Question: Explain your title. Is it as straightforward as it seems or is there more to it?
Preston John: It's absolutely straightforward. This is a guide for New Home Builders. It will teach them how to adapt their advertising/sales & marketing strategies to the current needs of their industry. (That's where the 21st Century comes in!) Following the same guidelines and procedures as your grandfather might be a good idea in theory, but a lot of time has passed and you have to adjust for the changes that time brings. And the subtitle is just a reiteration of the fact that time brings change and more than that. This industry has just experienced a major upheaval. Things haven't changed so much as EVERYTHING has changed. That's why we threw that last little bit on there. Just to make it doubly clear that even if you've known what you were doing in the past...you should check out new techniques and strategies to keep up in the new housing industry.
Question: Is this book aimed at any particular size of new home building company? Who is it aimed at specifically?
Preston: Every new home builder will come away from this book with new ideas, solid plans, and the need to start reading it again. No matter how long you've been in the new home building industry or how successful you've been in the past or how many homes you've sold there are changes that need to be made and if you're not ready to make them you'll find yourself being surpassed by those who are willing to get out there and do what needs to be done to accommodate the current industry and its market. So, the short answer is no. This book is not aimed at any particular size of new home building company. Any new home builder will gain a new advantage in the industry by reading 21st Century Advertising for New Home Builders.
Question: It seems as if you're suggesting that Advertising and Sales & Marketing are one and the same. Is that one of your theories?
Preston: Not at all. There's advertising and there's everything else. There's Sales & Marketing there's public relations, there's special events and more. But to me...the Sales & Marketing plan is what brings it all together. They are all necessary components to your company's success. You have to determine where your emphasis will be according to your own strengths and weaknesses. But no...I'm not saying that there is ONE thing that your company can do to succeed. It's a complex mixture of a lot of different factors; like a spider web. There are some pieces that are more necessary than the others, but then some of those tiny, seemingly insignificant parts can bring the whole web down if you're not paying attention.
Question: When will it be available and where can we get it?
Preston: The release date is July 2008. It will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble...look for it at your favorite book store! And if they don't have it...demand an accounting! No, but really...they can get it for you. The LJW distributor makes it very available to all outlets in the book industry.
Question: Will you be following this book up with another for new home builders?
Preston: I've got ideas, but nothing that's set in concrete so I won't say anything right now. You can always check back with LJW Publishing to keep up with what I'm doing and what's coming up. As soon as anything is decided they put information up for interested readers.
