The Masthead

Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Year’s. These are times that we gather with friends, family and associates. We celebrate, party and feast! We eat (and sometimes drink ;-) ) too much! To those distant, we send warm greetings by phone, mail, text, via Facebook, Twitter or email. FedEx and UPS certainly celebrate all the packages that reflect the love and caring that this season brings. These are for most of us bright, grand days during the seasonal darkness where we Americans live.

This is also a time for reflection.

Many companies and individuals use this time to review what has transpired in the past year. To see where they have been and what direction they have moved. To ponder and advance what has been right, and also to learn what needs to be set right that was wrong. That is an important process. Just as a star once guided the wise during the dark of night, so too there are lights that shine for us during these darker days. IF we are willing to focus on the light of wisdom and follow, then we too may find what we seek…

As part of my personal reflection, let me pause and thank you for being here. It is a privilege to serve.

It is also quite humbling to see who we have shared these pages with at MHMarketingSalesManagement.com (MHMSM.com) in this past year. We have an amazingly dedicated team of fine feature writers! They have shared with you and tens of thousands of others their time and insights on our pages and in our podcasts. The best among us understand the fact that sharing valuable time, insights and experience is a wonderful form of giving back! Many of the best are found right here. My thanks to each of you.

Warm thanks also to those who have written for the Industry Voices Guest Blog and participated in A Cup of Coffee (or Cocoa)… interviews or Industry In Focus interviews with Eric Miller.

We have a great team on the staff of MHMSM.com as well. Unless you work behind the scenes, it is not easy to imagine how much effort it takes to pull off the business daily news and information, monthly feature articles, and weekly blogs and emailed newsletters. Plus the daily business news podcasts, too! My hats off to the fine folks who make MHMSM.com possible through their daily efforts.

Let me share those names with you below.

Joe Adams

George F. Allen

Michael F. B. Barnabas

Rachel Biermann

Beth Monicatti Blank

Jason Boehlert

Chad Carr

Tim Connor

Maria Cucchiara

Congressman Joe Donnelly

Mike DuPure

Dick Ernst

Marc Faulkner

Suzanne Felber

Sue Frost

Danny Ghorbani

Doug Gorman

Nadeen Green

Jamie Hammons

J. D. Harper

Edward ‘Eddie’ Hicks

Dennis Hill

Mike Hourigan

Chrissy Jackson

Congressman Walter Jones

Joe Kelly

Ross Kinzler

Susan Knowles

Steven Lefler

Thayer Long

Bill Matchneer

William P. McCarty

Greg McClanahan

Eric Miller

Mike Moore

Shawn Mullins

Greg O’Berry

George Porter

Dan Rinzema

Kenneth Rishel

Tim Saville

Ray Schmitt

Dave Shanklin

Joanne Stevens

Kent Stichter

Bob Stovall

Congressman Bart Stupak

R. W. Thiemann

John Underwood

Heather Vela

Richard Weinert

Don Westphal

Stephen Wheeler and Marilyn Kuntemeyer

Zig Ziglar

Privacy policies – and space limitations! – prevents us from sharing the names of all those who are our readers. From associations, to government officials, to the “Mom and Pop” firms that are the backbone of this great nation, to the mid, large and giant companies of our Industry – you will find our readers and listeners.

We have all learned from others, and it is by passing along lessons learned and sound insights that society – or an Industry! – can advance. Unless we are willing to adapt and grow, change will pass us by. Thus the importance of a place like MHMSM.com – where minds come together, to share, learn, adapt and grow! Corporate and association meetings are important. So is the meeting place of the mind online or via our podcasts.

As we ponder the deeper meaning of these and other seasonal holidays, let us allow the spirit of giving and receiving well to inspire us to be our best.

You or others readers and listeners like you have shared thoughts in person, by phone or electronically. My sincere thanks for each thought shared. Many of our tips come from you. Some want to be kept anonymous, and that is honored here. In the ideal, we have an exchange, a deeper encounter than may at first be obvious. It is naturally our desire to listen as well as share back with you, and thus the reason we are all here.

No one in their right mind denies the challenges we face. But neither should we let those challenges daunt or deter us! Americans have overcome much greater challenges than we face, so we can do what needs to be done today and tomorrow.

Let us learn and apply those insights we gather from one another to improve and grow personally and corporately, and thus as an Industry.

Let us make 2011 a year for true advancement.

Let us do what it takes to make our better days ahead a reality.

There is a star that shines in the darkness of night. This is a metaphor that can inspire us if we allow it to do so. We have star power on these pages, and we have star power in you and some 35,000 others like you in various parts of this Industry. Together, we can advance and grow.

My thanks to all who visit, read, listen, write, podcast and meet in this modern fashion on our pages. My sincere thanks to you. We hope our work is our gift, symbolized by our e-card above.

Merry Christmas! Let’s catch up with each other again this weekend and we hope to meet with you again next week. # #

One year after our launch in Oct 2009, thousands of Industry pros have come to count on MHMSM.com for INdustry news and views you can use. If you are a returning reader, or a first-time visitor, welcome!  The most top writers, the most Industry news, the most readers are all right here at MHMSM.com  Our writers and readers have made us Number One, we thank you one and all!

We celebrate our 1^st Anniversary Issue by thanking YOU.
Birthdays and anniversaries are a way of marking achievement in service. This year MHI observed its 74^th Annual Meeting, George Allen’s International Networking Roundtable its 19^th and MHMSM.com our 1^st. ONE year. Each is unique, but all seek a similar purpose, to advance the cause of the Industry.

Our specific mission is Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals. ONE Industry. ONE goal: to promote the best affordable, eco-friendly, beautiful houses for the entire spectrum of homeowners: singles, couples, families, parent-care, retirees, vacation homes – you name it; we believe a manufactured or other factory built home is well-suited in any economy!

Interacting with the media to fairly and accurately present the MH Industry is a continual challenge as well as an opportunity to educate and inform. Our recent encounter with the WSJ over terminology has prompted our INdustry in Focus Reporter Eric Miller to prepare a Manufactured Home Fact Sheet for Reporters. Feel free to disseminate it whenever you are in a similar situation.

See our record-breaking line up of Feature Articles for the INdustry’s largest, most popular and highly respected trade journal. 

Featured Articles
and Reports for Vol. 2 No. 1, 2010

We launch this second year of publication with more Top-Talent professionals than ever, from A for Adams to Z for Ziglar! And we introduce two new contributors – Ross Kinzler, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Housing Alliance, and Michael F.B. Barnabas, a reader who routinely contacts us. So, here’s your big new line up…

Joe Adams – Marketing
• The Host Couple Program

George F. Allen – MH Commentary
• Five Part Market Share Recovery Program for the Manufactured Housing Industry & the Landlease Community Real Estate Asset Class!

Michael F.B. Barnabas – MH Industry Solutions
• Real Change for Manufactured Housing Results

Rachael Biermann – Website SEO
• Search Engine Optimization: 3 ways to improve your website’s rankings

Chad Carr – Internet Marketing and Sales
• Unlocking the Secrets of the Internet–Part 1: Paradigm Shifts

Tim Connor – Management
• A personal coach is a guaranteed way to achieve your MH Industry career goals, dreams and potential

Tim Connor – Sales
• Alternatives to Cold Calling – better ways to prospect for new business

Suzanne Felber – Trend Tracking
• An Image Campaign for Our Industry Needs to Start at Home

Catherine Frenzel – MHMSAM.com Resources
• What’s In It for Me? How to get more out of your MHMSM.com experience

Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• It’s Not Over ’til It’s Over

Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• To Cultivate Kindness…

Jamie Hammons – Home Ownership
• Rethinking Homeownership

Mike Hourigan – MH Business Practice
• When You Think About It: It’s The Little Things That Can Kill Your Manufactured Home Business

Chrissy Jackson – Land Lease Community Management
• Upgrading Your Community – Part VI: Improve the Infrastructure, cont’d.

Ross Kinzler – State Association Views
• Hoping for Change Doesn’t Cut It

L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – Manufactured Housing Institute Awards
• 2010 Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Awards in Denver, CO

L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – MHMSM.com Projection
• The Look Ahead for Manufactured Housing Media

Steven Lefler – Green Manufactured Homes
• Ojai Green Homes Tour

Greg McClanahan – Soft Skills and Personal Development
• A Forest of Gold

Mike Moore – Sales
• Selling Intentions, Social Media and Your Economy

George Porter – Evolution of MH Shows
• It’s All in the Way You Look at It

Kenneth Rishel – MH Industry Finance Commentary
• Is a Lack of Financing for Homes Destroying the Land Lease Communities?

Bob Stovall – MHMSM.com Reflection
• Looking Back on an Exciting Year

John Underwood – Sales
• Through the Eyes of the Customer: A “From the outside, looking in” Perspective

Heather Vela – MH Business Practice
• Organization in the MH Workplace: Using the 5S Program

Don Westphal – MH Community Planning
•Community Upgrades – A Fresh Start

Zig Ziglar – Motivation & Inspiration
• Zig On…Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down, Down World – Part 2

From our entire MHMSM.com team of writers, reporter, editing, support and more, we want to thank you for your readership, encouragment and support.  Our celebration is yours too.

The International Networking Roundtable (INR) is behind us, and we are only days away from MHI’s meeting in Denver. A few brief thoughts… and more to follow.

The Roundtable (INR) featured a number of important ‘reality check’ keynote topics:

• Randy Rowe, State of the Asset Class address, in which he outlined 5 points that need to be addressed.
• Joe Adams, who touted leaders by example in the Industry, but also candidly addressed gaps in marketing and sales skills that hold individuals, companies and thus the MHIndustry back.
• Dick Ernst, who spoke about the SAFE Act, and how that impacts our Industry, why it needs to be understood and how it must be positively addressed.
• Dr David Funk from Cornell University, who gave us compelling insights into the world of Manufactured Housing demographics, general housing trends, and what it can mean for the Industry.
• Panel discussions on financing, manufacturing and general Industry issues, along with numerous other topics and presentations.

We plan to cover all of these, photos of show homes on display, my own presentation and more in some depth in the days ahead.

The rally?

What I wanted to focus on for a few moments was George F. Allen, ably accompanied and supported with Susan McCarty, some comments he made and some take-aways and posers.

Most of the attendees I spoke with felt INR was meaty, compelling and very much worth the time and investment. Many first-time attendees were present, and about 175 total came. As many noted with/to me, that attendance is nearly double the number who came to MHI’s summer session this past July.

While others aided in the process, there is no doubt that George F. Allen (GFA) deserves major kudos for what this (and previous) INRs represent! MHC and other Industry pros from some 26 states, plus Canadians, came to Phoenix, AZ for this executive level meeting. Chairman, CEOs, execs, owners and association leaders were in attendance. This scope and depth takes significant organizational skill; it is a laudable and noteworthy accomplishment indeed!

George Allen promoted MHI and gave Thayer Long the floor to speak, proving an opportunity as well for MHI PAC to raise Funds for the upcoming election campaign season.

GFA, who has inexplicably been passed over by the national MH/RV Hall of Fame, handed out literature for that worthy cause. GFA encouraged support and a visit to their historic facility in Elkhart, IN.

George took the time to pull me aside and make suggestions, share tips and insights. This he did for many others as well.

In short, GFA was a team player and a true Industry leader, living up to the Man of the Year award he earned not so long ago.

All that said, I want to note what GFA himself said. “Only some 2% of the MHC Industry leadership was in attendance.”

GFA spoke of the tough love statements by Randy Rowe and others. Thayer mentioned that MHI now has some 331 members. While billions of dollars were represented in that room – or are represented by MHI – wouldn’t it make sense for more people to be involved in associations and functions that are geared to support our Industry at its time of great need?

More than one speaker made the point that the Industry can’t wait for the FEDs or any outside force to come in on a white horse to save our collective bacon. We as an Industry are modestly up in shipments year to date. Some companies are clearly showing signs of improvement. Those who are improving are the ones committed to success, regardless of what is coming at them! They are the ones adapting, profiting and benefiting while some avoidably may fall by the wayside.

Regular readers of the Masthead blog know I believe we need to engage the Federal and other regulators, call on Congress, rally industry members and our customers into a force to be reckoned with politically. But I agree, we can’t wait for outsiders. But neither should we abandon the lobbying efforts. We need multiple converging paths to success. As any investment counselor would say, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Too many are outside the ranks of associations. Too many don’t attend meetings like INR. Too many fail to invest in self-improvement, coaching and the like, even if they clearly need it.

Some say to me, “Why should I be in an association? I don’t agree with so and so. I don’t see how they have turned our industry around yet.” But isn’t that like watching your neighbors man the levees during a flood, and saying, “Until they have all the sand bags in place, I won’t join and help”?

Where someone sees it differently than MHI or MHARR or any other association, group or leader, he or she should say so respectfully and also explain why. Those with a different perspective should say what they propose instead, and not just criticize. They should be prepared to do what so many others do, volunteer time and talent!

The same applies to Industry publishers, including us.

I don’t mind the occasional critiques that come in from readers or their posts. I don’t mind a different point of view, especially if it is respectful and well-articulated. So long as there are no ad hominums, no profanity or slander, sound off! It makes for a better discussion!

What I do think is often lacking from nay-sayers in general is something beyond a gripe. We are not going back to the Conseco-GreenTree days. We should not want to return to worst practices, when best practices are the way to long-term sustainable success. We must care for our customers, as Randy Rowe, Dick Ernst, Joe Adams, Don Westphal and so many others at INR said.

But let’s move towards a close on the rally point. Hats off to George for pulling together such an impressive array of speakers and solid content! MH/RV Hall of Fame… are you listening?

If you aren’t already involved in positive change in association(s) and forums like INR that make it happen, please, get engaged! We need both – the new blood and new ideas, and also the wisdom that history and experience brings.

We must learn from the past, live in the present, and build for a bright future. We need more leaders willing to invest time, talent and treasure. We need more committed engagement. Working together is the path to success for any company, any team and – yes, for most industries, too.

That said, on to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) meeting in Denver, CO! # #

Odds are, you want more favorable media for manufactured housing. Chances are good you want to learn how to grow and expand your business through favorable marketing, selling more homes and/or positive change management or maybe you want access to financing. Perhaps you are looking for a new manufacturer or supplier.

These are some of the business-building elements found in this three-part blog post!

Part I.

Let’s start with the latest on the International Networking Roundtable (INR), which is coming up fast (September 15-17, 2010)…

Joe Adams, Dick Ernst, Dr David Funk, Thayer Long, Ken Rishel, Randy Rowe, INR+ 12… in short: Marketing Magic, Media and Manufactured Housing!

Paul Bradley, Evelyn Bryant, L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, Susan McCarty, Jeff Mishkin, Fred Rice, Spencer Roane, Don Westphal. These are just some of the names who will inform, inspire and help guide you to better marketing, financing, deal making and more.

I’ve had the privilege of previewing Joe Adam’s upcoming presentation on Marketing for the International Networking Roundtable (INR) to be held in Phoenix Sept 15-17th at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Let me just say, you’ll want to BE THERE! If you love his feature articles here, you will enjoy hearing the great material delivered live by Joe Adams! I will be there and I hope to see you IN PERSON at this session and others.

In fact, there is plenty of star power bringing you great information at the 19th Annual INR. If you are interested in growing your business, all who are attending this seminal event say it is a great place to be for networking and learning what’s hot and what’s not; on-site deal making, financing opportunities, model homes on display and much more are all here. From the Gala Reception, show homes on display, to the prayer meeting for Our Nation and Leaders and more!

You can check with George Allen at 877-MFD-HSNG (877-633-4764) or 317-346-7156 for a brochure, actual order of appearance of the speakers and topics and related details. George tells me the list below is the latest update – in alphabetical order by last name, with their respective topics:

1. Keynote: ‘Effective Marketing in Tough Times!’ – Joe Adams, The Housing Market Place, Inc.

2. Panel: Open Forum Discussion of MHIndustry Issues & LLCommunity Concerns – George Allen, Moderator

3. Shared Equity, Reality or Fad? – Paul Bradley, ROC-USA

4. Keynote: ‘S.A.F.E. Act &You! UNSAFE or OK?’ – Dick Ernst, FINMARK

5. Keynote: ‘Loss Control in Era of Rentals & Contract Sales’ – Evelyn Bryant

6. Keynote: ‘MH Demographics & You!’ – Dr. David Funk, Cornell University Program in Real Estate

7. How to Get 150 Sales Calls a Week On-Site! – L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management, www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com or www.MHMSM.com (Since I know the speaker, there is MORE on this topic below.)

8. National Communities Council Update – Thayer Long, MHI

9. Registration & Special Gifts – Susan McCarty, Community-Investor.com

10. Landlease Community Investors’ Forum – Jeff Mishkin, Marcus & Millichap

11. Utility Sub-Metering in 2010 & Beyond – Fred Rice, Spectrum Utilities Solutions

12. Is ‘Captive Finance’ For You? – Ken Rishel, Precision Capital Funding

13. Symposiums, Spinoffs & More… – Spencer Roane, Pentagon Properties, Inc.

14. Keynote: ‘State of the Manufactured Housing Industry’ – Randy Rowe, Green Courte Partners

15. Community Series Homes, One Year Later – Don Westphal, Donald C. Westphal Assoc.

16. Panel: Home Manufacturers & Business Development Managers!

17. NSAC Update: Why You Should Support the RV/MH Heritage Foundation!

18. Panel: Real Estate Lenders!

19. Wells Fargo, Manage America & Origen LLC will be among the other firms represented.

20. Welcome Reception, Introductions, Informal Prayer Meeting for Nation and Leaders, Breakfasts, Lunches, Toasts, Visit Home Shows, the Gala Reception and more!

21. Wrap-up Session & Open Discussion Topics for Next Year?

I had planned to attend this event even prior to my being invited to speak on Marketing Magic, Industry Image Makeovers and share a reflection at the Informal Prayer Meeting.

Part II.

In my INR presentation, I am going to talk about how to generate 150 in-bound sales calls a week to your location.

Marketing. Every business, every Industry that wants to survive and grow needs good marketing. Marketing that doesn’t cost, marketing that pays.

Good, solid ROI (Return On Investment) Marketing.

A key part of what we do at MHMSM.com is marketing. Yes, we have become the premier news source in the Factory-built housing Industry. Part of that was achieved through marketing, as well as having great content and, of course, the most news and feature articles found on any single site online.

I was asked by George Allen to give a presentation in Phoenix on Marketing, Media and Manufactured Housing. The title GFA suggested for the talk is How to Get 150 Calls a Week on Site!

• Those 150 calls a week refer to inbound sales calls FROM CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR YOU!
• Those 150 calls a week refer to prospects in the market LOOKING FOR WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER!
• Those 150 calls a week could TRANSFORM any Manufactured Housing Land Lease Community location struggling with vacancies INTO A FULL LOCATION with a waiting list!
• Those 150 calls inbound sales calls a week could be a modular or HUD Code Manufactured Housing RETAILER’S DREAM!
• Those 150 calls are not theory. THEY ARE TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW, TODAY for one of our clients. Not in boom time, but during this low ebb of the Industry.

It has long been my belief that Manufactured Housing – or most any aspect of factory home building – should never suffer due to the general ups and downs of the economy. We should be – and can be – the preeminent form of housing. The first choice instead of the last choice.

If you are looking for marketing solutions, sales solutions, a turn-around for one or more community or retail locations, business expansions or other Industry related business challenges, please give me a call. If you are looking for good PR for your company, please call.

Why should you? Please check out my LinkedIn Profile, for some of the currently 29 recommendations among my 469 connections: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach

Just two words.

GET RESULTS.

I should hasten to add, that all ‘results’ are a team effort. We are not alone. We work as a team, and that is how we would approach working with any firm or organization in the manufactured housing field. Team work that Gets Results. Specialists for many different needs. Solutions for your real world problems. Great ROI, good work doesn’t ‘cost;’ it pays.

Part III.

Getting Positive PR: Media Relations and Manufactured Housing

What do the Chicago Sun-Times, the Dallas Morning News, Nashville’s The Tennessean and about a dozen other publications from coast to coast have in common?

Answer: They have all featured news stories on their sites this year that have a favorable message for manufactured housing.

Answer: These favorable messages were all generated by MHMSM.com staff, notably our INdustry in Focus Reporter Eric Miller – or myself.

http://topics.dallasnews.com/article/0aaJfyqbtfgnQ

http://envirolib.org/news/support-urged-for-bill-aimed-at-replacing-of-older-manufactured-homes-24-7-pressrelease/

http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/blogs/industryvoices/study-suggests-cities-and-towns-should-accept-new-manufactured-housing-communities/

Research Finds Manufactured Home Community Residents Under No Greater Threat of Crime

As you know, Manufactured Housing has all too often taken it on the chin from the mainstream media publications. Part of our goal at MHMSM.com is to share favorable news about Manufactured Housing and related issues.

As a media outlet ourselves, we can influence media.

Over time, this can have a favorable benefit for you and your business.

Should you desire favorable PR or marketing for your organization, please give me a call:
847-730-3692 or cell 832-689-1729.

Should you want to see what others say, please go to my LinkedIn Profile

Where you can see 29 recommendations of my work.

Some inter-related topics today…

1

“Elephant in the room” is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_in_the_room

If you have any connection professionally with Manufactured Housing, these Elephants in the Room impact your business and your firm’s bottom line.

A number of public comments have already been posted on the subject of Elephants in the Room, here at my previous Masthead blog post – see link below – and at the MHC Group on LinkedIn. Even more comments have come in privately, via phone or messaging. The original Elephants in the Room post is linked here.

The response has been strongly in favor of the importance of the topic.

That said, for accuracy and balance, I need to mention that one executive I respect cautioned me not to appear to be ‘stirring the pot’ on this issue. I assured him that is not our goal, that the original post stated quite the opposite: I am not criticizing anyone, simply raising a topic of general interest and concern.

What I failed to mention then, but will hasten to add now, is that we at MHMSM.com have declined stories that I felt would serve no purpose to the Industry or would simply embarrass someone. We are not muckrakers or a tabloid.

Our mission at MHMSM.com is to be pro-industry, period.

Being pro-industry means we want to see the Industry move ahead and grow. So at times, that means we will look at what may be seen by some as tough or sensitive subjects. We will invite feedback on ways we can deal with those challenges.

Financing is critical for our future, and so we all need to be objective about this subject.

Public comments can be seen on LinkedIn or posted on the blog above. A sampling of the private-to-me, and no-names-mentioned comments include:

• One manufactured housing lender who said that this very issue has been a trouble spot for their operation and kept it from growing. He thanked me for bringing it up for discussion.
• A chattel lender who suggested this is a key topic, one that needs to be addressed for the benefit of the industry and its customers. This gent was keen on hearing about the repo resale experiences discussed in my first post on the topic, linked above.
• I was also told that VMF and 21st would very much like to see this successfully addressed. No one ‘wants’ to wholesale so long as they have a better option. They have a significant stake in the game, and performance for them helps everyone in MH lending, directly or indirectly.
• A chattel finance exec shared an example of a specific repo reseller he knew that he asserts had 85%-90% recovery rates on repo’d manufactured home loan balances. Compared to the losses on homes being wholesaled, that was interesting and positive news!
• That person also noted that a savvy LLC operator who does self-financing should be able to recover 100% of their money on the outstanding loan balance at the time of repossession.
• More than one lender expressed interest in my prior experiences reselling/re-marketing manufactured home repossessions, which was mentioned in the post above. Time will tell where such discussions may go.
• Other comments have come from retailers (including a multi-location retail operator), some from community pros, and others involved in the Industry at various levels.

Based on this sampling, one may surmise the importance of this subject to the manufactured housing Industry, its lenders and customers.

Please read or re-read the post linked above; understand, discuss and share your views, concerns, comments and most important, your thoughts on solutions. The future of our Industry grows brighter once the pachyderms in the parlor are shown their way out.

Teeing up on INR

2.

George F. Allen has suggested that he will use the time previously slotted for the now scrubbed MHARR and MHI discussion at Phoenix during the upcoming International Networking Roundtable Sept 15-17, 2010 for an open forum on industry issues instead. Based on the initial feedback noted above in the need to improve the exit strategies for lenders and customers, this may be considered as a topic worthy of discussion at INR.

3.

Topic three, all inter-related: Enhanced Marketing, industry image building and increased sales.

Do you want to achieve record results for your operation? Do you want to grow you sales through increased marketing? Do you believe that there ‘ought to be a way’ for the industry to enhance the image and acceptance of manufactured housing?

Then come to INR in Phoenix. Listen to what Joe Adams has to say on this subject, I know I plan to hear his thoughts! Then, toss a coin and decide if you will sit in on my friend, Don Westphal’s important topic of the community series homes, or if you will sit in on my talk on how to generate 150 new calls a week at a single location. I wish I could hear Don’s presentation, but I can’t do two different things in two different rooms at the same time.

There is plenty of star power lined up for Phoenix, starting with Randy Rowe – of Greene Courte Partners fame, State of the Asset Class address, other top presenters, round table discussions and networking/deal making opportunities. Contact George F. Allen at Phone (317) 346-7156; FAX: 346-7158 or email: gfa7156@aol.com to reserve your spot. 200 max attendance. GFA tells me he is nearing the mark! # #

L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, MHM – publisher, editor and The Masthead blogger at
Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management trade journal at
www.MHMarketingSalesManagement.com aka www.MHMSM.com
tony@mhmsm.com
847-730-3692

And remember! Tony also does contract marketing and coaching for industry clients. Marketing that doesn’t ‘cost;’ it pays off on your bottom line. Enough said! # #

Another New Record! 30,300 readers here in July 2010 know what’s right! That’s 3700+…

…more readers than July.

We have THE MOST:

• top-featured writers,
• industry news including exclusive PODCASTS of NEWS AT NOON–fast, insightful business and market reports you can benefit from every biz day. Sign up now free and enjoy.
• Plus exclusive INdustry in Focus Reports.

More great features…read all about it below.

All across the country schools and businesses are closed for vacation, while state legislatures are adjourning and federal government offices are taking a recess – BUT here in the Manufactured Housing Industry, we completed one Call to Action…

• By August 5: LET’S GO GREEN! YOUR assistance was needed to support MHI’s call to ensure that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee favorably reports the Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Act (S. 1320) sponsored by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT).

…and THERE ARE STILL TWO TO GO:

• By August 23: LET’S EXPAND EXISTING MARKETS AND OPEN NEW ONES! YOUR assistance is needed to support the On-Site Completion of Construction of Manufactured Homes published by HUD on June 23, 2010, with key clarifications and modification proposed by MHARR.
• By September 30: LET’S UTILIZE SOME AVAILABLE MONEY for Retailers! YOUR assistance is needed to contact members of Congress and ask them to support the Dealer Floor Plan Program Extension and Improvement Act of 2010. This can benefit retailers, communities and manufacturing.

THE MORE WHO RESPOND, THE GREATER OUR IMPACT WILL BE!

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The Revolution Spreads! Here’s the action one company is taking. Because the Home Idea Factory and Lifestylist® Suzanne Felber (www.LifeStylist.com) are committed to the growth and success of our industry, they took action to send out this message to their readers:

“I got the best gift in the mail the other day – a copy of The Manufactured Housing Revolution – a new book that was edited by L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach. It was really exciting to see the article I wrote, “I Only Decorate Houses I Want To Sell,” was included in the book and we had a quote on the back cover! Tony really has been helping spread the word about why factory built housing is the preferred form of construction on his www.mhmsm.com site, and putting some of the better articles from his site in book form was a great idea. You can get a copy of this at:
http://www.manufacturedhousingrevolution.com.”

You are either going to catch this wave or miss it. Show YOUR commitment! Get copies for yourself and your organization today, and join the Revolution! Spread the word!

Note: this book is also reviewed in George F. Allen’s Feature Article in this issue (see below).

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Be sure to tune in to Erin Patla’s redesigned Podcasts of the Factory-built Housing News at Noon–including Industry–specific Markets news-and well as Podcasts of our outstanding Featured Articles; Eric Miller’s ground-breaking, exclusive INdustry in Focus Reports, and your favorite industry experts and related pros who return to bring you this month’s new Featured Articles. The accent is on more green – in financing, income and energy-efficient products and practices.

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Featured Articles
and Reports for August 2010

Once again, we bring you “All the Best:” Top-Talent professionals from A for Adams to Z for Ziglar! Let’s get started with your big August line up…

Joe Adams – Marketing
• A Journey in Successful Marketing: Identifying and Correcting Ten MH Marketing Mistakes. If you think the role of marketing is to make sales – wrong. Think again.

George Allen – MH Housing Book Reviews
• New Manufactured Housing Book Reviews! Are you the first or the last to know about these must-reads?

Chad Carr – Management
• Pillar Four-Getting the Numbers Right. Do you know the ten steps you need to take to make sure you know exactly how much money you have and where it is to sustain profitable operations?

Tim Connor – Management
• Empowering Employees. Will empowering employees improve performance and increase organizational effectiveness or create stress and havoc?

Tim Connor – Sales
• Common Sales Myths. Do you know the five “truths” that actually sabotage your MH sales success?

Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• Fair Housing Is Not All Black and White. How can iguanas, “hellos” and food stamps put your MH community at risk?

Mike Hourigan – MH Business Practice
• When you think about it: A novel approach. Are you “flying the plane” of your MH business or crashing it?

Susan Knowles – MH Community Service Provider Resources
• Why Settle? Exploring your MH community’s service provider options. Feel like there is just something missing from your relationship with the cable company?

L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – MH Industry Reporting
• Builders of Mods and HUDs-Can They Get Along? Yes or no? Build up the industry or tear it down. Choose your future.

Stephen Lefler – Energy-efficient MH homes and appliances
• Plunge into the “Green” Pool. How can the manufacturing and modular home building industry surpass the conventional home builders during this economic window of opportunity in the house construction business?

Greg McClanahan – Soft Skills and Personal Development
• Everything You Do Matters. How do butterflies affect the future of the Manufactured Housing Industry?

Eric Miller – MH Industry Reporting
• Fleetwood Enterprises Liquidates, Products Live On. Is the MH Industry giant totally gone?

Eric Miller – MH Industry Reporting
• Legacy Housing, LTD Aims at Quality, Affordable Homes Sold by Independent Retailers. “This will make you proud to be an American when you see how everything comes together.”

George Porter – MH Historical Perspective
• Vanishing Americana. Are you aware of the colorful origins of the MH industry and the families that disappeared when the early homes did?

Kenneth Rishel – MH Industry Finance Commentary
• Credit Matrixes can be a Plan for Success or a Plan for Failure. What kind of credit matrix can create sustainability?

Dave Shanklin – MH Industry Financing
• California Expects More Banks to Provide Loans for Manufactured Homes in Communities. Is there evidence of new stability for the MH chattel finance industry?

Bob Stovall – Online Marketing
• Online Marketing 1-2-3, Part 2 – eMail Marketing. Knowing the “do’s and don’t's” of email marketing can make or break your business.

Don Westphal – MH Community Planning
• Going Green? Green is good – financially and ecologically.

Zig Ziglar – Motivation & Inspiration
• Zig on… Problems vs. Opportunities. What can you learn from boxing-great Gene Tunney?

If you want to grow your results, stay informed and get ahead, make us your top stop online every work day, or catch up on weekends like thousands already do!

The facts. Just simply the facts. 24,680 readers here in May 2010 can’t be wrong! We have THE MOST: top-featured writers, from Adams to Ziglar! The most industry news, including PODCASTS of NEWS AT NOON. Podcasts are already among our top accessed pages, perhaps why we are starting June 20% higher than May! More great features…

…are coming this month, with the start of our exclusive INdustry in Focus Reports.

Issue number 9 is here! The podcasts of the new feature articles will start next week! If you haven’t signed up yet for our podcasts, do it now at this link. Check it out free, and see why industry pros like you are listening to MHMSM.com podcasts while they shave, get ready, are in their car, at their desks… wherever they want to take their IPods or MP3 players!

I get pretty jazzed as I think about all that is taking place and coming up here at MHMSM.com. We will introduce you to our featured writers for June and their topics in a few moments. But let’s look each other in the virtual eye, clasp hands and understand this. We need each other. 24,680 industry pros like you are here, many logging on daily or multiple times a week! Why?

Because you find Industry News and Views You Can Use. If you care about the Factory-built housing industry, you are here, period. If you want to grow or improve, personally or professionally, there are great places to be, and this is one of them. We care – our expert writers, podcaster, reporter, editors, IT and staff care! So we are bringing ALL THE BEST to you.

Let’s review. The most:

• Top industry expert writers
• Feature writers who are industry association members
• Podcasts of featured articles
• Podcasts of factory-built housing NEWS AT NOON on each regular business day

Plus:

• The start of INdustry in Focus Reports, exclusive added insights or entirely unique stories brought to you here at MHMSM.com
• A record 24,680 readers in May, plus June starting 20%+ higher
• Podcasts, NEWS AT NOON and our sign up/registration page are now all in the top 10 pages on our busy Industry Ezine site

If you want to grow your results, stay informed and get ahead, make us your top stop online every work day, or catch up on weekends like thousands already do!

With no further ado, let’s look at our big June issue’s new featured articles.

Featured Articles
and Reports for June, 2010

Once again, we bring you “All the Best:” Top-Talent professionals from A for Adams to Z for Ziglar! Let’s get started with your big June line up…

Joe Adams – Marketing
• A Journey in Successful Marketing

Chad Carr – Management
• The Second Pillar: Getting the Deals Right

Tim Connor – Management
• Training – Investment or Cost?

Tim Connor – Sales
• Do You Have a Lost Sales Strategy?

Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• Neologisms

Edward Hicks – Financing
• Title I HUD Code Home Financing Reform?

Chrissy Jackson – Land Lease Community Management
• Upgrading Your Community – Part 3

L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – A Cup of Coffee…
• A Cup of Coffee with… Richard Weinert

L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – Post May 2010 WHA Meeting Photo Report
• Overcoming Challenges and Difficult Times

Greg McClanahan – Soft Skills and Personal Development
• Be the Change

Mike Moore – Sales
• Buyers and Sellers – A Dysfunctional Relationship

George Porter – Manufacturing
• The Future

Ken Rishel – Industry Finance Commentary
• Manufactured Housing Finance Summit

Dave Shanklin – Finance, Lending
• Mixed Signals: Are the Manufactured Home Lenders Loosening or Tightening Their Guidelines?

Bob Stovall – Online Marketing
• Squeezing Out a Lead

John Underwood – Sales
• To Train or Not to Train

Donald Westphal, ASLA – Community Corner
• Attractive Garage Additions

Zig Ziglar – Motivation
• Zig on Success: What It Is and Isn’t