Building our seemingly mini, personal businesses can be a daunting task. Rules, regulations, company initiatives, ebbs, and flows, all makes for a fun, yet sometimes turbulent effort of maintaining brand awareness and development. On so many levels, we are, in this business, in a constant state of growth. As we grow, create new ideas, work with our clients, and develop plans, the brand should remain priority number one.
Why should the brand come first? The answer to that question is a simple one, in a world of iBuyers and Discount Brokers, a brand is what sets you apart. It’s the reason large companies spend so much money on marketing that speaks more to who they are than the product they sell. It’s why a professional sports team will release a player due to an individual action that may not fit with the way the team wants to be perceived by the public. What is brand? A brand is defined in a hyper-literal sense as “a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name.” However, it has developed quite much into a definition more suited as such; “brand is the intentional or unintentional internal and/or external perception of a person, place or thing.”
This “newly-tuned” definition of a brand is one that can lift us up, or knock us down. It is what I will call the “Great Separator.” A brand is what, when all opportunities are in front of our clients, FSBO, iBuyer, Discount Broker, Agent Competition, makes your client turn to us and say, “You’re hired!” A brand is what makes pricing, commissions and so much more irrelevant to our clients. A brand is what makes our buyers say, “Enjoy the day with your family; we can look at homes tomorrow.” At the same time, a brand is what causes our clients to praise our commitment, our sacrifice, our focus, and our guide.
So what is it for you? What is, not necessarily “your brand,” but what is “brand,” for you? And yes, I know what you’re thinking, “don’t I need to develop and review my brand? Shouldn’t I focus on creating?” To that, the answer is an absolute, “Yes!” Still, I ask you this, what is a carpenter without his or her tools? It is vital that while brainstorming on, building, developing, and reviewing your brand, you are consistently bringing yourself back to your definition of brand.
With that in mind, here are five keys to help you develop the definition of your brand as created by one of my marketing mentors.
- B enefits = The advantages of hiring you.
- R ecord = The perception of your conduct/performance in the marketplace.
- A ttitude = The sentiment behind how you do business.
- N iches = Specialized skillsets and subject-matter expertise.
- D esign = The look, feel, and tone of your business.
Always factor in the goal of your brand and remember that there is more than just what you see. What you see isn’t always what the public sees. Ask yourself if your brand, your business, is more or less important than your desire to do certain things, whether out one evening or commenting on social media.
Let’s all do a 2020 review and if needed, revamp our brand, branding plan, and future focus. Remember, love, be well, and be your best. We are Real Estate Done Right!
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