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Operational Discipline Will Drive Future Profitability

Boyce Thompson is editorial director of the BUILDER group of magazines published by Hanley Wood. Drawing on his years of experience covering home building, architecture, and retailing, Boyce tackles diverse and far-ranging industry topics in his twice-weekly blog.

We've started a series of stories available only online, "Home Building 360: Dealing with the Downturn," about the collateral damage from the housing downturn, if you will. By that, I'm talking about all the industries, besides home building, that have been decimated by the 75% peak-to-trough decline.

Marketing Tips from a Homeless Guy

Ted Cushman: The Ten-Penny News

Ted Cushman covers the home building industry as a freelance writer from his base in the hills of Western Massachusetts. His blog promises insightful, accurate, and practical coverage of home building techniques, building science, and housing economics.

Well, actually, this tip is not from a homeless guy. It's from a marketing guy named Brian. But Brian demonstrated his technique with help from a homeless guy named Keith, and it's pretty instructive. I'm no marketing genius. But that's good in this case, because this seems to be a basic, simple, beginner's-level lesson, and yet it's one that many businesses nevertheless ignore. In marketingspeak, the lesson is "Always Split Test." But as you'll see if you read the post, there are some fine points involving bribes and whatnot.

Green Thoughts

Chuck Shinn: Rx from the Profit Doctor

Charles C. Shinn, Jr., PhD, often referred to as the Profit Doctor, is the founder of the Shinn Group of Cos., The Lee Evans Group, and Builder Partnerships. His constant focus is to help builders and manufacturers to improve the performance of their companies, enhance relationships, and ultimately maximize their total profits.

In order to maximize sales, rediscover profits, and work toward the goal of 100% customer satisfaction, all of us are striving to find the ideal balance between: Product Differentiation, Target Marketing, Sales Management, Cost Control, Professional Advice and Planning Support. One way to do this is to incorporate strong corporate continuity while using various nationally recognized home features associated with Green construction.

Reality TV for Builders...

Mollie Elkman: Modern Marketing

Mollie is Vice President of Group Two Real Estate Marketing and Advertising, one of the largest homebuilder marketing and advertising agencies in the United States. Mollie¹s blog focuses on initiating thought provoking conversations within the building industry. She focuses on new and controversial trends in the increasingly Internet savvy world we live in.

Reality TV has become a very common "guilty pleasure" for people around the Country. Builders can use the same concept of viral videos to showcase product online and on your websites. Whether your video approach is "meet the builder, a tour of a new model, or customer testimonials...posting videos online just got a lot easier.

Thinking the Unthinkable: Summer Reading, Winter Strategy

George Casey: By George!

George E. Casey, Jr. is the President of Stockbridge Associates, LLC, a consultancy specializing in strategy, operations, financial improvement, and the implementation of change for large scale real estate assets and building companies. He has over 35 years experience in the industry as an executive, consultant, and board member.

After a summer of reading, observing, and thinking about where we are in the residential real estate business now and where we might be headed, I am convinced that we are in the middle of even more significant structural changes than I had projected last spring. The upheavals we are witnessing will challenge us to rethink the business models that have worked and evolved over the past six decades.

The Market Dodged a Bullet, but Another is Coming

Housing Pulse with Paul Cardis

AVID Ratings is a full-service customer loyalty management firm, providing enterprise-level surveys, organizational strategies, employee training, and proprietary solutions that create delighted customers and drive increased profitability. Working with AVID means going beyond just surveys, it means solutions that significantly improve the bottom line.

June, to me, always meant the end of the school year. You took final exams and tried to prove to the teacher or professor what you had learned from your coursework. Before the summer starts in earnest, I thought that it would be a good idea to write down 10 things I think I have learned from this prolonged real estate downturn. It is kind of like my own final exam.

The Power and Reach of Microsites

Mary Lou Denny: Educating The Trade

Mary Lou Denny, co-founder and executive vice president, heads the public relation division of Walt Denny Inc., an advertising and public relations agency in Hinsdale, Illinois. She and her husband Walt, started the agency twenty years ago based on the credo to provide creative marketing solutions, combined with a high value on personal relationships and accountability.

Microsites are a great way to keep users engaged, build a community, showcase creativity and increase your business’ exposure. By adding social media elements like Facebook Like button, a Retweet badge or a bevy of YouTube videos, you can extend the reach of your microsite, through Social Media.

Green Building Success Requires Proper Execution: Education and Customer Service are Critical

Patrick Duffy: The Housing Chronicles

Patrick Duffy has consulted for nearly 20 years for the country's leading home builders, land developers, investors, and lenders on residential, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial projects. An expert on local housing markets, Duffy offers his thoughts on what’s happening around the country.

For the building industry, given the complexity of marketing, merchandising and selling the benefits of sustainability and green technology, education during the sales process and customer service after the closing are critical components that not all builders provide.