12 minute read
7 DEADLY SINS
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.
MATTHEW ENRIGHT
Senior Loan Officer Matthew Enright of Cason Home Loans’ Columbus, Ohio, is a former Realtor – a fact that imbues him with a level of expertise many other Loan Officers lack.
Matthew Enright – Senior Loan Officer at Cason Home Loans’ Columbus, Ohio branch – is a dedicated professional who is truly committed to providing his many clients and Realtor partners with the very best customer service in the lending industry.
10 Copyright Top Agent Magazine Knowledgeable, Dependable – and, most important in an industry not generally known for this – empathetic, Matthew has earned his continually-growing reputation as someone who can be trusted to place his buyers’ best interests front and center.
Matthew, a former Realtor – a fact that imbues him with a level of expertise many other Loan Officers lack – partnered up with his brother in 2016. Matthew is justifiably proud of his association with Cason Home Loans, which provides almost every loan product available to suit any buyer’s needs. “We do have some unique products, and we also offer most of the standard ones as well,” says Matthew. “The majority of my business, though, are USDA Loans and VA loans.” Impressively, more than eighty percent of Matthew’s business is based on referrals from past clients, Realtors, attorneys and others he has worked with. “My mentor always told me that if you care more about people than you do about money, you will be unusually successful,” says Matthew, when asked how he manages to inspire such loyalty and confidence. “I think that’s missing a little bit in this industry. My clients know I care about them, and that I’m there for them. I treat every one of them as
12 Copyright Top Agent Magazine if they’re my family, and I’ve made some really great friendships and relationships in this business.”
One significant factor in Matthew’s continuing success story would be the systems and processes utilized by Cason Home Loans that result in each loan process moving along smoothly and quickly. “We utilize what I call ‘High Tech, High Touch’,” says Matthew. “As far as high tech is concerned, we use a lot of cutting-edge technology systems, like apps and the ability for our clients to apply online. The ‘high touch’ means that we maintain a human relationship with them as well, and we connect with them as an individual on a one-on-one basis.”
When he’s not working, Matthew enjoys nothing more than spending time with his wife and their three children. “We put a lot of time and effort into our children,” he says. Matthew also has a strong connection to his community. In addition to the volunteerism that has seen him picking up trash along the highway and local streets, he also is the Affiliate Director for the Lancaster Board of Realtors. “I love that I’m a part of this,” he says, “and that I get to help connect the real estate community with the community in general.”
The future looks incredibly bright for both Matthew and Cason Home Loans, which
recently opened another branch, with plans to expand into additional states. Matthew – who was recently licensed in Florida, understands
and is grateful for the almost-unheard of pace of his business growth. “I have to give all glory to God for what I have,” he says.
http://www.justingrable.com For more information about Matthew Enright, please call 614-915-5450 or email enrightm@casonhl.com
