13 minute read
7 DEADLY SINS OF PERSONAL
Compliants are thinkers. They’re always wondering how things work. They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information. some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’ve opted for a much more affordable offering: a free DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own dominant style and how to read others as well. Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work and attention. But because real estate is a people business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better living you’ll make as an agent or broker. I promise. Best of luck to you! What is a ‘personal brand’? Just like company or product branding, it’s built around imaging and messaging that is designed to create a feeling. And in the case of personal branding, it influences how you want others to feel about you. From your photos to other brand images, elements and even content, there is a lot that goes into creating your unique brand. Displayed correctly and consistently (across all marketing platforms), a well-defined brand can elevate agent recognition and help to establish credibility and authority. However, when executed incorrectly, the effects are lackluster at best, and harmful at worst. To help you avoid the pitfalls of personal branding, we’ve compiled a list of what we feel are the 7 deadliest sins. 7 Deadly Sins of Personal Branding
Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. Branding is not about being known for your profession. It’s about being known for being different in your profession. If all agents were the same, how would your customers know who to choose? Lack of differentiation is by far the #1 personal branding sin. We love to tell the story of a real estate agent who expressed to us that she was already well branded in her area. She stated, “When I walk into a restaurant in my community, people already know I’m a real estate agent.” And while that is a great start, it’s nowhere close to successful branding. Let’s assume I walked
and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also like activities they can start and finish. Compliants are thinkers. They’re always wondering how things work. They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information. some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’ve opted for a much more affordable offering: a free DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own dominant style and how to read others as well. Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work and attention. But because real estate is a people business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better living you’ll make as an agent or broker. I promise. NO FOCUS In business, you can’t be all things to all people. Many have tried and failed. In order to have a successful business and brand, you must clearly define your ideal customer and how you will super-serve that customer. In other words, declare and develop a specialty. By being focused, it does NOT mean that you stop doing all business outside of your specific focus. That would be quite difficult. It does mean that, over time (if done correctly), you will do more and more of the exact kind of business you want, and conversely, even stop doing the kind of business you don’t want. And that’s what a great brand is designed to accomplish. NO AUTHENTICITY Recognizable personal brands can be very clever and memorable, but if your brand isn’t ‘you’, it won’t last. If you try to put out a persona that is different from your own and the way you live your life, people will take notice over time. The most incredible personal brands weave professional and personal qualities into one. Your brand becomes an extension of you. You should be able to ‘breathe your brand’ in everything that you do. This is important not only for your customers, but perhaps most importantly for you. There is a tremendous amount of confidence that comes with knowing that you are who you portray, and that you have the habits, inspiration, knowledge and expertise to back it up. into that restaurant and noticed her. But I also noticed two other agents in the same restaurant. Now, who do I choose? Which ‘brand’ stands out to me? What lets me know that one of them is uniquely positioned to serve my needs?
Best of luck to you!
NO CONSISTENCY
Copyright©, 2015 Bubba Mills. All rights reserved. Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com. You can have a recognizable and memorable brand, but if you don’t display those branding elements correctly and consistently across all of your marketing platforms, it does you little good. In order to accomplish this task well, you must step back from your marketing and see it the way others do. You see your social media channels every day. You see your business cards, postcards, brochures, etc. Other people don’t see them nearly as often, so don’t apply or compare your own habits and exposure to theirs. Repetitiveness in marketing is not only a good thing, it’s essential for retention. Once you determine the overall messaging and look of your brand, that look should continue across literally every marketing platform you touch.
NO CONTENT
The ultimate goal of personal branding is to become known as an authority in your chosen niche. That means that you must demonstrate the knowledge, expertise and/ or experience to back up your position. Content that best expresses you and your brand could be as simple as a series of photos, quotes, e-books, video shorts, etc. Choosing the type of content you’re most comfortable producing is the key to keeping it simple. No one wants to be bogged down with producing content. But on the flip side, no one knows how much you know until you share it. Great content demonstrates your knowledge and helps your customers at the same time. In addition, it serves another purpose with search engine optimization and attracting prospects online. NO CALL TO ACTION and they don’t care for sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. They also like activities they can start and finish. Compliants are thinkers. They’re always wondering how things work. They want practicality, logic, fairness and a systematic approach. When talking to thinkers give facts, documentation and data. They seek accuracy. They’re motivated by standards of high quality, limited social interaction, detailed tasks and logical organization of information.
You’re spending money to market across multiple platforms, so why not take the opportunity to extend an invitation for your prospects to engage with you? It can be a simple call to action, such as ‘call me first’ or more specific, ‘contact me for a free home staging assessment’ or ‘download my e-book and learn how to invest using other people’s money’. Your call to action may change with different marketing channels or purposes, but you should always, always have one. If you want people to do something, tell them what you’d like them to do. That’s how you move prospects one step closer to becoming customers. NO FOLLOW-THROUGH Why is this included in branding, you may ask?Because your brand is your bond. It’s your handshake. When you say you’ll do something, how can people trust you if you don’t follow through with your promise? This is often the element that people forget altogether. And in fact, in our communication with hundreds of agents, follow-through is at the top of the list when it comes to customer complaints. You don’t want to be that person. Putting an incredible message and image out there isn’t enough. You must live up to those standards with every customer, every transaction some personality assessment tools can cost thousands of dollars, but at Corcoran Coaching, we’ve opted for a much more affordable offering: a free DIsC assessment. Just visit www.corcorancoaching.com/behavioralstyle. php and you’ll be guided through a quick questionnaire to learn your own dominant style and how to read others as well. Yes, understanding people, listening to their needs and wants and responding appropriately all take work and attention. But because real estate is a people business, it’s simply a must. And the better at it you become, the better living you’ll make as an agent or broker. I promise. Best of luck to you! Copyright©, 2015 Bubba Mills. All rights reserved.
Tonya Eberhart is the Branding Agent to Business Stars and founder of BrandFace ® , LLC. Michael Carr is America’s Top Selling Real Estate Auctioneer & BrandFace ® partner. Together, they focus on personal branding and marketing designed to help real estate professionals become the face of their business & a star in their market. BrandFace ® for Real Estate Professionals is a book, professional speaking series and an exclusive workshop for agents, and is currently active in 18 U.S. states, Canada and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.BrandFaceRealEstate.com. Bubba Mills is co-owner and executive vice president of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching Inc. (www.corcorancoaching.com/programs, 800-957-8353), an international consulting and coaching company that specializes in performance coaching and the implementation of sound business systems into Real Estate Companies, Mortgage Companies and Small Businesses. Bubba Mills is a nationally recognized inspirational and education speaker, coach and mentor to the top real estate agents and mortgage companies. To find out more about Corcoran Consulting & Coaching, call 1-800-957-8353 or visit us at www.CorcoranCoaching.com.
LIZETH LAGOMARCINO
PAPALEO
Lizeth Lagomarcino Papaleo worked as a banker at Chase for six years, but was always intrigued by a career in the mortgage industry. She viewed it as the opposite side of the same coin, where instead of taking money from clients she would be lending it. She took advice from the many REALTORS ® in her family and decided to make the change, and currently works as a mortgage loan originator at American Bancshares Mortgage.
Lizeth is licensed in Florida and Massachusetts, and her bilingual skills serve as a big plus for her clients, and a good reason for why about 90% of her business is repeat and referral. “Being bilingual has come in really handy for me in Massachusetts. In South Florida being bilingual is common, but in Massachusetts it’s rare. So I’ve been fortunate to tap into the Hispanic community because when you’re from another country
and English is not your first language, and you’re talking about money and finances, even if you speak English fluently, a lot of people prefer to have those conversations in their native tongue.”
Working in the mortgage industry comes with great responsibility, and for Lizeth it’s crucial that her clients thoroughly understand the entire process from start to finish. “When
I got my home 7 years ago, I didn’t know anything about the process. The people that I did my loan with just said, ‘Sign here’ but there was no explanation of what I was really doing. Once I closed on the house I didn’t know I was going to get a bill in November for my taxes. I had no idea what my insurance entailed. So I always go back to that experience when I talk to clients, I want them to understand the process.” This is also why working with non-native clients is so close to Lizeth’s heart. “This process can be a little overwhelming for people that have never
done this before. And especially for people who have been living in the US for just a couple years. The financial system is completely different. I think that’s why a lot of my clients come back and recommend me, because they appreciate that I explain the whole process to them.”
As someone who is motivated by shedding light on all facets of the financial process to her clients, Lizeth’s approach to marketing is no different. “I post quality content about issues people want to know more about. I moved to this country when I was 18-yearsold and I didn’t know how the financial system worked, what credit meant, what you needed to do to have good credit. And I know people who have been here all their lives who don’t know it either. So I like to post a lot about that.”
Even though the world is currently battling with the COVID-19 virus, Lizeth does her best to stay positive and keep her clients up to date about the market. “With the coronavirus situation, I am working to keep my clients informed on what’s happening with the market
and the current rates. It’s incredibly important that they understand how this is going to impact them. This is not 2008, this is not a financial crisis, it’s a health crisis. As soon as everything goes back to normal, the bounce back will be a lot faster.”
http://www.justingrable.com
To learn more about Lizeth Lagomarcino Papaleo email lpapaleo@myabsm.com, or call 954-296–9555
