Phone Clones

Ever noticed that Jon Gandy and Rick Sanders sound exactly the same on the phone?

Jon works for R-Anell and Rick is with McCall's Supply. You should call them on the phone and check it out. Just tell them I suggested you call them up and waste their time.

A Model Dealer

Check out Model Dealer Dave Williamson on the cover of this month's MHISC Update magazine. The cover story is called "Tired of Waiting for Business?" and Dave's classic expression epitomizes what's going on in our industry right now.

But the article goes on to talk about four ideas to use right now to draw traffic and increase sales at the wholesale and retail level. The article includes reports on:
>>> How SC dealers are coping with the floor plan situation
>>> How to work the $7500 federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers
>>> A new SC-only $1000 tax break for MH buyers who go green
>>> New limits for FHA home-only loans

This is a news to use article that can make a difference in your business.

We sent Update to the printer last Wednesday, so it should arrive in members' mailboxes the second week in January.

"Member's Lightning Links" -- Saving Time and Frustration at Work

Have you checked out www.mhisc.com the last couple of weeks? We totally revamped MHISC's web site a few weeks ago. Right now we're spiffing it up.

One feature you'll like is the Member's Lightning Link. You'll find it on the home page on the top right just under the MHISC logo.

You can order a SLED check and get your employees licensed.

You can look up any county official's or state employee's phone number. Also you can email all the state government contacts that run the manufactured, modular, residential builder and contractors program for state government.

All with one click. You can save a huge amount of time by starting on MHISC's home page: www.mhisc.com.

Who's Going to Be Inducted into the Hall of Fame?

No one who lives outside of the state of South Carolina has ever been inducted into the SC Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame.

That will change January 22, when Sherman Currin will be inducted in the the industry's most exclusive club. That'll be at MHISC's State Winter Meeting in Columbia.

I sat in on the discussions when the Hall of Fame nominating committee voted to make Sherman our unique, first-time-ever inductee from outside of South Carolina.

Committee members cited several factors:

* Sherman has been in the business since 1970, devoting practically his entire career to the manufactured home industry.

* He's served several times on MHISC's Board of Directors, including two successful stints on the association's Executive Committee.

*Sherman has represented Champion Homes in South Carolina since 1983, building a base of loyal customers around the state. With the people skills that would make him welcome at any company and in any business, he's chosen to stick with our industry through times good and bad.

* He's devoted years of service to MHISC's key Membership Committee. Under his leadership, the association really hit its stride in growing the association's membership, building a healthy PAC (political war chest) and creating a tradition of super turn-out and support for our meetings.

The Hall of Fame Selection committee is composed of our Executive Committee and the members of the Hall of Fame. In other words, members who have been around and know who's for real in our industry.

They cited all the accomplishment above, but I sensed that the thing underlying what Sherman has achieved, the quality that makes him Hall of Fame material, is that Sherman Currin does business the right way. More than that, Sherman is one of the best, most consistent examples of how to treat your customers, how to be a friend, how to earn and keep the loyalty of the people you do business with, for decades.

Sherman is modest about all this. He told me that he was surprised and humbled by this honor and you can tell he means it.

But talk with him a while and you start to get a feel for why Mr. Currin inspires such loyalty from the dealers of South Carolina and why the association has turned to him repeatedly for sound leadership.

"I think what dealers are looking for is total support from me, whether it's formulating a future sale, working on service or dealing with an issue. I try keep things between them and our company on a smooth, even keel. I pay just as much attention when we're talking about a service issue as when the dealer is about to order a house."

Sherman believes that many customers choose to do business with a company based on the people involved as much as what it has to offer in terms of products or service.

"People are going to do business with companies and representatives they feel they can depend on," he says. "There are times when I can't give people the answer they want, but I want them to know that whatever I do say or promise, they can depend on it."

New Website!

Check out the new http://www.mhisc.com/.

The MHISC Membership Directory, the current issue of Update magazine, MODern Times newsletter and all our most popular hand outs (fact sheets to help you stay legal and save money) are now on-line. Just click on "Publications" on the left of any page on www.mhisc.com.

Our "Publications" page is for members only. Members, just send me your name and email by clicking on the "Comments" pencil below and we'll send you the password.

Customers. There's lot of good information to draw potential buyers to our "Find A Home" page. Even before the upgrade, the old, original mhisc.com was the number one site on major search engines for manufactured home buyers in South Carolina.

Super Links Page for Members. Another tab on the left, "Related Links" is a huge time-save for everyone in the industry. You can find any state official, county official, license application form; order a SLED check; or reach any MHISC staffer--all on a single convenient page. The average member will be clicking on this page several times a week.

Accurate Information for State and Local Leaders. Government officials can now get immediate, positive and accurate information about our homes and how they are--and should be--regulated.

All the staff contributed to the website, which was created entirely in-house at very little cost. Special thanks go to Meredith Waldrop who quickly became an expert with "Dreamweaver" software and created a very professional website from scratch.

Jumpstarting the Rebound

The MHISC Board met last Thursday to do some strategic planning for the future of our association and our industry.

Topics included:

>>> Ways to effectively run our local government / zoning program

>>> How to tackle the use of outdated terminology (such as mobile home) by
the media, public and in the industry

>>> Ideas to "jumpstart the rebound," that is, generate traffic and sales;
specifically in South Carolina


Some excellent ideas came out of the meeting. If you'd like a copy, please contact me at mdillard@mhisc.com.

MHISC's New Membership Services Director

MHISC has a new staffer, Kristen Brown.

Kristen came aboard Monday as our Membership Services Director.

She has a great background for the job. Kristen worked for three years with the SC Association of CPA's. Immediately prior to coming to MHISC, she served as Executive Director of the SC Optometric Association.

Kristen reports that she likes the membership parts of association management the best, moreso than some of the functions such as lobbying. That's why she decided to come to MHISC. At the same time we'll get the benefit of the big picture perspective which she gained while working as an association executive director.

As Membership Services Director, Kristen will manage our meetings, be MHISC's lead liaison to our chapters, oversee important fund-raising efforts such as convention sponsorships and keeping our PAC flush with cash we can use to support political candidates who support the industry. She also puts together the membership directory and will oversee our efforts to grow the association with new members.

Kristen graduated from USC and lives in Lexington. She and her husband, Mark, have a beautiful 10-month-old daughter, Macy. Husband Mark works with another business association, the SC Dental Association.

Seriously....

Would you like a cool Hawaiian shirt?

Seriously. My family won't let me wear them anywhere.

We had a wildest Hawaiian shirt contest for two years at the convention. The next convention we replaced the wildest shirt contest with the (best-forgotten) Thursday night limbo contest.

But some traditions are worth preserving. I still buy a new tropical shirt every year for the convention.

The item furthest back in the closet is a tropical number with palm trees, an orange sunset and Al Pacino. When I wore it to the restaurant afterwards, strangers kept coming up to me and saying "Say hallo to my little freend," which I found a bit disturbing.

My shirt for the second year's contest was entered as "Hawaiian Boys with Woodies."
The design was surfers and those station wagons with wood trim, called Woodies, that surfers used back in the day to carry their surfboards.

Shirt Three is a floral number in a cool faded red. Emalee says the color is pink and has made not-too-subtle insinuations.

This year's shirt, sort of a Hawaiian Mafia don number, almost didn't even make it to the reception at all. Daughter Amie suggested, very seriously, that I should go back to the room and change.

While we're giving away things, would you like a happy, playful dog? Or a cat?

Seriously, you can have one. Two or three even. Just don't tell my family. Tell them you came for a shirt. They'll like that.

Birthday Wisdom

We celebrated Allen Hutto's 37th birthday this week. This may seem old to Allen. But I assured him that, based on my experiences, he has six or seven really good years ahead of him.

Great Old Traditions and Weird New Ideas

Here are some cool moments from the convention that may not make it into the magazine.

Joe Manis dancing on his table after winning a $5000 prize at the Saturday night banquet.

Collecting photos of member tattoos for the Saturday night video show. Yep, that was my idea. Sorry.

Our tribute to the children we've watched grow up over the years at the convention. Some of the kids we saw at age five in the video came to the convention this year as newly-minted college graduates. Talk about a tradition.

The dealers who continue to support the convention year after year. Aiken Housing, Brothers Housing and Real Estate, Carolina Home Outlet, Central Carolina Homes, Congaree Home Center, Dixie-George Jones, Gaymon & Associates Custom Homes, Ledbetter Housing, Kent Gault MH, Manning Homes, Manufactured Housing Outlet, Sangaree Homes, South Carolina Homes, Tri-County Homes come to mind. First-timers like the McGougans who own Unlimited Home Solutions in Lugoff. Plus the GMs from an assortment of Clayton, LUV and Country Squire retail centers.

Checking out Wii exercize at the Westin's fitness center and discovering that it is basically the same thing as Guitar Hero, but using your feet.

Convention Day One: The Giant Bellman

Wednesday, July 16. The Westin, Hilton Head Island

The Giant Bellman. It was hard to miss Gayle and Larry. The Garners were the first members I spotted today at the Westin. They caught my eye because a giant Jamaican bellman was giving them both a hug. He recognized them from last year's convention. Good people skills.

Gayle and Larry's company (Holiday Comfort) is in North Carolina but they are MHISC Convention loyalists. This will be their 20th straight MHISC convention.

The Surfer. Allen Hutto (MHISC's Local Government Affairs Director) went body surfing this afternoon. Impressive. He is an attorney and body surfer as well. I can't even regular surf. Oh admit it, Dillard. You can't water ski either.

The Jet Setter. I want to be Chip Smith when I grow up. Chip (Owner of Blue Ridge Log Cabins) called this afternoon. He can't come down Thursday but "I'll fly down Friday."

The Iron Man. You gotta appreciate Van Wells. He has too many transactions going to do the convention but he is driving down from Anderson--and back--to attend the Board of Director's meeting.

Coming Up Thursday:
The Other Mr. Buffet. The convention opens tomorrow, Thursday, with our Margaritaville Reception which will include a Margarita Fountain and a Cheeseburger in Paradise Station. The music, of course, will be Jimmy Buffet. You'll see a lot of members in Hawaiian shirts having a laid-back good time.

The First Convention Was the Worst

Next week's convention will be my 16th with MHISC.

The first one was the worst. I'd worked for the association for two weeks and knew about five members.

What I didn't know was MHISC had a cherished tradition back in the Nineties: "Nobody Listens on Friday Night."

I grabbed the microphone and introduced myself to the crowd and told a couple of jokes.

Nobody laughed. Not one single person. Nobody listened either. Everybody just kept talking.

"These people hate me," I thought. "Hate at first sight."

There's only one thing to do, I realized. "On Monday when we get back to Columbia, I'll just quietly resign," I told myself.

By the third convention I had wised up and delegated the Friday night announcements to the Chair.

These days we've got it down to a science. Give us four or five minutes and you'll see a short snappy presentation backed by music and a Powerpoint show.

First Federal sponsored the Friday night reception and paid a good bit of money for the privilege. That money helps us put on a great convention and to keep registration fees down. I know you'll want to give them the courteous reception they deserve.

Then John Polk and Todd Hiott will present the golf awards. I think the winners all deserve our attention and a nice round of applause. I'm impressed with anybody who can play a good round of golf.

My personal sports goal is to break 100---in both directions. Break 100 going downward in golf and 100 going up in bowling.