written by songwriter Harry Chapin rang so true. The "good old days" have disappeared in virtually every aspect of our lives. But just as before, reflection tells us that those "good old days" may not have been so good.

Yeah, they were simpler! But they had their own perils that we have since forgotten. It's one of the blessings of human nature that most of us remember the good things and forget the bad - or at least have dimmed memories of it.

The manufactured homes business has seen it's share or problems recently and it might be tempting to lament those times in the past when business was booming - or at least better.

But longing for glory days gone by does absolutely nothing to bring about glory days yet to come. If we fail to embrace the changes that are already here or are just around the corner, we risk falling by the wayside.

For more info, read Tony Kovach's
Virtual Louisville Housing Show©
Truth, Technology, Trumpets, Timing and The Turn-around!
in this issue

One of the changes that we are seeing come to pass is the shift towards advanced technology in just about everything we do. From the harvesting of trees to make lumber, to the techniques used to build better homes, to the way we market them, ever-changing technology is our constant companion.

The only thing we can truly be sure of is that things will continue to change.

That brings me to the point of this article. In this issue of MHMarketingSalesManagement.com (MHMSM.com), we unveiled plans for the Virtual Louisville Housing Show (VLHS)©. Dedicated to the memory of the venerable winter show in Louisville, KY, this event will be a catalyst in moving our industry from yesterday to tomorrow.

I've always been a fan of the "good old days" trade shows. Visiting with friends in the industry and meeting new folks while viewing the latest offerings from manufacturers and suppliers plays very well into my "meet 'em and greet 'em" nature.

But the damage done to this industry (and many others) by the banking crisis and recession calls for a new paradigm - a new set of answers.

If the costs of shipping homes to traditional homes, paying for setup and staffing and then reversing the process in a few days have become prohibitive, how will manufacturers and suppliers introduce new models and products to their dealer network and how will they find new dealers to represent them?

One solution is to set up models on the factory grounds and have dealers and prospective dealers visit. But that is just shifting costs to the retailers. And they will have to decide who to visit and who not to visit based on their own budget limitations. How will the retailers decide whose homes they will see this year?

This is where the Virtual Louisville Housing Show© begins to make a lot of sense.

The old ways of doing business are just fading away.

Manufacturers and suppliers can create show materials at much lower cost than shipping and setting up at remote locations.

So what are some of the advantages or participating in the Virtual Louisville Housing Show© (VLHS)?

Let's name a few:

Perhaps first and foremost, MORE CUSTOMERS can come to the VLHS than will go to a live show.

No travel and accommodation costs for staff.

No shipping, extra staffing, setup and tear down costs.

At a live show, when the crowds are heavy, you will miss prospects, period. Compare that to the Virtual Louisville Housing Show© (VLHS), where you can connect with each and every prospect, first time, every time.

Better and totally consistent presentations are possible and with dramatically lower costs. With a live show, at the end of the day, exhibiters are often tired, may be under the weather, or having a bad day.

With the VLHS, you get a great professional presentation first time, every time, and it could be accessed 24/7/365 during the show days.

Once the show is over, elements of the VLHS show can be used later to drive retail traffic to participants!  That increases demand at wholesale, and the cycle of sales growth goes up.

Display elements of the show can be available even after the "official" show has ended. Compare that to the stress of a 'live' show, hurry up to set up, hurry up to talk to prospects, hurry up to take down, hope you got enough to pay for it…

Live elements of the show can be recorded for continued use by participants.

High quality video and PowerPoint presentations can be used as sales tools throughout the year following the show.

Your staff members can be set up to interact live with show visitors, but can be at the company's offices where costs are both lower and predictable.

The Virtual Louisville Housing Show© is just one beginning step in this direction. Head on over to VirtualLouisvilleHousingShow.com right now and sign up to receive more information on how your company can profit from this event.