by Linda Beem

(Editor's intro: as we learned from her Oct 09 column, Linda Beem personally closed over 360 sales in 6 years in a once 'challenged' community environment she and her team mates transformed into an appealing location. So follow her closely, because Beem will light the path to enhanced sales success!)

Many of us sales professionals yearn to be the best! We all want things to flow smoothly. We want to write up new business! But we learn early – and often - in our sales careers that selling is no easy task. When you're selling manufactured homes for a living - which due to image, finance and other issues is hovering at only some 4-5% of the new housing market share – the task becomes even more challenging.

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by L. A. "Tony" Kovach

For a number of years, at the top of my fax cover sheet I had two mottos posted:

• "Oh how rich I would be if only I could have everyone's wasted time."
  
  
• "No matter who you are – we all have the same amount of time in a day."

These statements are telling! Speaking of telling, if we were 'telling' the truth, there is a lot of time wasted these days by some manufactured home sales people! I sincerely hope that doesn't include YOU.

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by Greg McClanahan

(Editor's intro: Greg has used the right words with 150 manufactured home retailers and served firms such as Fleetwood Homes, Sam's Club, Conoco Philips, and with thousands of retail clients over the years in manufactured home retailing.)

Great leaders who have devoted themselves to continual learning and personal growth are more equipped to be able to say the right words at the right time. Those words may inspire your staff to improved productivity, encourage others to get behind a new company initiative, promote a desire for personal excellence, or maybe give confidence to a colleague experiencing a personal challenge.

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by Susan Frost

(Editor's Intro: Sue is one of those motivated, new believers in and voices for our Industry! A thought-provoking read! Sue will also moderate our Finance Forum.)

At the onset of the banking industry meltdown, implode websites and industry news left us in shock and awe over bank failures and the gradual fall of giant conglomerates. Then the months passed and pointing fingers and peering critics jumped into the blame game as analysts supported theories and projections. Now the regulatory environment has mortgage brokers and lenders in the spotlight as underwriting guidelines still retract back to a common sense era of mortgage lending.

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by Rachael Biermann

(Editor's intro: if a picture is worth a thousand words, then make them good ones, using Rachael's tips!)

The photography in your advertisements and on your Web site can make a huge difference in how your product or service is perceived by the public. Your photos should mirror what your business offers and should represent you in the best light. Consumers make a direct connection with the photos your company releases and the product or service itself. In most cases, it would be better to have no photos than photos with dates in the bottom right hand corner, improper angles and use of space, and unnecessary objects and clutter in sight. Consider these simple tips when taking home photos:

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by Bob Stovall

(Editor's Intro: having teamed with Bob on numerous high ROI projects - let me say 6 words: read the article, then call Bob!)

Here are some important numbers that Manufactured Housing manufacturers, dealers and community owners and suppliers need to know when they are addressing their online marketing needs.

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(Editor's Intro: For those who missed his column last month, Jim's work has been featured in a variety of print and electronic media, including MSNBC's "Your Business." TV news. For those looking for growth and improved ROI, this is a fast paced, thought provoking read.)

For many, the idea of changing carries with it an admission of incompleteness and a lack of knowledge. So, why would some feel the need to turn to a business coach ? The differentiator -- in my opinion -- among well educated, experienced business people is, without question, one's outlook.

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by Douglas D. Chasick, CPM, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP

Regardless of how many computers you have in your office, when it comes to leasing or sales, your telephone is still the most important tool you have. Unfortunately, from what I've seen and heard, we don't use them as effectively as we could.

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by Joe Summers

(Editor's Intro: Joe will show you how to take the guess work out of marketing results!)

Businesses spend thousands of dollars to make their phones ring. Yet, traditional call-measurement methods are often subjective and typically unreliable. This is where call tracking comes in. Call tracking solutions enable companies to, accurately and objectively, measure return on investment (ROI) for almost any form of marketing, and determine how effectively their sales personnel respond to the leads.

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by Greg McClanahan

(Editor's intro: Greg has coached some 150 manufactured home retailers and served firms such as Fleetwood Homes, Sam's Club, Conoco Philips and others with his success strategies, soft skills insights and training programs.)

Leadership is needed today more than ever before as organizations must proactively address and respond to changing market conditions.  To sell is to lead or influence a course of action. Good management ideally means good leadership. The key word in this definition is lead. Leadership is required in every area of our life.

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by Faith Barr

(Editor's intro - Faith is the fun, new 'Ann Landers' of the Manufactured Housing Industry.)

The manufactured home community industry has long had its property managers, area managers, sales managers, operations managers and others to lead their firms to Profit, Occupancy and Sanity (from what would otherwise be chaos!). These unsung heroes are often working mothers.

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by Tim Saville

(Editor's Intro: We asked Tim to give us a snapshot of the process his firm went through to become a "green" supplier, 3.5 years before green became a common term in the market place. Interesting insights await you!)

When we moved into our new facility in 2004, who knew that one of the worst economic downturns would be lurking on the horizon, or that in a twist of fate, and yet incredibly well-timed, California would become a leader in green, sustainable policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. We were being squeezed, but also presented with some interesting opportunities as more and more home builders began taking green seriously.

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by Tom Zagorski

(Editor's Intro: Zagorski's agency has developed money saving options for hundreds of MH retail customers - even on leased home sites - that can help you close more sales.)

Anyone familiar with today's Manufactured Homes knows that you have a product that rivals conventional housing in many positive ways. You get a client in the door, they are dazzled by the product and they start to discuss the details with you - that glorious buying signal! When you get to the discussion of home owners coverage, they may be startled at the much higher rate that some firms charge MH home owners than they do conventional housing. On a tight budget or because of the shock of the premium difference - questions or issues may arise that can cost you what would otherwise be a sale.

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Interview by Tony Kovach

Part of the Klarchek vision for revitalizing Capital First Realty's Sterling Estates location was to make a bold visual statement at the entrance with this stunning, multi-million dollar cluhbouse, stone fencing, gated entry and guard house.

"When the increasing vacancy issue hit us like it did most of the Manufactured Housing Community Industry - earlier this decade, we gathered our senior people together to discuss a new strategy." began Richard J. "Dick" Klarchek. "With many of our properties in metropolitan areas - which naturally means higher site fees than more rural communities - we realized we had to offer something more upscale if we were going to keep these (properties) as Manufactured Housing Communities. Because we believe in the affordable quality lifestyles manufactured housing provides, we didn't want to go the route of turning older 'mobile home parks' into some big box store location."

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by Michael DuPure

(Editor's Intro: Mike's high volume sales performance has worked in both the retail and community based sales operations. We're pleased to have him back from last month, if you want to enhance your sales and missed his previous articles, check it out in our archives!)

Companies and trainers talk about good referral business, and try to keep the sales team aware of the fact that word of mouth is some of the best advertising. By all accounts it most definitely is valuable! On the home retailing side of the MH Community business, the most obvious referral is of course one's present residents. Through the years, I've seen that good internal Customer Service is important - and in the electronic age today - it is essential. But there is another source of referral business that is often overlooked…

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by Beth Monicatti Blank

(Editor's Intro: Beth and her team's work help MH firms stand out in the marketplace; learn from her tips on how to make YOUR firm stand out too!)

Building a solid brand is one of the best investments your company can make. Without brand consistency, your business loses the credibility it deserves. Potential customers may think your company may not have been in business very long or worse, that you're an unstable company to do business with.

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by Tim Connor

(Editor's Intro: Tim has addressed thousands of manufactured housing professionals and serves some 100 industry firms - read and learn what this internationally respected pro has to share with you this month!)

There are only three ways to sell more. Do more right. Do less wrong. Or, do both. Every successful housing salesperson knows that there are many skills and attitudes that contribute to their success, but there are twelve critical attributes that the sales super stars have integrated into their overall sales strategy. The following are in no particular order, but if you want long-term consistent success you will embrace and incorporate each of them into your routine sales attitudes and behaviors.

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by Jamie Hammon, GHMA

(Editor's Intro: this delightful and insightful article is by the President of the GMHA)

Those of you older than 50 may remember back when Miller Lite first started airing television commercials. One of their first ads featured a little-known baseball player named "Marvelous" Marv Throneberry, whose nickname was a sarcastic reference to his less-than-stellar defensive skills for the fledgling New York Mets in the early '60's. At the end of the ad, Marvelous Marv looked right into the camera, shook his head, and said, "I still don't know why they asked me to do this commercial." That ad was one of the first things that came to mind when Tony asked me to write an article about the value of associations like ours.

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“I’m Madder then Hell, and I’m not going to take it any more!” For the movie buffs out there, you may recall the memorable scene in the 1976 satirical movie, NETWORK.

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