Monday, March 30, 2009

Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol Part 12

This is part twelve of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

Tapping Into Your Inner Voice

This week, Allison Iraheta sang “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” which brought rave reviews from the judges. She found her voice, found her brand signal and connected to the core of her being. What is particularly remarkable about Alison is that she is only 16 years old. In this performance, according to one of the judges, Alison tapped so deeply into her inner voice, her unique brand signal, it was, “from God, you cannot teach that!”

Once you find your unique wavelength, once you tap into your inner voice, you cannot go back to the same old way of doing things without a feeling of angst. Your talent grows; your performance gets better and better. You cannot accept anything less.

This also applies to those in luxury real estate marketing who seek to gain or sustain market leadership. The pursuit of market leadership may seem on the outside like acquiring the lion’s share of market share. But, it is actually the quest for tapping into your inner voice. True market leaders compete only with themselves. They constantly keep reaching for their best and look to improve no matter what the circumstances are. They like the leading edge, they constantly explore it. They don’t let themselves be swayed by events of the day. They mind their own business. They consistently stay on their brand signal.
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Friday, March 27, 2009

Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol Part 11

This is part eleven of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

A Moment of Transformation

Last night’s American Idol featured some stellar performances. Several of the contestants found their brand signal. Their voices and their performances were authentic –matching their talent and their innate artistic style. When you hear it you know it. The judges referred to it as having a “moment”.

In sports, the term most often associated with this is “being in the zone”. It is a time when what seemed unattainable manifests. It is a time when everything clicks. It is when a real estate deal falls into place and all parties are aligned. It is when you are in the flow of life.

On Adam Lambert’s performance, Simon remarked,” tonight you have become a star”. His performance moved Smokey Robinson, this week’s mentor and songwriter (“Tracks of My Tears”) to give him a standing ovation. This was Adam’s transformational moment.

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, have you had your transformational moment?
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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Stretching Your Marketing $$$, Part 2

hursday, March 26, 2009 at 08:00AM

This is a series in response to one of the most asked question in real estate at the moment, “How do I stretch my marketing dollars?”

Be Prepared For Business: Don’t Invite People if Your Shop is a Mess

Is your website like the "Little Shop of Horrors"? Many luxury real estate professionals are spending money on pay-per-click advertising and Search Engine Optimization to help drive traffic to their sites. However, their web sites are not customer/user friendly. It’s like shopkeepers advertising to invite people into an uninviting messy store.

Instead of being focused on the clients’ primary need, which is usually to search for homes, many web sites confuse the visitor by running news feeds, weather reports, etc. With the popularity of videos, they often clutter their home pages with distractiing features of local attractions.

Many of these “bells and whistles” are a turn-off. Have you ever visited a site where someone walks across the home page and starts talking at you? This may have been novel the first time you saw it, but once the novelty wears off it is downright annoying and often horribly done. In fact, it can be a deterrent for repeat visits which is the whole purpose of having a website that is a resource, not a special effect show. Instead of a 'sticky' site that encourages visitors to hang out, it becomes a slippery site, where customers want to slip out the back.

Furthermore, if the type is so tiny that you need a magnifying glass to read it, even if you are blessed with 20/20 vision, you can expect a no-show if you invite someone to return to your site. Like walking out of a store in a shopping mall, we can immediately click away, and look at the more user-friendly competitor site. Your marketing dollars may have brought business to the door. But, will the customer walk in and stay? Or, have you just wasted your money? If you are going to pay for your web site to be optimized, make sure you reap the benefits of a clean, tasteful site!

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Stretching Your Marketing $$$

This is a series in response to one of the most asked question in real estate at the moment, “How do I stretch my marketing dollars?”

Co-market with Others

Do what the big brands do. Think outside the proverbial box of advertising in magazines and on online. Do something that involves creating relationships with individuals and groups. For instance, at the Santa Barbara Saturday Farmer’s market, Toyota of Santa Barbara introduced its Venza model. They recruited the local chefs to come up with sampling delights based on the market’s ingredients. Toyota gave away potted herbs to anyone visiting their display. They also had a $50 gift for individuals who wanted to test drive the car.

Who benefited? Toyota, the farmers and other purveyors, the chefs promoted their restaurants

and the throngs of locals and tourists who frequent the Saturday market—they all benefited. Everyone came away with a good impression and a wonderful experience.

An agent could have easily participated in this event by supporting a part of this event with a clever giveaway. This is promotion at its best, MAKING YOURSELF WELL KNOWN AND WELL THOUGHT OF.

How can you co-market with someone or some company in your marketplace?

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Friday, March 20, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Web Design Essentials: What does Your Store Front Look Like?

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, one of the best ways to think of your real estate web design is to compare it to a fine retail establishment. A luxury retail store is designed to attract its customers and maximize sales. Here are some guidelines to consider:

  • The store front usually has a huge window display. The idea is to let customers see the merchandise within the store, as well as a special vignette of the latest merchandise.This is your home page. Is it appealing to look at? Does it have curb appeal? As part of the home page, several iconic images of the area in which you work may be appropriate.
  • Is the merchandise aesthetically pleasing? When looking at what you are displaying, i.e. your listings, how do they look on the page? Are the initial photos inviting the potential client to click further and find out more? Is there logic to the way they are displayed?
  • When you are in the store are the colors complimenting the displays? Is the site easy to read? Often black is overused as a luxury color particularly with white lettering. If the whole site is black with white writing, it is hard to read. It may be beautiful from a design standpoint, but difficult on the eyes. Is the type large enough? Again, functionality is more important than the look. The purpose of the site is to attract clients, not to win awards.
  • Is it easy to access the inventory? Is the search function easy to use on your site? If the client has to fill out a lengthy form to find information, they will click away. There are plenty of sites on the World Wide Web that can be searched by remaining anonymous. Is it easy to access you?
  • A luxury store avoids clutter and anything that may detract from focusing on the merchandise for sale. Avoid all extraneous information. Accessorize with pertinent and insightful information about your marketplace such as the nature of your community and why it is special.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Minding Your Store

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, it is important to respond to leads, emails, and phone calls as soon as possible. Here is an example of what can happen, when no one responds.

Cosmetics and beauty products are one of the largest profit centers in a department store. That is why they are positioned in front of the store as you enter. Have you ever noticed what happens when a customer is looking for products at an unattended cosmetic counter?

At unattended counters, customers are often approached by a salesperson from another counter, representing another brand, but wanting to help. When the customer is unsure about the particular product line that they first inquired about, the opportunity to switch is heightened. If the salesperson is charming, engaging and knowlegable, the customer can easily be persuaded to switch brands, based purely on attentiveness.

The bottom line here is that an unattended counter can cost sizable sales. The lack of attention, alone, can be enough to make customers switch.

In luxury real estate, when a potential buyer or seller is looking for answers on the internet, they want an answer ASAP. The person who responds first and is knowledgeable will get the lead and eventually the sale. That is why RAPID RESPONSE on the web and on the phone is very, very important. Even if they are not ready to buy or sell, potenital clients will be impressed by this, and remember you.

Don’t let your marketing dollars benefit someone else. Follow up on everyone you bring to your "counter". Your assistant can take care of the initial responses and determine the ones with whom you should talk or personally respond to by email.

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Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol Part 10

This is part ten of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

Liken Your Personal Brand to What is Already Known

When you introduce a new brand it helps to liken your personal brand to what is already known. The American Idol voters picked the top ten they would want to see on tour this summer. Each of the contestants has a distinct personality and musical style. You can even hear the judges liken members of the new "touring company" to particular musical stars. After Matt's first audition, Simon compared hime to Elliot Yamin. This week Matt was compared to Justin Timberlake and Michael Buble and Lil Rounds was compared to to Mary J. Blige. They are labeling and branding the contestants to help the voters pigeonhole them in a particular genre. As such they are positioning the contestants in the minds of the listeners.

It is easy to communicate using known commodities such as labels. The process of understanding and promoting quickens. A line from a Robert Altman’s film, The Player illustrates the point humorously. A screenwriter is hawking a new movie and describes it as a Bruce Willis film, "Ghost meets The Manchurian Candidate."

Here is an example that can apply to real estate practice: If you are launching your new blog that features local restaurant reviews you might want to call yourself ”the Ruth Reichl of [your town’s name]”. Ruth Reichl was a famous food editor for the Los Angeles Times and is now the editor in chief for Gourmet magazine. The purpose of personal branding is to create your own label. You are telling people how you want to be perceived.

How can you liken your personal brand to something or someone your target market already knows?

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Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol - Part 9

Diana Krall

This is part nine of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

Part 9--“Own” Your Brand Category

American idol had a surprise ending in Wild Card round. They selected four additional contestants to go through to the Top 12 making it a baker’s dozen (13) instead. Keeping your brand fresh is very important and this twist did just that for the show. But, it is important to stay on your brand signal. This applies to real estate personal branding as well.

A very clear example of a distinct talent that stayed true to her brand signal was Megan, who sings jazz.. She has a very marketable appearance and a great voice. There is no question about her talent. But, what makes her stand out is her brand category. No other contestant “owns” jazz.

The ideal opportunity in branding is to own your category. When you think of a MP3 music player what brand comes to mind? IPod is by far the winner.

Think! Who’s the first female singer to come to mind in the current, contemporary jazz category? Diana Krall now owns the category. There is definitely room another singer in this category.

What do you think Megan’s chances are of being the next American Idol? Let us know your opinion.

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Luxury Real Estate Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol: Part 8

Part 8: Can You Hear Your Own Voice?

This is part eight of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

David Cook, American Idol, 2008

There is much more involved in real estate agent personal branding than creating a look and a logo. Essentially, it is the process of discovering and consistently broadcasting your own unique voice. Only by hearing you own voice can you know when you are on and off your brand signal.

Last year’s American Idol, David Cook, consistently broadcasted his authentic brand signal throughout the entire season beginning in his first audition. He knew his mind and constantly chose the right songs. His pop rock brand was apparent in everything he sang, even Little Sparrow by Dolly Parton. He definitely is not a musical comedy artist. But, his version of Music of the Night from Phantom still showcased his outstanding vocals.

Cook’s song choice in the final sing- off was not Billie Jean, the obvious crowd pleaser. David took a huge risk in favor of artistic integrity and it paid off, much to the surprise of Simon who thought he blew it. This victory may have been even greater for David Cook than winning the top prize.

David exemplified the principle of striking the balance between commercialism and artistic integrity. You CAN please others and yourself simultaneously. It does not have to be either-or. When you pick the right brand category and the right song all is aligned. Only then can you hear your own voice and share it with the world.

David Archuleta, American Idol Runner Up

Although, David Archuleta was (and is) adored by millions of fans, his American Idol journey was more of a roller coaster in terms of being on or off his authentic brand signal with his song choices. However, when he sings Imagine by John Lennon it is as if you are hearing an angel; his signal is that pure.

Listen to his video. Can you feel the oneness between the right brand category (pop) and the right song? Can you hear Archuleta’s authentic brand signal, his voice?

This purity comes from the absence of contradiction between artistic integrity and commercialism. The personal branding process is all about dialing into your authentic brand signal and consistently staying on signal.

Are you broadcasting your authentic brand signal? Can you hear your own voice?

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Luxury Real Estate Agent Personal Branding:Learning from American Idol, Part 7

Part 7: Test Market

This is part seven of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

Jordin Sparks 2007 American IdolOne method of discovering the balance between commercial success and artistic integrity is test marketing. Determine what is needed and wanted by your audience. Then find a way to deliver just that, but in your own inimitable way. To be able to say, “I did it my way” is extremely satisfying. This is the sweet spot of commercial success in any field: Not compromising and still winning it all.

In the case of real estate personal branding your audience is your target market of buyers and sellers. Find out which niche has the most underserved demand. Then find a way to serve that niche better than anyone else in your marketplace. That is the ultimate purpose of test marketing.

On American Idol, choosing the right song within the right brand category or genre is of paramount importance. The right song needs to appeal to the widest audience in order to win the most votes. With instant audience feedback, test marketing can be very effective, but risky. Perhaps, this is the case of Adam Lambert.

What is your take on Adam Lambert, the Top 12 contestant? Adam definitely has talent and is therefore marketable. What we know about his background story, apart from living in Los Angeles, is that he toured in the Broadway play, Wicked. Can you name his brand category? Does he want to be pigeonholed as a musical comedy singer based on his background? Here are the songs and the brand categories he has chosen to test so far:

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, the British rock group

Some Kind of Wonderful, by the American R&B group, Soul Brothers Six

Believe, by Cher (pop)

Satisfaction, by The Rolling Stones (Rock)

Adam is obviously very popular. But, have we experienced his authentic brand signal, yet? It will be interesting to see if this becomes clearer throughout the show. He has changed genre several times. Is he showing us a wide range of possible brand categories to avoid the “pigeonhole trap”. Or, perhaps he is just “test marketing”.

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Luxury Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol, Part 6

Part 6: Pick the Right Brand Category: Pick the Right Song!

This is part six of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

American Idol judges seem to admire those contestants who know who they are in terms of their brand category (country, rock, rhythm and blues, etc) and those who stay within that genre. Real estate agent personal branding requires the same clarification of brand category. That is why selecting a niche and sticking with it is so important.

American Idol, Carrie Underwood’s brand category is country. David Cook’s category is pop rock. Fantasia’s category is rhythm and blues. Once you clarify your brand category you must find your own “voice” or your authentic “brand signal” within that category and you must choose the right songs to showcase your unique talent.

Song choice is extremely important. Many artists fall into a trap when it comes to choosing songs. They encounter what appears to be a paradox: the choice between artistic integrity and commercialism. The trap is that the two are considered to be in opposition. Commercialism is considered the excessive emphasis on profit making. If you opt for commercialism you are selling out. But, keep in mind that American Idol is about creating commercially successful stars!

The underlying false premise here is that there is a scarcity of songs from which to choose. The truth is that there are plenty of songs that may be chosen that are both commercially appealing and right on your brand signal.

In part 3 we referred to the two blue collar workers, Michael and Matt. Michael, the oil rigger, was voted through to the top 12. Matt, the welder chose one of his favorite songs but it was unanimously considered the wrong song choice by the judges. Matt insisted that he would still have picked the same song even if he was warned not to sing it prior to the live show. He fell into the “either-or” trap!

As we mentioned before, Matt already had the odds against him because his competitor, Michael, in “the blue collar” brand category went through; the likelihood of the audience selecting two in this category was already very slim.

Who knows? Perhaps the judges will reconsider Matt for the wild card round. Although, we doubt it!

Real estate agents beware! Pick the right brand category. Pick the Right Song!

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Luxury Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol, Part 5

Part 5: Know Your Brand Signal

This is part five of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

In our previous post, we said: “If Nick stays true to his unique brand signal and gets some coaching to hone his signal, he could have a meteoric rise to success, faster than any other contestant at this stage because of his distinctiveness in a sharply defined brand category”.

“Does Nick have enough empathy with the audience to be voted through to the top 12? His chances are very good if he has an outstanding performance in week 2 that is ‘right on signal’. We shall see”.

Well, Nick may have blown a major career opportunity unless a sharp talent coach or agent picks him up! He sang a song from Dream Girls (the Jennifer Hudson show stopper). He was definitely in the right brand category (musical comedy) vs. country or rhythm and blues, etc. But, his performance was neither outstanding comically or musically/vocally. Had he come out and shown his vocals as Nick and thrown just a slight comedic twist (as Norm) in an understated way, he could have done it.

What was so exciting about Nick was that he broke all of the rules. And, the judges were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just based on the comments we received on our blog post, he had support of a large segment of the audience who was rooting for him to pull it off because of his unconventionality. But, he was unsure of his brand “signal”.

In real estate personal branding it is important to know your authentic brand signal, clearly define your personal brand category and then stay with it. American Idol makes this point very clearly.

Click here to view the entire American Idol- real estate agent personal branding blog series


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Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol - Part 4


Part 4: What is Your Personal Brand Category?

This is part four of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

It is extremely important to understand the concept of brand categories because that is how we remember brands. So much is at stake, in terms of market share for any product or service, if yours is the first brand that comes to mind when your target market thinks about your brand category. In the cola brand category #1 Coke outsells #2 Pepsi by 2:1. Three times more people choose #1 Google over #2 Yahoo when it comes to the category of internet search, with MSN a very distant third.

There are many categories of music from classical to heavy metal. American Idol is all about the category of Pop. But, there are many sub-categories of pop such as pop soul, pop rock, pop rhythm and blue, musical comedy, country, etc. When you think of the category of 50’s pop rock and roll what name comes to mind first? Most people would say Elvis, by a vast margin.

This year the American Idol judges selected someone who is both a singer and a comedian with a very quirky personality. He has two names, his real name, Nick Mitchel and his alter ego, Norman Gentle. Because of his uniqueness, Nick is a one-man-brand, a category of one. Nick has absolutely NO COMPETITION in his brand category. He IS the standout in his category. He definitely has talent, marketability as a musical comedy star and has a funny story. It doesn’t even matter if he becomes the next American Idol or goes on to the next round. He has already won the competition in his category! All he needs is a bit more exposure and the branding process will be complete in the minds of the audience.

Once branded however, it would be extremely difficult for the audience to take Nick seriously as a pop rock star like Chris Daughtry. If Nick stays true to his unique brand signal and gets some coaching to hone his brand signal, he could have a meteoric rise to success, faster than any other contestant at this stage because of his distinctiveness in a sharply defined brand category.

Does Nick have enough empathy with the audience to be voted through to the top 12? His chances are very good if he has an outstanding performance in week 2 that is "right on signal". We shall see.

Think about how you can strike a chord with your audience, and be distinct from your competition in a sharply defined niche or brand category in your marketplace.

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Friday, March 13, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: The Luxury of Time

When you own your own business as in a real estate practice, it is so easy to work long hours and become entrenched in finding more ways to put in long hours. It is important to replenish your personal reserves, take time out to be with friends, enjoy life and the surroundings in which we live. Read more

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Making the Proper Commitment to Your Business Today

There has never been a better time for luxury real estate marketing professionals to increase their market share than right now. While your competition is like a deer in headlights, stunned by indecision and immobilized, this is the best time to strategize and stay in front of prospective buyers and sellers.

In his debut video blog, Rick Goodwin, the publisher of Unique Homes and UniqueHomes.com,advises Realtors about the mindset needed to survive in today's real estate market. Rick says, "those who make the proper commitment to their business today, will be positioned to reap the benefits when the market recovers".

Check out Rick's video. It will just take a minute, a "Unique Minute". It is well worth your time!

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Thursday, March 5, 2009

Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol - Part 3

Part 3: Watch Out for the "Pigeonhole Trap"

This is part three of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

In the selection process to determine the top 36 contestants for 2009 American Idol, the judges called two contestants in for a final sing off: Matt Breitzke and Michael Sarver. Why these two together? Because they are both blue collar workers, married with kids. They were “pigeonholed” in the same brand category by the judges: burly blue collar workers. From a personal branding standpoint, this is perhaps one of the most important stories to watch on the show.

Based on appearance alone, one could say that they do have similar body types. But, this competition is not about acting based on looks, it is about having a great voice. In post #1 we said, “If you have talent, you have marketability”. Both guys have talent and marketability.

In post #2 we talked about the importance of your background story as a building block of your personal brand. But, what if you have virtually the same story as your competitor like Matt and Michael? How do you stand out? How do you differentiate yourself from your competitor? This is the most important question about real estate agent personal branding!

We will answer this question of differentiation and also explain how to avoid the “pigeonhole trap” in subsequent posts in this series. But, here we look at what can happen if you fall into this trap.

In the case of Matt and Michael the judges decided to let America vote instead of picking one or the other. Both contestants went on to the top 36. The sing-off on TV essentially created a brand category by linking these two together in the minds of the voters, a brand category that may not have been formulated otherwise.

It was Michael Starver, the oil rigger, who was voted into the top 12 in the first week of audience participation. His counterpart will come up in the second week. What do you think the chances are the Matt will also make it?

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Monday, March 2, 2009

Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol - Part 2


Part 2: The Importance of Your Background Story

This is part two of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. You do not have to be an Idol fan to enjoy!

The key to real estate personal branding is finding a way to stand out and engaging the emotions of your target market. The role of your background story is very important. You want to present your personal brand in such a way that potential clients can identify with you. Then you want to turn them into “raving fans”.

When you think of Martha Stewart what emotional associations come to mind? Wholesomeness, down to earth, helpfulness, cheerfulness, comfort food, hearth and home are some. Emotional bonds with Martha’s loyal fans are so strong that they were able to readily forgive for her past indiscretions. Rating for her show actually improved over time.

The American Idol judges look for the stand outs in the initial selection process. To build empathy the opening shows begin featuring background stories of candidates especially if there is pathos or they have a particular human interest story. Certain themes emerge which begins to create personal brand categories:

The single mom on her own

  • The blue collar workers who audition because they want a better life for their family
  • The young man whose wife died
  • The guy who gave up his life to take care of his mother
  • The country girl living on a farm

These aspects contribute to the entertainment value of the show, and also influence the voters’ selection of the best performers. Prior to each performance, the viewers are reminded of the lives of the individuals and their initial auditions. This reinforces these brand categories. You will see in the next post just how important brand categories become in the competition.

This season’s first selection included a young mother of 20 with pink hair and a sizzling performance, an oil rigger, and a widower. Each struck a chord with the voting audience, and they received the highest number of votes.

Watch the video performance of Danny, the young man whose wife died. The talent is definitely there. But, the interesting background story definitely helped him win. What is your background story?

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Sunday, March 1, 2009

Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning from American Idol - Part 1

Jennifer Hudson

Part 1: If You Have Talent, You Have Marketability

This is part one of our blog series entitled: Real Estate Agent Personal Branding: Learning form American Idol. It is a fun and easy way to learn the principles of personal branding. Requirements: Watch American Idol and follow along! Not an Idol fan? That's OK. No problem: we will post some brief videos that illustrate the principles of personal branding. But, don't be surprised if you get hooked!

It all begins with the selection process. First, the American Idol judges look for talent and marketability. The top ten are usually good enough to sign record deals. Some have gone on to become actors. Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar and a Grammy for Best Album.

If you are going to form your own personal brand that will endure over time and stand out from the crowd you need to start with talent and a strong desire to rise to the top. So many American Idol candidates who really do not have much talent have been encouraged to pursue a career in music by well meaning friends and family. They are actually shocked to find out that they have been sold a bill of goods. They cannot even hear themselves sing off key. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you really think you have the talent to be a star?
  • Is this something you want for yourself or to please others?
  • Are you truly passionate about becoming a standout in your marketplace? Or, are you looking for approval?

Answering these questions can save you a tremendous amount of time and aggravation as a real estate professional. Use this video to help you answer the questions.

Click here to view the entire American Idol- real estate agent personal branding blog series

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