Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/684297
JUNE 2016 27 THE JOURNAL Ignoring those who don't make political contributions The graduate student asked me why U.S. politicians don't care about those in need of affordable housing. To me, the answer is simple: there's no money in it. I'm talking political con- tributions. By definition, those who need afford- able housing don't have much money to donate to political coffers. So, like any good business, politicians refuse to give them the time of day, preferring to spend their time cuddling with those who can write big checks. I seriously doubt that Hillary Clinton would have missed one of those $200,000 bank luncheon speaking opportunities to hang out with your community residents at the local coffee shop – unless a camera crew was nearby. And even then, she would spend the time mentally writing the speech for that night's Hol- lywood banquet. Discrimination far worse than anything in the private sector In our politically correct America, can you imagine any group, in the private sector, getting away with discriminating against lower wage earn- ers like the U.S. government has been? Riots and lawsuits ensue when a single individual is thought to be denied their rights, but millions of people are denied the access to affordable housing every day through the government's inaction in providing the structure for credit to flourish for manufac- tured housing. It's an absolute scandal. All talk and no action Perhaps the worst part about the affordable housing hypocrisy is the sheer amount of mean- ingless talk that is devoted to the topic annually, without any positive action to back it up. If the government plans on doing nothing, wouldn't it be more honest just to say so? I've been in the in- dustry for twenty years, and I can't name a single event in which the U.S. government picked up the mantle of affordable housing and started to make actual progress. Just endless discussions, failed bills on the floor, and zero improvement in the situation. Do I think that the marathon lip service will end regardless of who is elected Presi- dent? No. Conclusion As you can tell, I'm not real happy with the government's approach to our industry. While most community owners and home manufacturers have learned to deal with the absence of help from our nation's leaders, that doesn't make it right. And, like the elephant, I won't forget this fact when I get the call to support political campaigns by sending in my contributions. I'm from Mis- souri, the "Show Me" state. And I'm not im- pressed by what I've been shown regarding government support for affordable housing. So if someone asks you "why are there vacant lots in your manufactured home community when there are millions of people who need nice, affordable places to live" you can simply answer "go ask Uncle Sam". Frank Rolfe has been a manufactured home community owner for almost two decades, and currently ranks as part of the 6th largest community owner in the United States, with more than 17,000 lots in 23 states in the Great Plains and Midwest. His books and courses on community acquisitions and management are the top-selling ones in the industry. To learn more about Frank's views on the manufactured home community industry visit www.MobileHomeUniversity.com. \ 10 issue, would be satisfactory with you?" By creating an atmosphere of negotiation, the customer becomes part of the solution and the salesperson gets the order. 4. Focus on what matters to customers A customer in the market for a new car made it clear to the salesperson what she was look- ing for in a vehicle. "Oh, that's going to cost you a lot more," was the salesperson's instant response. This is how sales get in trouble or lost when salespeople think they know what a customer wants or can afford. Salespeople are often trained how to "read customers," so they can get the order. Listening to cus- tomers and paying attention to what they're saying is a more helpful path to success. 5. Signal your willingness to work with customers Customers are not only cautious, but some are even afraid: they don't want to go too far in buying some- thing until they get a reading on the salesperson. No customer wants to discover they're faced with working with the wrong person. That's a bummer and a good reason for caution. When savvy salespeople recognize a customer's discomfort, they might respond by saying, "I understand that a buying decision can be difficult, and I want you to know that I will work with you so you get what you want at a price that's good for you, or "It seems as if you may be wondering how you can pay for this. I assure you that we will find a program that works for you." That's a good way to send the message that you're willing to work with the customer. 6. Be thoughtful, not just informed Two physiologists at the University of California at San Francisco found that if rats were allowed to rest once they found their way through a maze, they could go straight through it—from start to finish—the next time. But if they were put back in the maze immediately, it was as if they had never been there before. Being a sponge soaking up information is not nearly as valuable as understanding how the information applies to customers. A car salesman said to a prospective customer, "Ours is the best selling SUV in the nation." He knew all about the vehicle, but nothing he said was meaningful to the prospect. And she walked out. 7. Send the right message "All salesmen are actors: their priority is persuasion, not sincerity," notes Peter Thiel, PayPal's co-founder and author of Zero to One. He's also right when he points out that the best actors aren't seen as acting. They're effective because they're authentic; they're good at what they do. It's the same with salespeople. Customer response is positive when they sense a harmony in salespeople between who they are and what they do. They're real; they don't put on an act. And that sends a powerful and persuasive message that dispels doubt and attracts cus- tomers. It's called trust. Customers trust people who come across as genuine. And when a genuine person is in sales, customers may not see them as exceptional, but they like work- ing with them and give them repeat business, as well as referrals. All of this points to one conclusion: salespeople like everyone else are far more transparent than they may want to think, and that's why making sure customers say, "This is the right person to do business with," is the key to success. John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and busi- ness writer. He is the creator of "Magnet Marketing," and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, "No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas." Contact him at jgraham@gra- hamcomm.com, 617-774-9759 or johnrgraham.com. T J \ 23 T J