We are going to keep today short and sweet, from utter necessity (I’ve got a flight to catch!). What makes marketing and selling MH so different? First, step back and take a look from 40,000 feet.
If I told you I had a car that sold for 25-50% less than a comparable new car, and that the performance of my car was proven to be as good or better than other cars in its class, what would you think? A winner, right? Or maybe you’d think, too good to be true?
So why doesn’t MH fly off the proverbial shelves? What makes it so different?
We could write a book on this, but as noted, will hit only a few quick points. If you said, Image, you’d only be partially correct.
You see, we have multiple layers of challenges. Among them, education. This is not only true for the public at large, but it is also true – among our own professional ranks.
I’ve done seminars on marketing and sales for single companies as well as association, trade shows and other meetings. I’ll often have people who have been in the industry for decades, saying at the end, I learned a lot today. Some will say, I learned more in an hour or two than I have in years.
The problem is NOT that this or that pro, rather, that we as an industry have failed to routinely invest in the training of our people.
You either pay for ignorance (which will cost you sales) or you pay for the right training (which will make you sales). You are paying either way. I assure you, the right training will make you money, the wrong or no training will cost you money.
Last thought for today. Learning to sell a MH isn’t about a fancy close, high pressure, or how to trick someone into a deal. Many of those who thought so went out of business in the last big downturn. Rather, good selling is like any good profession. You learn how to guide the customer to a wise decision, in a fashion comfortable for them. Patience and training both pay.
There are four phases of learning. Awareness. Understanding. Integration. Mastery. When we see more industry pros and their firms investing in the right marketing and sales training, we will see more manufactured homes being sold to home seekers who have cash or good credit. ##
