The Masthead

When you get a lot of e-comments and calls on an article, it makes a writer think he has hit an important theme.  There is no easy way to capture all of the comments on our last column:

Can MHI and MHARR Join Hands on Dodd-Frank for Manufactured Housing’s Future?

But let’s provide a representative sampling of what Industry Leaders and Readers are saying about the article linked above.

Most of these emailed messages start with my name, but I will use that only in the first one to save space and time.  We are leaving most typos in, unless there is a character ‘gremlin’ which needs to be modified to reflect the writer’s intended word.  I’ve edit out obvious tip-offs or give-aways of the writer’s identity as well.

Let’s begin:

Tony

I applaud you for taking this public stand. You’re saying what just about everyone in the MHBusiness is thinking, and saying privately these days. And as far as that goes, Good for You!

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Congratulations on what may be your best work yet! You have accurately
summarized the chasms that exist between our industry associations, MHI & MHARR.

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…a ‘next step’ in this challenge, i.e. Good News! MHI & MHARR have worked together ‘in our behalf’ in the past, so precedent is present! “Hey you two, are you listening? We expect you to do so again - NOW!”

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Back to MHI/MHARR: True, the two entities have come together for initiatives in the past (MH Improvement Act of 2000 for instance), but while their intentions are purportedly the same, they have gone about furthering those intentions in drastically different ways.

True, you can catch more flies with honey, but there should be a point of ‘enough is enough.’ I don¹t agree with Danny¹s broadside blasting style in every instance, but in his defense, he¹s been watching HUD running pretty much how they want to, disregarding the law (MHIA 2000), while the ‘get along’ guys seemingly just wants no one to get their feelings hurt.

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I will begin by stating that I am a strong supporter of MHI and I am convinced that for the good of the industry and our deserving customers, this smoldering feud must STOP!  For the past decade, I have seen opportunities for industry unity vanish as a result of the egotistic attitude some of its leaders.

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Manufacturers, retailers, community owners, financial institutions and our customers are all in the same boat. Will we be paddling together toward a better future or separately bailing our individual boats to keep them from sinking?

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It is clear to me, that since my initial involvement with m/h in…that legislative advocacy between the manufacturing and sales of new homes and the needs of existing communities are as different as ever.  The creation of two National legislative advocacy organizations to support these two divergent interests could result in the most efficient application of resources for each separate industry interests.  Problem is: how to provide financing for both. With most of the financial responsibility currently being provided by manufacturers and related suppliers, will communities and their related support services be able to provide for a separate organization?

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It is unfortunate that MHARR can’t cooperate with MHI for the betterment of the industry.  In my experience, though, cooperation in simply not in MHARR’s vocabulary.

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Years ago, I watched a movie entitled Young Frankenstein. Gene Wilder played a young neurosurgeon Dr. Victor von Frankenstein.  He re-animates a lifeless body, but mistakenly transplanted an abnormal brain into it.  The huge, powerful ‘monster’ becomes a danger.  So Dr. Frankenstein does a ‘transfusion’ between the two of them to calm the monster.  Sometimes I think we need a ‘transfusion’ between Danny and Thayer, to balance each one for the betterment of our Industry.

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…the writing deserved the recognition…

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What we could accomplish by combining revenues and resources would probably amaze all of us.

Has this ever been pursued. ??

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This is a sampling of the emailed comments on this topic.  There have been posted comments, and statements posted on LinkedIn relative to this subject as well.  Phone calls have been overwhelmingly supportive of the article:

Can MHI and MHARR Join Hands on Dodd-Frank for Manufactured Housing’s Future?

So can we encourage MHARR and MHI leaders to cooperate together for the betterment of all on Dodd-Frank and other key Industry issues?

Can each association support the other in key areas?

Can there be peace and cooperation between these Industry voices?

What say you?  Your posted or emailed comments are encouraged and appreicated. # #

Editor’s Note: Besides our ‘always new’ Daily Business News , we have three new Industry Voices Guest Blog posts on these topics; each worthy of your attention and comments!

• Saving Chattel Lending by Marty Lavin
• Matthew Silver’s Interview with SC Association Executive Director Mark Dillard
• Thayer Long on IBISWorld

One of the advantages of publishing an electronic trade journal like www.MHMSM.com (aka www.MHProNews.com) is that over time, you built a list of experts as go-to resources on key topics.  Some experts are writing columns for us monthly or periodically.  Some you can see on my LinkedIn profile, but other experts and professionals are entirely invisible, behind the scenes.

All of these expert resources, seen and unseen, bring value to you, our Industry readers.  You – our readers and experts – bring value to us, too. This is a symbiotic relationship that has considerable power and benefits all involved.

When you see a blog post or a news article on a topic such as Dodd-Frank Reality Check: What is its true impact on Manufactured Housing, I can go to a variety of resources for input.  Once published, readers and other experts will ask questions or share comments that can make for interesting ongoing dialogue and further our mutual understanding.  That in turn extends the benefits to readers and industry professionals.

Some examples of questions or comments from readers and experts will help make the point:

Question:

Will Dodd-Frank impact all manufactured housing loans?

Answer.

Not directly.  Dodd-Frank (DF) has certain triggers that will cause its regulations to apply.  Those triggers include:

• high cost loans,
• high risk loans and
• so-called exotic loans.

Question:

What if my chattel (personal property) lender does loans that not do have any of these triggers under Dodd-Frank?  Is there still an impact on their lending?

Answer:

Yes.  There are compliance costs to Dodd-Frank, as would also be true with the SAFE Act.  There are indirect impacts such as access to capital and higher capital costs.  Your lender may need to hit certain loan volume numbers in order to be profitable.

These are just some of the indirect impacts, even if your lender has no DF triggers.

One lender has told me privately that it is almost as if lenders are being treated by regulators today as an enemy.  The word is that it is getting harder and harder to make a profit.

Without profit, capital flees to where it will get a better return.

I’ll bet if I asked that question privately – are lenders being treated like an enemy by some regulations? - I’d not be surprised if many if not all in manufactured housing industry personal property lending would answer that with a resounding ‘yes.’

What is ironic is that the very regulations designed to protect consumers are going to cost consumers access to financing they had prior to such laws as Dodd-Frank or the SAFE Act.

In a number of cases, retailers and community operators would make loans to customers, perhaps through a captive finance (sister company, like GMAC is to GM) operation.  But if the cost of doing business or the risk of heavy fines becomes too great, then those lenders and their loans will tend to disappear.

Even a manufactured homeowner with good credit will be impacted by Dodd-Frank.  Consider this example.

Picture an MH owner that had A credit, and wanted to sell.  What if they had a buyer with sufficient down payment, but the buyer had a 600 credit score?   Under Dodd-Frank if not amended, that sale will not likely happen.

Who loses in the scenario above?

Arguably, everyone.  The current home owner can’t sell.  The would-be buyer can’t purchase.  The lender who would make the loan can’t do the deal.  Even an MHC owner indirectly suffers, as frustration grows when a resident wants to sell and can’t.

We must look at this issue from all perspectives, including the consumer’s viewpoint.

Yes, we can argue that Dodd-Frank will hurt our business and it will hurt home owners.

But what brought about the laws in the first place?  Why did lawmakers pass these laws?  Didn’t they have good intentions?

Let me share some thoughts that have come my way from multiple sources.

SAFE and DF were in born in part from the stated goal for ‘consumer protection.’  If MH professionals (and others who do lending) were not seen by some as ‘the enemy,’ if we were seen instead as a friend to consumers, would modifying Dodd-Frank be as difficult?

Would Dodd-Frank even exist?

The power of manufactured housing lies largely untapped today.

Manufactured homes can serve mid to upscale residential style customers.  We are also uniquely able to serve a housing price point no other type of permanent housing construction can achieve.  We are greener, safer, more energy efficient than similar sized conventional construction.  It has been proven time and again.

We can make a great case for a properly run land-lease community too.  Prospective home owners opt-in to a lifestyle that improves the quality of their life at a reduced cost of living.  One can make the case that a well run land-lease (MHC) community saves tax payers dollars.

So why do we have an image issue?

In some cases, unhappy residents.  In other cases, the endless repetition by the mainstream media of old, outdated facts or outright myths.

This is why an image/PR/marketing campaign is so important.  In every puzzle, one piece is as important as the others.

We talk about associations existing to protect and promote manufactured housing.  We need to be as involved in promotion as we are in protection!

As some have commented, we do not need to wait for an industry-wide image campaign, as nice as that might be.

Your business can do its own image campaign, as we have done for clients from border to border for many years.  These image/marketing/PR efforts can be low cost, and high impact when properly conceived and executed.  Done right, they are profitable and result in happy home owners.

The kind of home owners you could count on to contact a legislator when you need them.

One reason we have so many regulatory issues is that MH consumers are often not our ‘Raving Fans.’  They can be!  They should be!

We have the power to align our business interests with that of our customers.  We can reduce or erase existing tension where it exists. This is not theory; this is experience talking, mine or that of others.

When we have happy customers or residents, we have referrals.  That is the best kind of marketing you can get.

I often use the example of Apple to make the point.  I love my iPhone.  I am drafting this blog on my iPad.  Millions love Apple products, from iPods to Macs and more.  Why can’t we get the same type of enthusiasm for our homes and communities as Apple gets for its products?

The answer is, we can.  We have personally seen ‘angry’ residents turn into allies and promoters, if, If, IF they are properly respected and dealt with professionally!

Do not over promise.

Do not under deliver.

Do what you say you will do.  You do not have to do more, but do not do less.

Taking care of the customer, having happy customers – that is the first rule of good business.

If you need a hand at creating happy customers or more business, ask an expert.  We have plenty writing on our pages.  If you do not know who to call, please call me – perhaps I can point you in the right direction.

We are all in this together.

One thing is certain.  As we said in the last blog post, the clock is ticking.  We need to act as rapidly as possible.  Speaking for myself, I’m planning on meetings in tandem with other industry pros with legislators on key committees.

How about you? Please share your action plan.  You can share it publicly by posting on our comments, or privately by emailing me at tony@mhmsm.com.  Thanks for being part of the solution!  # #

The Business Insider headline “Don’t Show this to Warren Buffett…” was just one of many private or public messages that came into my email in the days following the IBISWorld Report that forecast the manufactured housing dealer as a ‘dying industry.’  Many calls came in on this and related topics in recent days as well.  Is this report and our latest drop in shipments on manufactured housing industry professionals’ minds?

You bet.

Last week, Thayer Long sent a message to manufactured housing state execs and the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Board of Directors with a copy of Paul Bradley’s insightful IBIS Report analysis.

Retailer Doug Gorman and manufacturer Otis Orsburn have also sounded off on this manufactured home news topic on our Industry Voices Guest Blog.

Off our site, George Allen and commentary on LinkedIn is ongoing regarding the causes of the Industry’s downturn and what manufactured housing Industry professionals plan to do about it.

We will bring you a story soon with exclusive quotes from Thayer Long at MHI and Danny Ghorbani from MHARR (Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform) on this topic of IBIS and the latest drops in Industry sales levels.

For the moment, let me echo a statement made by one leader who said that we believe in the future of our Industry.  MHMSM.com believes in the future of this industry, too!

We also believe ignoring the facts can be done only at our own peril.

It is at least as important to work for pro-growth efforts to

promote our Industry as it is to

defend the Industry from legislative issues such as the

SAFE Act or Dodd-Frank.

In fact, arguably, the pro-growth efforts can help fund efforts such as getting needed change with respect to SAFE or Dodd-Frank.  Our great nation repealed slavery and prohibition; surely we can pull together enough to get a regulatory climate that fosters business and job growth while protecting consumers.

The IBISWorld report puts the media’s role regarding our Industry on center stage.  IBISWorld has successfully used the media to cast more doubt over manufactured housing.  This poses two questions:

1.    How can we get more favorable media coverage for manufactured housing?

2.    How can we get the media to use proper terminology that doesn’t sound like a put down every time they report on our Industry?

These will be some of the topics covered in the Engaging the Media panel discussion in Las Vegas on April 28th.   For those going to MHI’s Congress in Vegas, we hope you will plan to attend this crucial topic of “Engaging the Media” – because it impacts every business in our Industry multiple times a year.  We may also present that topic in Tulsa the following day.

For you and your area, the lessons from Engaging the Media could be a nascent precursor to a national image and educational effort for the manufactured housing industry.  Private companies and associations can work together to engage the media to successfully advance the Industry’s image and thus manufactured home sales results.

Thayer Long is correct in saying that attendance and factory orders from shows at Louisville, Tunica and sign-ups for the Congress, PMHA’s HOMExpo 2011 in York PA and the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa OK are all positive signs.

Information I’ve seen indicates that the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show registration is running well ahead of last year.  Attendance was good at Louisville and Tunica, and is expected to be good for HOMExpo 2011 in York PA as well.

After a long night, any sign of dawn’s first light is anxiously awaited.  That is human nature.  We want to see positive signs where we can find them.

But unlike dawn or the seasons, business results can be influenced!

Sales results can be measured – but also increased – through sound analysis, planning and follow through.  Shows and educational efforts are tools to boost business that we believe in.

What is critical is that we not get bogged down in politics or bickering that fails to advance our personal, professional, business or broader Industry advancement and growth.

Every manager or executive is held accountable for RESULTS.  Should we not hold ourselves and others accountable as well for getting results?

George Allen and Doug Gorman come from different parts of the MH Industry world.  Each has won their share of awards, and each has professionals who cheer for their positive efforts.  Entirely unbeknownst to each other, Doug and George decided this weekend to include in their writings musing about ‘conspiracy theories’ regarding the Industry’s downturn.  Each has a different take, George on his Community-Investor Blog and Doug on our Industry Voices Guest Blog.

Quoting in part from George’s Blog post earlier today:

“It’s the well known but embarrassing phenomenon of self – immolation (Webster: as in ‘killing oneself – or industry – as a sacrificial victim’). In the case of manufactured housing, this self – defeating state of affairs is characterized by ‘resistance to change’ (e.g. Like automobile plants, we count our ‘shipments’, not homes ‘sold’, & cling to vestigial trade lingo like it’s Biblical writ); greed (e.g. Think, ‘Bigger boxes = bigger bucks!’); and, frequent lack of product (installation) responsibility (warranty) once the house leaves the factory (e.g. Remember ‘DAR’? It’s the industry’s continuing mantra, in some circles, as in ‘Drop (that house) And Run!’).

“And there’s more. How ‘bout cyclic short term abuses of chattel and realty finance sources, followed by reaping self – sacrificial long term consequences of going without (e.g. Only 50,000+/- new HUD Code homes ‘shipped’ during years 2008, 2009 & 2010)?

“Of course, there’s also the perennial, not – so – private, lobbying – defeating, internecine squabbling between our national advocacy trade bodies inside the Washington, DC beltway. Will it ever end?

“Plus, landlease (nee manufactured home) communities are not without blame! Too many still deserve to be viewed as nothing more than ‘trailer parks’, awash with negative societal mores and perpetuating a very poor public image of an otherwise desirable, affordable lifestyle.  And in the same breath, do we dare mention the nefarious (in some eyes) or business risk – mitigating (in other eyes) practice of ‘churning’ our (property owner) self – financed homeowner/rental homesite lessees? And the list goes on….

“Is there a solution? I believe there is. But we need a charismatic, respected, well known, successful businessman or woman leader, to step forth and publicly announce, ‘The HUD Code manufactured housing industry is at an impasse! And if we’re to move forward together, and profitably, during the next decade, we’ve simply got to Get Our Act Together, the sooner the better!’”

(Editor’s Note: The wording quoted above is copied verbatim from GFA’s blog,  but paragraph spacing and bold emphasis are ours).

Let’s sum up.

Here are our links to the IBIS related stories and blog posts on our site:

• Paul Bradley
• Doug Gorman
• Otis Orsburn
• Daily Industry Business News
• our download on the IBIS report

Industries are made up of thousands of businesses and professionals.  The presence of big players in our Industry is a good reason for us to continue to believe in our Industry.  The presence of far more ‘mom and pop’ independents who are hanging in and working hard to effect their own turn around are good reasons to believe that we can individually respond to local trends and opportunities. But we do have to be willing to change and adapt to the times.  Failure to change and adapt in positive ways will mean that more retailers, communities, manufacturers and others fall by the wayside.

Business Insider’s “Don’t Show this to Warren Buffett…”? Come on.  IBISWorld Report? Come on.  They may get some attention and headlines.  But do not let those self-serving naysayers get you down.

If we don’t get stuck in a rut, we can move ahead.  Ideas like Randy Rowe’s 5 Point Program for the Industry’s turn around are important concepts for us to consider.

Let’s sum up:

• Educational efforts (inside and outside) our industry are of value.  Association and other events and shows can be a very useful part of this process.
• MHAO‘s and PMHA‘s promotional efforts such as their public days in their respective home shows are useful tools to show the public at large that today’s manufactured homes are a quality, safe, durable energy saving home value, with the ability to attract both ‘entry level’ and ‘upscale’ home customers.
• There is a need to boost business and our public perception.  Some of this can come through Engaging the Media.  if you are planning to be in Las Vegas for MHI’s Congress,  please plan on attending this workshop and panel discussion.
• There should be accountability for results.

The bottom line?

We need to be willing to change where and as needed, or risk becoming the dinosaurs that the IBISWorld Report predicts we will become. Let’s make the IBISWorld Report and dropping industry shipment numbers the wake up call to change what and as needed. # #

This may sound for a few moments to be about me, but really the example that follows is more about your neighbor down the street, across town or across the country.  So please hang with me, as this is about our Industry and your role and future in this business.

If you read some of the LinkedIn recommendations on my profile, you might gain a different perspective than you would from the woman whom I won’t name, but will use as an example in this true story.

The woman I am thinking about was professionally gifted.  She worked with me some years back.  She was good at her job. She seemed to truly like it. She wanted more pay and some other things, but who doesn’t?  Now the professional challenge was that this woman, who reported to me at the time, hated my guts. She was sweet as pie with others; but with me, it was daggers and venom.

Why?

She told me early on, that I reminded her of an ex-husband who was abusive.  As I listened to her express the horrors of her abusive former mate, it was easy to feel and see her genuine pain.  The problem, for me at least, was that I wasn’t this other guy. I had no interest in anything more than a good working relationship with this woman on behalf of the firm we worked for then. But every time she was around me, she wanted to take out on me this hatred and fear she had for this other fellow, whom I never knew or met.

Now, translate this sort of scenario and think about manufactured housing.

How many people do you know or have met who don’t have a clue as to what our homes are like and the good that our Industry can do?  How many people have pigeonholed manufactured homes the same way that woman from years ago pigeonholed me?

How many people have wrongfully pigeonholed you or someone you know?

Some people pick up The Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, their local newspaper or favorite news outlet daily.  They think nothing of it, it is a habit. It may even be a good one if, for example, they are learning something of value from the news and are applying it.

Tens of thousands of very bright people – like you – are here reading MHMSM.com twice weekly, or even daily to learn what is going on in our manufactured housing Daily Business News and Market Report.  Others log on to our association news, or visit the events section, or are following the blogs by Bob Stovall, Tim Connor or Industry Voices, etc.  Some are in the modular or prefab business, and our Daily Business News and News at Noon Podcasts carry more of that news, or HUD Code manufactured housing news, than anyone else.

While a record of over 37,000 logged on in January 2011, others have not yet learned about us, or have pigeonholed MHMSM.com.  Maybe they came once, saw a name of a writer they didn’t care for, and that was it.  Hello?  They then tuned out the most robust news, tips and views source available today in the factory built housing media.  This is what our writer Tim Connor calls “filters” and “blind spots.” We all have filters, to include – or exclude – potentially useful Information.  If we don’t clean our filters, then we can filter out something useful.

Type cast.  Pigeonholed.  People do this all the time; we all do it, but should we?  We want people to want our home products and they should.  We all want a fair hearing for ourselves and for our homes!  Yet I’ve met employees of firms in our industry who can be as negative about our home product as that woman mentioned above was negative about me.

We have to learn to get past the filters, our own or that of others, in order for us to reach the 85% of the home buying market who tune us out!

We have to be willing to deal with others effectively.  We have good reasons to treat others the way we want to be treated.  Every month, our featured writer Greg McClanahan writes an often touching and inspired article on soft skills.  Why?  Because we all need them.  I know I do!  If our employees or co-workers have those soft skills, our Industry would be light years ahead of where we are today.  Every featured author is on our pages for a good reason.  They offer insights and value.

We have all been on both sides of this equation: we have been misjudged or misunderstood by others.  We have also been guilty of misunderstanding or misjudging others.  This means we have the perfect reason to understand why people misunderstand our homes, or our profession!  We have all been there, done that and have a t-shirt.

Part of the solution is so common sense, but it will strike some as self-serving.  We need to have our Industry members reading and listening to good Industry input DAILY.  State or national meetings can be informative; I go to them, like the upcoming MHI Congress. Events and shows, such as the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show are ever so important in order to know what is available, to network, to see the latest products and services, to have some fun with Industry peers. Speaking of that, check out their latest video, which we will post for you here below for your convenience.  My associates and I hope to see you there.

But the point is this.  We all need a daily dose of Industry news, tips and views you can use. We all need those soft skills, and those filter checks.  If you are an owner or supervisor, do you want some person ignorant of or biased against our homes to be influencing your staff?  Or do you want a pro-Industry resource like MHMSM.com to do better equip your staff for dealing with the public at large?

You don’t want to be pigeonholed.  You don’t want the Industry to be type cast as second class housing.  You don’t want your staff or associates to be thinking in some negative fashion about our Industry, either.

Some people rail when I mention Warren Buffett in some favorable light, and no, I am not on his payroll in any sense. (Warren, if you are reading, you could take out that famous napkin of yours… and change that fact).  But I have and will continue to say, Buffett and his billions are one of the best reasons you can think of for why manufactured housing is the future and not the past!

Buffett and company are financially committed; so, too, are some big REITs (Real Estate Investment Trust), or private equity funds, and people just like you, to the future of factory built housing in America.  We need to see the facts, which is why the Manufactured Housing Daily Business News and Market Report should be your daily stop, and it should be for your associates, too.  Our Industry In Focus Reports are timeless articles that give you and your associates the tools to answer many of those negative questions or comments the media or others use to stereotype our Industry.

Don’t pigeonhole others, and don’t let others pigeonhole you or our Industry. We need food daily.  We need air all the time.  We need to exercise our minds the same as we do our bodies.  Do it here at Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management (MHMSM.com), get others to, as well.  37,000 readers is great; thanks for making us twice the size of the next closest factory built housing media outlet.  But that number 37,000 could double overnight if you and your associates got one more person to log on, to get and stay informed and motivated.

A lady wrote in and said, when more people read us, we all win.  An industry exec wrote to say, thanks for advancing the cause of professionalism in our industry. The more MH pros here daily, the better the Industry becomes – and yes, we all win. # #

On a regular basis, calls and messages come in from across the country – and internationally as well – regarding some comment, idea, content, a question, thank you or critique.  We tend to get more high fives than pans in these messages, but let me stress that all are welcome and encouraged.  For a few moments, let me focus on the theme of being heard.

Any media, print, online, broadcast, etc., exists to serve some segment of the public.  How well it serves is determined in part by the numbers of readers, subscribers or those who tune in to listen. Another measure may be something like LinkedIn connections, my particular social networking tool of choice, without slighting successful Facebook in the least.  But another measure a trade journal such as ours has is the direct feedback given.  We all naturally tend to enjoy being told we did something well, our writers and MHMSM.com staff included.

That said, when a comment comes in that is a critique, we treat that seriously at www.MHMarketingSalesManagement also known as www.MHMSM.com.

Some comments are easy to deal with; some take more time or effort.  Needless to say, time and resources have to be considered.

Some website or email format changes we have made in the past are a direct result of comments from readers, sponsors or advertisers.  When you speak, we strive to listen.

People get into habits or patterns of reading and listening.  To properly appreciate the site as it is, please take a look at this video website tour. Also take a moment to tour our Disqus Comments system.

You may already be a listener to our exclusive Daily Business News and Market Reports; but if not, you can sign up free right here. Nowhere else online can you find this exclusive feature, for which Erin Patla does the daily podcast, and Eric Miller, Catherine Frenzel and more recently Matthew Silver provide and post every business day.

If you follow these stories, you will see modular, panelized, manufactured and other forms of factory building news – no one else covers the array of the factory built housing industry like we do – all here for you.  Perhaps that is why Google reports our sign up (registration) pages as consistently being in the top ten of all those 800-1000 pages accessed on our site monthly.

Knowledge is power!  Information is often a key to making good business decisions.

While we are pro-industry, we do not sugarcoat the news in our news department.  If stocks or shipments are down, we say so. Here on The Masthead blog or on Industry Voices, INspirations, Words of Wisdom or the The Cutting Edge of Online Marketing, you may get a mix of facts, motivation, call to action and opinion.  But the Daily Business News and Market Reports blog are the facts as we get them!   If you are not yet signed up for podcasts of the News at Noon and Feature Articles, or Eric Miller’s Industry In Focus reports, here are the links below:

• click here to sign up for twice-weekly emailed newsletters
• click here to sign up for Erin Patla’s podcasts of News at Noon and podcasts of our Monthly Feature articles, as well as Eric Miller’s Industry In Focus reports

So, we have a lot we offer you right now at MHMSM.com.  Thousands of professionals like you come here, as these graphics below attest:

So, you are not alone here; even at 2 or 3 a.m., our logs reveal that people are reading or downloading for listening!

It is with deep appreciation to you, to our team of writers and MHMSM.com associates that I can say, we are the largest and most popular resource of its kind in the history of the factory built housing industry.  No resource, print or web based, serves more people than MHMSM.com does.

So, while we know we are not perfect, we know we have room to improve, and we want to keep improving.  We also don’t want to throw out the baby with the bath water.  Our strong Search Engine results, for example, are due in part to many elements we have built into the site.  Some suggestions we receive can’t be implemented for practical reasons, such as negative impact on SEO, or they would cause broken links, etc.

Some say, we need a more memorable name.

Well, we have already reserved a number of them.

One that is active is www.MHProNews.com.  Go ahead and test it.  (It takes you right to our current Home page.) As an MH Pro who wants News and views you can use, you can remember MHProNews.com very easily!  Thanks to Bob Stovall’s fine IT and WebTech work, this name has been integrated into our system with no loss of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value.

I would have to ask our IT Manager, Bob Stovall, for an exact count of how many pages we have online, but I can tell you that Google Analytics routinely reports to me that we have had 800-1000 pages access on our main site in any 30-day period in recent months, plus the dozens of additional pages accessed on our blogs.  We will achieve another record this month.

All that said, we have had on our drawing board for some time now the plan to simplify navigation and enhance the site search tool.  If you have suggestions, please do take the video site tour (to make sure that what you want to suggest is not already found here).  Then, please feel free to share your comments and suggestions via email.  Please use MHMSM.com Site Suggestions in the subject line, to make sure it is spotted – thanks.

Regarding content or suggestions:  We like having comments posted, but also get many, many more via email or phone.  My email system suggests there are 150-200 emails (not spam, real email messages) in and out daily in my email box.  Lots of that is contact with or for clients, prospective clients, writers, MHMSM.com team members, news tips and related, advertisers, etc., but there are comments from readers and listeners in that mix, too.

Your views are important to us.  You have a place to sound off here and be heard.

We routinely say: on public posts, be respectful, explain your point clearly, do not make readers guess your meaning.  But so long as you are not spamming us to promote something selfishly (our system is set to spot spam), so long as you are not just trashing someone for some personal reason, or making free-floating criticism so generalized it can’t be addressed, we believe in the free exchange of well-expressed ideas.  Such free exchange is important and of value to the Industry.  If you want to write an Industry Voices guest blog post, just read the About Us page for information, and feel free to email it into associate editor Catherine Frenzel at catherine@mhmsm.com and/or myself at tony@mhmsm.com with Guest Blog or Guest Article in the subject line.

It is our daily effort to provide Innovation, Inspiration and Information to Industry professionals.  You are a key part of that process; we are here serve you.

In closing, as one of the kind thank you notes that came in this past week said: thank you for advancing the professionalism of the industry.  To us, professionalism also means serving through you and associations those millions who own or should own a factory built home!  While our target audience is business to business, professionals like you, I always remember our industry’s ultimate customers; and true professionals in for the long haul do the same.

With your help and the support of professionals and advertisers, we plan to do a new publication designed to engage the home-buying public and public media at large.  We believe we need that as an industry, but we also need pros who act like professionals.  So send a link to MHMSM.com or forward an email to your friends, colleagues and yes, to your competitors!  We are all in this together. We may have some difference in focus or perspective, but it is by becoming ever more informed and professional in the best sense that we will see the new Renaissance for manufactured housing in the days ahead.

We hope to see you at the MHI Congress and in Tulsa, where we will be for the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show!

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.