Industry Insight (Blog)

How do we Decide to do anything in life? From walking across the street or turning the corner, the venti vanilla latte or the herbal tea, to buy or not to buy. What is it in our brain that makes us actually choose to do something? A new book by Johan Lehrer, titled appropriately How We Decide, explains just that.

I know everything these days are green, but are they really. After just completing the NAHB's Green Building Certification course, I'm here to tell you, most of you are already pretty close to building green. Sure there might be more you can do, recycle, used sustainable products, be more energy efficient, build a smaller footprint (now that is a novel idea), but over all, it really isn't rocket science and currently it might be one of the best ways to actually differentiate yourself in the VERY competitive marketplace.

NAHB is hosting a free teleconference for builders and sales & marketing professionals on how to effectively market the first-time home buyer $8,000 housing tax credit to prospective buyers. The teleconference will begin at 2:00 p.m. EST on Monday, March 16. To participate, call 800-860-2442 and ask for the “Housing Tax Credit Teleconference.”

So I thought I should post again what the new stimulus law really says. There seems to be some mixed views and reports floating around out there. This comes directly from NAHB public affairs department. So hopefully this will help clear up some confusion.

New Stimulus Law Includes $8,000 Home Buyer Tax Credit

If you haven't started to Twitter, you might want to give it a second look. I know, you are thinking this is for the teeny bopper generation. My clients don't care if I'm going to coffee or heading to the gym. Those were my sentiments exactly, but that was before I found out just how useful these social networking tools can be for your business. Here are a few sites that can help explain this crazy new phenomenon.

The NAHB is really stepping up to keep everyone informed on what is going on in the industry, and how they and/or the government is trying to help out. Here are a few sites that offer statistics and information vital to our industry.

I thought I would follow up yesterday's post with yet another view on what we can do as marketers, during this very interesting time.

Marketing seems to always be the topic of debate when the economy hits a downward slide. It is always the first to get cut, but then it is usually the first to come back on line as well. However, just throwing money or ads at the problem is not always the wisest solution.

Well I'm finally back at it. After a much needed vacation over the holidays, I'm back and ready to roll. Which is literally what I just got back from doing, down in Vegas, at the International Builder Show. The dice weren't as hot as I would have liked, but the show was just what I needed to get back in gear.

When the economy is struggling, it is only inevitable that we are going to slash prices and just pray that something will move. It is often the first thing builders think to do. However, it is not always the smartest move.

The bad news just keeps flowing in. What is accurate? What is over exaggerated? In times when things change as fast as the Montana weather, it is good to keep on top of what is really going on with the economy on a local and national level.

Every once in a while you need to take a deep breath and reflect. This video does that for me. Hope you enjoy.

www.youtube.com/watch

So where are we really heading? A recession? A depression. I just got back from attending the 3rd annual New West Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies Conference, where some local and national economists forecasted what's in store for our area and beyond.

Sometimes it is wise to break from the mold and set out on a new path. Everything seems to be turned on its head, as of lately, and the home building industry is no exception. If we are going to continue down the same old path, we are going to get the same old results. Currently those are not too appealing, are they?

I was talking with a group of marketers the other day and we were just comparing the media spending on print vs. web for our clients. It was amazing to us that more clients were not taking advantage of this very cost effective form of marketing, the web.

It only takes a few people to totally redirect and solve very complex problems. However, if you venture out on your own, you might actually get there, it just might take you a really long time. I find it interesting that some of the greatest ideas or solutions seem to come from just a few individuals that band together and just look at the problem differently. It seems they just step back, turn it upside down and then flip it inside out.

Lately I have been looking around at all the GREEN things that have been going on and it has caused me to wonder. Are we any where close to where we need to be. Granted, green is now a household word, which in itself is a remarkable feat. But, are we getting anywhere with all this.

The topics of choice, for some of the big upcoming conferences, seem to be shifting these days. We are indeed not just speculating of a downturn anymore, it is here. As I always seem to keep preaching, if we continue to do the same thing over and over again, and expect different results, are we not "insane".

So lately everyone is a buzz with the topic of Social Networking. If you are not currently on Face Book , MySpace , or Linked In , you are doomed to failure. Or are you? Are these sites really for personal use only, or have they crossed into the field of business and marketing?

Lately I keep coming across articles that are ranting that “Advertising is dead”. No one is tuning in anymore, it is simply information overload. It seems the saying goes “What we resist will persist” just might be true.

The media is flooded with the headlines “The Bubble has burst”, but what does this really mean to builders and developers as far as marketing and selling their products. The focus needs to be shifted from this doom or gloom amongst our industry to looking forward towards the future.

Yesterday I attended a speech by Steven S. Little . The topic was on Business Growth and included many of the rules from his book, "Seven Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth" .

I just completed the two very timely books to bring in the new year: "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies" by Jim Colins (Author) and Jerry I. Porras (Author), and "Success Built to Last" by Jerry Porras (Author), Stewart Emery (Author) and Mark Thompson (Author). Both books focus on what it takes to be a success not only in business but in life.

Chief Marketer just sent out a new article on their view of what is going to be hot in marketing in 2008. They bring up some good points, with new electronic media becoming more and more user friendly, I think the major trend is going to be focused in that medium.

Upon returning from a series of recent conferences, a consistent theme kept popping up, “Are we speaking to the right people?”. Not only that, but are we even talking with the correct message.

The World has finally sat up and taken notice. We all need to be doing something to help the environment. We all need to focus on what we can do to aid in the fight. One thing that is being talked about continuously in the building industry is LEED Certification .

I just came across an article in Chief Marketer that has another view on social networking. Their main point focuses on viral downloads and not necessarily on just networking in these social places.

If you are listening to Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, you just might be convinced that this is our new reality. Recently at the Master’s of Marketing Conference in Phoenix, last week, this was the main topic of discussion. He even went so far as to say, in an article by Brand Week “In ten year, traditional marketing as we know it will disappear.”

I’m constantly preaching that if you continue executing the same actions, you are most likely going to get the same results.

The experts are weighing in, at this point if you ask me, it is anyone’s “guess” where are economy is heading. I think if we look back at history, like Bill Fleckenstein does in his article on MSN, “Why we can’t cruise past a recession”, we might find that he’s not all that off base. He takes a look at history, and some reason it does tend to have a funny way of repeating itself.

When I say, do you really know what is going on out there, I’m not talking about just having a presence on the Internet. Actually having a presence on the Internet should be a given. What I’m talking about is your advertising and it is not just about key words and banner ads anymore.