Hail Mary, Marketing and Sales Systems

by L. A 'Tony' Kovach

Having just come back from another manufactured housing industry event, some of the questions, comments and feedback from professionals like you are fresh on my mind. As an ever growing number of business owners and executives are reading us every month, some who meet me at an event will want to talk shop.

I love that, so please don't be shy the next time at a show or association function. This time around, among the more common topics was how to convert more traffic to sales, and in some cases, how to get more and better traffic. Let me answer that by starting out with two words, “Hail Mary” and it may not be what you think!

I was listening recently to Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann, former starting quarterback in both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL). It was a sort of info-mercial, with an investment guru asking Joe how often did they go out on the field and just 'wing it?' Joe clarified the question by asking, what do you mean? The investment guru says, you know, how often did you just have everyone just make a mad dash for the goal line, asking them to do their own thing? Joe's voice reflected some amusement, and he replied with words to this effect:

'Almost never. In professional sports, you have to have a plan, preparation and proper execution in order to have success. There is a reason why they call a pass a Hail Mary. If you are just winging it, that is like throwing up a prayer. You will need a miracle for that to work.'

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in for miracles and am in favor of a good prayer! But even in ancient and medieval times as today, the rule was “Ora et Labora.” Prayer and Work. You don't just wing it and pray for a miracle, you work for it too!

And that means that you have to have a system or a plan.

Without a system, by definition, you have no system! Further, the system shouldn't be just be 'anything,' it should be something that is proven, measurable and that provides you with specific results when it is properly applied.

Over the years, I have seen way too many manufactured housing sales professionals who abdicate all guidance to the prospect. They will 'answer the prospects questions.' Interesting. What if the prospect doesn't know what questions to ask? What if they are asking the wrong questions? What if they are thinking about something totally unrealistic for them, based on their own circumstances?

How can you give any sound advice if you don't have specific facts and insights to base a comment to a customer on?

By now, you get the idea. You can't handle a customer properly if you don't have the proper insights. That means that you must ask questions, ask them properly and have those questions guide you to a specific set of insights that will now allow you to guide the customer in a fashion that makes sense for them.

Or, you can pray for a miracle.

Let me state the obvious. You have to have a system to be successful in virtually anything in life. That system should have some basis in reality, something better than 'it feels good' or is comfortable to me. Certain things may feel good, but they may be slow (or fast) poison to the brain, body, etc.

There are tons of sales gurus out there, some of them in manufactured housing are on our pages, some are not. But the point is that if you aren't getting the results you want, if you aren't attracting the right traffic or enough of it, if you aren't closing all the customers that you need to be profitable, those are signals that you need to make a positive change!

We have hundreds of articles on our site for the do-it-yourselfer. Or you can accelerate your process by calling a professional. The contact information for the pros who write for us is at the end of every column.

Billions realize that prayer is good. But don't depend on a miracle, take a pro-active step. Professionals must have a system in order to be truly professional. Who says? Not just retired star quarterback Joe Theismann, but almost every professional athlete, doctor, attorney, marketing or sales professional you care to talk to...and that should be every owner or executives clue. ##

(Editor's Note: L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach is a member of MHSpeakerTrainer.org)

L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach is the publisher, marketing and sales consultant and business development director of MHMSM.com and MHProNews.com. Tony does contract marketing, sales and management, turn around and growth services for MH industry professionals and companies. We are almost ready with our new website at MHC-MD.com, your feedback is welcome. Tony's LinkedIn profile is at: linkedin.com/in/latonykovach. Contact Tony at 815-270-0500 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Tony is a popular speaker at Association and other manufactured housing Industry events.