Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/84809
MARKETING CONSULTANT Selling To – or Against – Buyer Perceptions -- Part 3 BY SCOTT STROUD 10 Steps to Changing Buyer Perceptions You've got a perception problem. It stems from years of catering to the absolute bottom of the housing 'barrel' and failing to take advantage of opportunities to increase value… and claim a greater share of the overall market. And that's a major reason why our industry has been in a downward spiral for so long, and why we need to re-invent market perceptions of manufactured homes. And the timing couldn't be better than right now – this very moment. Look at the real estate market. They're out of homes to sell! Investors have depleted the foreclosure and existing home markets, and too few new homes have been built in the past seven years to keep up with growth. So, we have an opportunity to step in with affordable, quality new housing for a burgeoning new mar- ket. But in order to do this, we need to change the way buyers look at our homes and commu- nities. We need to change their perceptions. In the August edition of this journal we dis- cussed how other industries have changed buyer's perceptions and come out on top (Think: Made in Japan.) And last month I shared with you the first five of a 10-Step action strategy to rebrand the industry. The list con- tinues below: 6. Publicize Your Successes and Achieve- ments As an industry we need to become much bet- ter at 'blowing our own horn', or getting oth- ers to talk about our homes. Every innovation in homebuilding is being integrated into con- temporary manufactured homes: Factories are pumping out homes that can withstand 120- OCTOBER 2012 24 THE JOURNAL mph winds, exceed energy star standards, and cost 30% less than site-built alternatives. That's news! By far, the most effective marketing is a good public relations campaign. An article written about your homes or business is essentially a third party endorsement, so is more believable than an advertisement. It can be repurposed as a flyer or handout to prospects. And, other than the cost of the PR firm, it's free. Ask Brett Rutledge, owner of Affordable Homes of Louisiana, about the benefits of good PR. His local paper, The Tri-Parish Times, published an article about the benefits and value of modern manufactured homes on August 23. The article was positive, well written, and has produced an uptick in calls and leads since it was published, and it didn't cost Brett a dime! (Read the article at http://tinyurl.com/8bu- revx.) 7. Use Social Proof People will believe what others say about you before they'll take your word for it. That's why testimonials, like PR, are so powerful. When we hear a business' satisfied customer tell us how much they enjoyed working with the busi- ness and how delighted they are with their prod- uct, we tend to believe them and want the benefits that they've realized. Trust goes up, our resistance goes down, and we move that much closer to making the purchasing decision. Use your business' Facebook, YouTube and Google+ pages to solicit positive comments from your happy residents and buyers, then publish those on your website, in your literature and where ever appropriate. You'll be amazed at the response! (What… You don't have a Facebook page for your business? Call or email me immediately – we need to talk!) 8. Polish Your Infrastructure What are the obstacles and issues that im- pede your growth? Chances are that they are the same challenges that we all face – funding our business, getting buyers qualified and fi- nanced, generating more leads and closing more sales. Now, what are you doing to address them? If your competitors are dealing with the same issues, then even a slight advantage will be of benefit, so what can you do to get just 'one step' ahead of the curve? In Part 1 of this se- ries we talked about how Japanese manufactur- ers turned the perception of 'Made in Japan' from a laughingstock into an icon of quality. In a nutshell, they did it one step at a time, fol- lowing a process of continual and unending im- provement. Getting buyers financed is a universal issue; so address it by: • Educating buyers on the process and showing them how to improve their credit so that they can qualify more quickly; • Working with lenders to make sure you are aware of all their options; • Shopping for new financial products that better address the needs of your buyers… The easier you make it for your prospects to buy from you, the more sales you'll make. Areas where nearly every business can improve include better, more effective marketing, bet- ter sales training and processess, and better control of the after-sale service. And each of these has a direct bearing on your bottom line. 9. Develop Seamless Processes Every customer and every deal we write is unique. But, mostof the steps we go through with mostof our buyers or residents are the same