There are lots of ways that manufactured housing pros “handle” the fact that they are in this business. Don't get me wrong, we are in a great industry, one that in a different world or place ought to be celebrated. I've been looking at an obscure report sent by an industry contact done by a federal agency that practically gushes about “factory home building,” and we plan to do at least one article on the subject. But as our Daily Business News brief about Crystal Adkins' commentary reported, what ought to be celebrated is far more often “in your face” dis-respected by the media. When that happens, is it a surprise that we are so often disrespected by much of the public too?

If you are new in our industry, or just happened onto this page, please…read all the way through, because we are not hand ringers and “oh poor me” types, we are solution oriented here! This is all about turning lemons into lemonade. That said, let's look at some specific examples.

Sad In-Your-Face Quotes From TMZ's website

TMZ took an almost bi-polar, dazzled and dazed view of Saw actress Betsy Russell's 2 million dollar manufactured home-with-a-view; if you haven't yet seen the analysis and full photo display on our public-image building Manufactured Home Living News, this is a must read;

ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com/saws-betsy-russells-2-million-dollar-manufactured-home-a-bargain-but-tmzmedia-dont-get-it/

But the In Your Face quotes – besides the use of disparaging and improper terminology by TMZ, LAist and others – are from their readers. Here are some directly quoted examples, for industry pros to chew on.

• “There is no way! That's a house on stacked on bricks and tied down with rope.” – REESE   
• “If she'd drop the price down to about $1500 I'd consider it.” ZOMBIE WHITNEY HOUSTON
• Yes its fitting that a mobile home would be put on the market for a gimmicky price of $1,999,999. Geesh. – JAMES
• “You can try to sell me on trailer park living all day long, but there's no way I'd ever spend that kind of money on a trailer.” – JMK
• “WTF?? If you can afford a 2 million trailer then why would you not just by a real house!!????” – BLAH
• I wonder what Jim Rockford's trailer down by the pier in Malibu would go for? – STATIC
• “mobile homes nicer than this for less than 150k brand new, what a mess” – LEAD
• “It's a nice looking place, but it's still only a cardboard box parked on a piece of someone else's rented space.” – ITALIA

These pale compared to some comments that no longer display on TMZ's comments page, they only show the last three pages of feedback. Most of the hundreds who commented trashed 'trailers' or 'mobile homes' the value, the community lifestyle, pretty much everything. One example that stuck in my mind was “Don't put lipstick on a pig. It only makes the pig mad.”

Okay, I know many of you are laughing! But some of you get the point I'm making. Are you tired of gone with the wind comments? Are you tired of our homes being the best kept secret in America?

Abrams and Ayotte

Please read A Cup of Coffee with…Leigh Abrams, and A Cup of Coffee with…Jim Ayotte.

Mr. Leigh Abrams' repeatedly urges the manufactured housing industry to do an image campaign, among many other comments that are well worth the read!

Then, Mr. Jim Ayotte, who has spent some time on our public-focused, image building site not only calls for an image campaign, but talks about what they are doing in Florida. Stop and think, Florida is consistently in the top 5 states in the U.S. in new manufactured home shipments. They've been doing a web-based image campaign for years there. Coincidence?

Jim then specifically states that the ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com campaign is a good one, and 'produces results.' By the way, Leigh and Jim both talk about plenty of other topics, again, well worth the reads.

But the focus of this column is on image, and why it is critical that you, me and others all do SOMETHING routinely to advance the image of YOUR business while and thereby advancing the industry's image too.

Some say, 'Tony, you are a fine cheer leader.' We don't just preach here, we've been walking the talk for years. We are also on the playing field every day, doing personally and professionally what we ask others to do too.

Improvement with a Little Effort…

A little effort can make a difference. We live in a star struck world, so this news story is a teachable moment opportunity.

Since my truly better half Soheyla posted a comment that suggested that readers check out this 'response' article – linked below – to what LAist,TMZ and others in the media published…

http://www.ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com/saws-betsy-russells-2-million-dollar-manufactured-home-a-bargain-but-tmzmedia-dont-get-it/

...here are some of the more recent comments on the TMZ site:

Again, quoting from the TMZ comments site:

• “Its called a modular home, it doesn't have wheels.” – 2DRK2FCK
• “Just goes to show you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.” – BEACHBUM74
• “i'd take this over Celine's fortress.” – STU
• “TMZ's crack staff doesn't even know what a "mobile home" is.” – TRUTH
• “I'm not well-versed in the subject of mobile homes, but in order to qualify as "mobile", wouldn't it have to be movable? How would you trail a 2400 SF 4/3?” – JENNA
• “This is a manufactured home not a mobile home.” – TAM
• “it may look like a mobile home but it isnt. it was made to look like one so it could probably pass rules to get into that trailer park and who wouldnt do it to have a view like that??” – NORTHERNER
• “Mobile home?! It's more like modern prefab http://blog.prefabium.com/2013/07/modern-prefab-home-by-tobylongdesign.html It's not mobile.” – JOHN
• “I've been to that park and it's amazing. I had a friend that was renting a place a few years back. Pamela Anderson was staying in one a few doors down while her Malibu mansion was being renovated. The park is amazing. Calling them mobile homes is deceiving. They are nicer than most houses and the complex is outstanding.” – JIMBO

Ladies and gents, I'm not saying that Soheyla's comment and suggestion alone to check out our public page's response site made all the difference.

But is it a coincidence that most comments were trashing our industry's homes before, and since her posted comment that suggested reading the ManufacturedHomeLivingNews commentary linked above, more of TMZ's readers grew a back bone bone to say something positive?

Get in the Trenches & Recorded Conversations with Customers

We wear a lot of hats (which is one reason why we have a lot of websites and web addresses), besides our trade media and publishing here at industry leading MHProNews, So it can get confusing to some 'which hat they are talking to' when they talk to me. Don't be confused, just tell me which hat you want to talk too. One reason we keep client work confidential, is precisely to separate publishing from consulting, just as we separate news from commentary on our site.

With one of my hats, we do marketing and sales training that is very unique. As part of that work, we have hundreds (many thousands, actually) of recorded conversations with customers and MH or MHC pros.

in various parts of the country. This is all done with permission, nothing hidden from the guests or sales staff about the fact they were being recorded.

I don't think there is anything quite like it in our industry. There are a number of good companies out there that are doing good things, but the ones not using our system can't possibly know what we do about what customers are thinking, directly from the consumers' mouths!

We have the objective evidence that would stand up in court. Free will recordings! We aren't sitting in an ivory tower or gilded office writing and publishing. We are in the trenches working with others who are in the trenches. My commentary here isn't a bunch of theory! It is based on years of experience, dating back in this industry to 1981.

My point is that I know first hand that our industry CAN change its image. We help a number of client's change their image enough in their markets to grow their sales significantly. Image change is done one customer at a time, and if you start and stick with it, you can generate more closed deals and thus earn more money doing it.

Take Three Baby Steps to Improved Image

Please. Take ten and do these three simple steps, in this sequence.

1. Go to our public focused, image/educational site, read the pro-industry article about Betsy Russell's 2 million dollar home and look at the photos.

2. Then go to TMZ's page on the same topic and post a comment (TMZ makes it easy and you don't need to use your name if you don't want to).
3. Then ask your colleagues, team mates and those in your contact list to do the same. That's how good things can 'go viral!'

My fellow professionals, the battle over image won't be won in a moment or day. But when pros like you and I take even baby steps daily, it ads up like water drops filling a glass. People remember good news, as well as 'bad news.' We can change people's minds, one, one positive action at a time.

The negativity that is out there about our industry is 'in your face.' You are either going to stand up and try to do something about it personally and professionally, or you won't. There is no middle ground. I'm here to tell you, that for those who DO what I'm suggesting, there are tangible rewards.

Please, just do it. Remember, we are messengers here, but it is the public that is influenced by the media and others to be negatively 'in your face' about our homes. If you won't do something about it personally, who will?

Quoting from the A Cup of Coffee with…Sam Landy interview we did a few months ago:

“Financing and marketing are the two issues our industry has to address. How do our customers get affordable financing and how do we market the benefits of our product? I’ve come to the conclusion that we are all responsible for our own marketing. If you want to be a great retailer you have to pay the bill for the marketing. Why should anyone do it for you, and all markets are local anyhow.”

We thank Mr. Sam Landy-led UMH for joining us in promoting the image campaign at MHLivingNews.com. Others are circling, some will land and do this with us too.

Start with the free and easy 3 steps above, but then seriously think about Working Together to Grow Manufactured Home Sales.

For those who do, when you look back a year or two from now, you will be glad you did. ##

PS: Check our many Exclusive and Red Hot Featured Articles for September and see the other new stories at MHLivingNews.com too.

L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com | MHProNews.com |
Business and Public Marketing & Ads: B2B | B2C
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