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Week of May 19, 2003

Front Page

President's Message

* There Are No Better Housing Advocates Anywhere

Housing Forum

* Salmon Born in Hatcheries Are as Good as Wild
* Letters to the Editor

Housing and Economics

* Housing Starts Dip, But Permits Rise in April
* Builders Regain Their Former Optimism in May

Housing Politics

* Housing Priorities Warmly Received on Capitol Hill
* Builders Receive Tax Policy Briefing From Secretary Evans
* Bill Called a Threat to Housing Finance System

Business Management

* Take the Edge Off Business Planning
* Hand-Held Task Manager Saves Time, Creates Paper Trail

Codes and Standards

* Accessibility Standard Revisions Good for Builders and the Disabled

Sales and Marketing

* Three Imaginative Promotions Build Sales Traffic
* Online Traffic — Get the Word Out to Buyers

Small Builders and Remodelers

* Contractors Corner — Quality Assurance Standards Are the Way to Go

Member Dividends

* You Can Get Work Force Safety Tips en Espanol

Research

* New Technology Will Transform Lighting in 21st Century Buildings

Building Systems

* Modular Homes Survive Tornado
* Building Systems Councils Sponsors Habitat Home

Building Products

* Concrete Wall Systems an Alternative to Wood Framing

Labor

* Job Corps Students Help Build Habitat Homes

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* NAHB Announces Effort to Increase Hispanic Home Owners
* BuilderBooks Introduces Kid-Friendly Educational Tools

NBN Back Issues

 

Three Imaginative Promotions Build Sales Traffic

By Joseph P. McGaw

Builders from Texas, Michigan and the Washington, D.C. metro area are using innovations in marketing to build their traffic.

In the community of Providence in Little Elm, TX, Choice Homes has wooed buyers with a cinema-inspired media room. Merchandisers from Position by Design used movie star icons from the past and present, a popcorn machine and theater seating to show how a family can spend their evenings.

Well known for its technology-driven marketing, Michigan-based Country Cedar Town & Homes is introducing an e-book that educates prospects and boosts their confidence.
The free book, “A Practical Guide to Understanding Wood Homes,” can be downloaded and read or printed out in an HTML version.


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“Anyone who clicks on our informational materials on our Web site will be exposed to our new e-book,” explains Dave Reed, the company’s vice president of marketing. “This provides both our casual browsers and home plan purchasers with what they’re looking for — instant gratification.”
 
Reed noted that when the company’s popular CD-ROM or home planning portfolio are ordered, the e-book will help people learn about wood homes and the “Town & Country difference.”

In Fairfax, VA, Brookfield Homes used a treasure chest promotion to double traffic for a solid month at its nearly two-dozen communities in the Washington market.

The promotion started with a four-color newspaper insert featuring a treasure map of places where prospective buyers could find free upgrades. Each sales center received an authentic looking, but inexpensive treasure chest filled with scrolls that awarded free upgrades to the bearer if they purchased a Brookfield Home. Visitors selected a scroll at random.

Photos by Douglas Handel and Brookfield Homes

Joseph P. McGaw is the group publisher for NAHB’s Builder, Associates & Affiliate Services Group and editor-in-chief of Sales and Marketing Ideas magazine, the award winning publication of NAHB’s National Sales and Marketing Council. With approximately 13,000 members, the NSMC enhances and promotes skills and professionalism in sales and marketing throughout the home building industry. McGaw has more than 10 years of professional experience in marketing communications, and he can be reached by e-mail or at 800-368-5242 x8693.


For additional cutting-edge sales and marketing information, subscribe to NAHB’s Sales and Marketing Ideas magazine. Call 800-368-5242 x8192 or click here to subscribe or order a copy. Click here to learn about membership benefits of the National Sales and Marketing Council and the Institute of Residential Marketing.

BuilderBooks.com offers a variety of sales and marketing publications online. To view or purchase these publications, click here.
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