EVENTS CALENDAR
ASSOCIATE COUNCIL LUNCHEON Thursday, March 3 11:30 a.m. at GHBA
Topic: MultiFamily Forecast presented by Steve Hefner, Camden Development
Cost: $10/person $15 at the door Sponsorships available!
ASSOCIATE COUNCIL LUNCHEON Thursday, April 7 11:30 a.m. at GHBA
Topic: Lunch with Legends
Cost: $10/person $15 at the door Sponsorships available!
ASSOCIATE COUNCIL LUNCHEON Thursday, May 5 11:30 a.m. at GHBA
Cost: $10/person $15 at the door Sponsorships available!
INFO/SPONSORSHIPS: Peggy Means 281.970.8970 x161
pmeans@ghba.org
ASSOCIATE COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Keith Rodgers, HomeTeam Pest Defense
Vice President: Denny Patterson, Airtron Houston
Secretary: Beth Avalos, Floors Inc.
Treasurer: Tony Boilek, Sherwin-Williams Paint Co.
Past President: Jim Wyatt, MasterBrand Cabinets
ASSOCIATE COUNCIL NEWS Become Truly Marketing-Minded A
s an associate member of the GHBA, I have the opportunity to meet with
many of the home builders in the Houston market. My everyday challenge is to be able to bring something to the table to satisfy their needs. Discussions evolve around the different types of services we offer along with our ability to back it up and, of course, pricing. With the larger production builders this means being able to touch several different departments such as purchasing, construction, sales and marketing. Many vendors do not think of the marketing department when they think of meeting builders’ needs. A brand-led sale ensures that you meet customer needs in a way that is different from your competitors.
2011 Associate Council President Keith Rodgers, CGA, CSP, CGP, HomeTeam Pest Defense
One of the first questions I get asked in a builder meeting is: "What can you tell us about HomeTeam Pest Defense?" "What is your mission statement or vision?" A business vision (or mission) has a number or roles, the most important of which is to inspire and guide. Too many business visions include words like 'leader,' 'best,' 'preeminent,' 'most successful.' These words can mean many different things to different people, and for that reason they can be limited help to inspire or guide the behavior of a company. Name brands products such as Taexx have just the same function. Make sure your brand is strong enough to inspire and guide behavior.
ANNUAL SPONSOR
As a pest control company, a home builder or any other type of business, building or selling a brand is not just about advertising or marketing communications. Nor is it just about your product, service or price. Your brand is really what your customers think of you, and how much trust they have in you. To build a strong brand you must
have a clear idea of how you want to be regarded, and then consider everything you say and do. Ask yourselves daily, “Do I have a brand plan with clear, measurable objectives?” “Am I measuring the things that are really important?”
Continuously improving your brand-led effectiveness is essential to long-term success. The best way to achieve this is to ensure that you take a little time to become a “learning business” by building education into your processes. For every sales or marketing initiative you undertake, ask yourself: How can I build learning into this, so that I can find out what works and what doesn't, and do it better next time? Houston is a very competitive market; you have to be prepared to change. Offers that work for one buyer or during this quarter might not work for the next. Don't just try and offer the same things better; look around for new ways of pursuing your vision and your desired brand. Explore, experiment, and anticipate.
Being a part of the GHBA, TAB and the NAHB gives me the added opportunity to stay informed and continue being educated on everything from the changing consumer trends, competitor activity, legislation, economic trends or technology developments that might have an impact on my business. We live in a rapidly changing world of many threats and opportunities. Few business managers take adequate time out to stop, look around, and reflect on how these changes might have an impact. As a result, most vendors cannot deliver to each and every production home builder’s many departments. Understanding and responding to changing customer needs is essential, but there is another dimension…
GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION – BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE | HOUSTON BUILDER | MARCH 2011 37
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