by Linda Beem

(Editor’s intro: Linda has personally sold literally hundreds of homes, transforming what was once a large but aging, ‘war zone’ location into an appealing community in a period of just 6 years! This was accomplished during this current industry downturn. Linda and her associates’ transformation of the location has drawn positive local, regional and national coverage for Beem and her employer’s firm. In a word, what Linda does in sales WORKS. If you want to grow your sales and improve your location or community’s sales, read this and Linda’s future columns and apply her concepts!)

The manufactured home community business is unlike so many other businesses. You really need to be a creative individual, using various methods and power phrases to turn curiosity seekers into a new resident who will be happy with the systems-built home they just purchased from you! Selling the home and the MH Community concept starts with YOU.

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by Dennis Peters

(Editor’s Intro: Dennis Peter’s firm offers MH retailers and MHC community operators with an easy way to improve web based marketing. His insights in the world of MH online marketing in this article are practical and insightful!)

Internet Marketing Optimization is a term we use to describe a modern, holistic approach to acquiring new customers through the Internet. The history of the Internet is extremely short and businesses relationship to the Internet has evolved rapidly. Initially to say that you were Internet-savvy meant simply that your business had a website and one or more key employees had internet access and email accounts. Quickly, though, businesses started realizing that it was not enough to have a website. For a website to have any value, real people in the real world had to be able to find it. Having a website that nobody looked at was about as useful as having a nice billboard that faces away from the highway towards the cornfield. This realization led to the birth of the Search Engine (SE) and the practice of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

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by Sherrie Franklin

(Editor’s Intro: Sherrie’s firm does Fair Housing and other training for hundreds of firms in the multi-family and manufactured home community businesses.)

Compliance with Fair Housing laws is an issue that directly impacts the manufactured housing industry. While Fair Housing has just celebrated its 40th anniversary, every year, companies continue to pay out millions of dollars in litigation costs and fines for Fair Housing Act violations.

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by Tim Connor, CSP

(Editor’s Intro: Some 100 MH Industry firms are clients of Tim Connors, so listen carefully to what this insightful author and consultant says! Tim energizes a room with his presentations – because he gets to the heart of real issues. Tim’s books, CDs and training aren’t just on my shelf, they are read, heard and my own goal is to routinely implement them.)

For years, I have been trying to put my finger on what is the single major cause of corporate malaise, dysfunction and a general lack of enduring consistent and profitable success regardless of the economy or other external circumstances. One afternoon while I was in front of an audience explaining the causes of many of these challenges, the words Corporate Disconnect (CD) just flew out of my mouth. So what exactly is Corporate Disconnect (CD)?

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by Bob Stovall

Editor’s Intro: Bob is more than a friend and trusted colleague who happens to know TONS about internet marketing. Bob has MH investments of his own, and has successfully promoted numerous firms in the factory built, MHC and traditional real estate arenas. Read carefully, and follow this series, because this IS the future! It could dramatically change the way we market our industry’s homes, products, services and communities – for good.)

What do Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn mean to you? What do they mean to the manufactured housing industry? You've no doubt heard of them. But what do they really mean to you and your manufactured housing business?

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James J. Talerico, Jr.

(Editor’s Intro: Jim’s work has been featured in a variety of media, including MSNBC’s “Your Business.” News show. He’s done analysis and coaching with hundreds of firms - from coast to coast - with a notable track record of successes).

Genetic scientists today employ sophicated tools to examine the make-up of human DNA. Using these tools, a scientist can learn a great deal about the individual under the microscope. Similarly, small business owners have a high tech tool at their disposal to examine the “DNA” of their business, namely, “business coaching”.

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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. Organizations large and small listen to Greg’s gracious insights! If you want a professional development/training system that will truly produce lasting results, you should take a minute to see what is different about his approach. When you don’t have time to continually provide personal development material to your staff, enlist the help of someone who has been and still is in the industry.)

The “Around the Campfire” Organization
A Unique and Effective Training and Development Approach
by Greg McClanahan - President

We all want to be better, do more, and make a difference. Desire does not stand in our way of becoming better; the problem generally is a lack of time to devote to improving ourselves. We truly are busy and even though we know it is time well spent, our own self-development often takes a back seat to other demands. To inspire a student, we must be inspired. To provide excellent patient care, we must maintain a compassionate heart. To be a great leader we must be an effective communicator of our vision and know how to inspire others. In other words, in order to give our best in any endeavor, we must be our best. When we are continually growing personally, we can ‘give’ up to our potential.

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by Greg Katanick

(Editor’s Intro: Katanick’s firm offers MH retailers and MHC community operators an easy way to improve web based marketing. His insights in the world of MH online marketing in this article are practical and insightful!)

As I travel around the country educating organizations on how to fill their pipeline with prospective homebuyers and implementing a sound business process to make sure they take those prospective homebuyers through their home buying journey, it amazes me how many companies don’t have a comprehensive, targeted Internet marketing strategy to make sure their prospective homebuyers are finding them on the Internet.

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by L. A. Tony Kovach

One Vision for Metropolitan MHC Rebirth
(an MHM flashback article)

Every industry veteran knows the challenges that older ‘mobile home parks’ present our business. In a very real way, older MHPs represent a key image issue our industry faces.

Against this brief backdrop, let’s share one firm’s bold approach to transforming an older metropolitan area ‘mobile home park.’

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by Mike DuPure

(Editor’s intro: MHC industry guru George Allen was reported to have personally called Mike – asking to use these ten points noted below in an upcoming meeting. If Allen finds them insightful, then don’t let their ‘simplicity’ fool you! As every successful team knows, doing the basics correctly are critical to success. You’ll notice interesting points of convergence between Mike’s observations and Tim Connor’s Corporate Disconnect column in this same issue!)

Whenever I’m asked to tackle a project, it is always my desire to approach it with 200% optimism! We should strive to do the best and be the best for our company!

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