The ABC's of Personal Branding

Do you have your 30-second elevator pitch perfected? Do you know what makes YOU the realtor your clients trust and recommend to their network? Can your clients communicate what makes you great with consistency and accuracy? If you’re not sure, then it is probably time to work on refining your personal brand. These ABCs of Personal Branding are your jumping-off point, and they can be your touchstone anytime you may lose your focus. 

AUTHENTICITY

The first, perhaps most important, key to successful personal branding is conveying your character, your strengths, your skills, and your unique personality in your daily interactions. This sounds simple at first, but how exactly does it happen? Do the people around you really see you for who you are? Do you live your life in such a way that your values are readily apparent to those around you? 

It sounds simple, and in a way, it is. When you engage with others with confidence, honesty, passion, kindness, and genuine interest, your colleagues and clients will take notice. They will remember you, and they will speak well of you to others, especially once you have substantiated their impressions with successful transactions. 
 
 However, if you want these impressions to be based in truth—and of course you do—then it is important to practice adequate self-care. Strive to become (or, if you’ve done that commendable work already, remain) someone who can convey authenticity from within. Do self-checks to make sure your actions line up with your stated goals. Chat with trusted friends who can help you decompress from your most stressful days. Rest. Eat well. Move your body. You have heard these recommendations so often by now that you may be numb to them even as you read these words, but I genuinely hope you are not. If you care for yourself, you can then most capably care for those who rely on you.

BE BOLD

Once you know who you are, and you have found your perfect niche in the real estate market, it’s time to boldly stake your claim. Create a list of keywords that you want your clients to associate with you, and have them appear across multiple platforms: your website, your blog, your LinkedIn, your Facebook, and any other spaces you occupy online should contain these powerful, distinctive keywords. 

These themes should also be a part of any public talks you give, your 30-second elevator pitch (if you don’t have one, create one), and of course, your interactions with new clients. After spending five minutes with you, your client should know not only that you are the realtor they should choose, but they should also know exactly why that is. This clarity will allow them to create a pattern that will be strengthened by each of your subsequent interactions, culminating in an impression that they can convey to their network. 
 
This will only be successful if you know your niche, understand and communicate your strengths, and create a clear vision for your business. Build a solid foundation before you attempt to establish a business that will be made or broken—especially early on—based largely on personal impressions. 

CULTIVATE YOUR IMAGE CONSISTENTLY

Although authenticity is important, your authenticity must always be filtered through the lens of your desired public image. However, even if you are conducting yourself with integrity and actively practicing good self-care, I must tell you that people will still form their opinion of you based on their own biases, not just your own good behavior. There will be people who just don’t like you, don’t understand you, or don’t bite when you deliver your perfect elevator pitch.

However, you can control your overall reputation by being consistent. If you want to be seen as capable, confident, and conscientious, you must avoid negativity, refrain from blaming others, and strive to remain poised and calm, perhaps most especially when circumstances may be turning against you and your client. Remember, your clients want to feel safe and secure; you must strive to be the reason they do, even in the most stressful of situations. If your client does not feel supported throughout the entire transaction, they may be more hesitant to recommend your services, even if you have ultimately achieved their desired outcome. It’s not just what happens, or what is said, it is how you handle what happens, and how you say what must be said. 
 
Interact with both your clients and colleagues with integrity, kindness, and professionalism. This will create consistency between your public and semi-private images. If your clients and your colleagues find themselves agreeing when they speak of you, it immediately solidifies positive impressions on both sides, thereby increasing confidence in you and your brand. You must have experienced this yourself when you have spoken with someone who has shared their thoughts about a mutual acquaintance; remember how much your opinion of the person in question was either weakened or strengthened by that conversation, and let this memory help motivate you to be as consistent as possible.

CONTACT PARKS MARKETING FOR A BRANDING APPOINTMENT

If you need assistance with your branding, set up an appointment with our marketing department by emailing us at marketing@parksathome.com. Our department will help you with content writing, graphic design, social media, and email marketing to make sure your brand follows the ABC's.