If you believe in only one thing...
Believe in this:
Personal Brand will be the only measure of your worth in years to come.
It's one of the least trusted of professions.
A flimsy business model, built on a house of cards.
Witness the knee-jerk reaction of some of the bigger estate agencies to the current pandemic.
They couldn't offload staff quick enough. Not so much as a "thank you" before they switched off the life support.
Contrast that with Timpson's - the key cutting, watch repair and shoe repair service.
They employ over 5,500 people in the UK and Ireland in 2,155 shops. All of its staff, which Timpson's calls "its family" are on full pay until the current crisis is over. The company owns 10 holiday homes for the staff to use, it runs a £1,000 weekly lottery for staff, gives staff an extra free 1 week paid holiday plus a £100 bonus if they get married. The company has mental health councillors, helps staff out financially with driving lessons and has a Hardship Fund. The company reserves 10% of its workforce for ex-offenders, in an attempt to rehabilitate people. The company ran a program called "Dream Come True" for its staff, which did such things as reunite families, send people for private eye operations and flew people out to Australia.
A £300 million turnover produced profits of over £20 million.
So they must be doing something right?
Founded more than 150 years ago, it is still proudly owned by the same family.
Brothers, John and James Timpson, drive a culture they define as Upside Down Management.
A culture based on trust and kindness, they say works when they recruit colleagues with an amazing personality.
Again, contrast that with the real estate sector culture of recruiting 'high achievers".
Of course it works. You're a high achiever. You hustle for your worth. But nobody likes you. Perhaps not even yourself.
And when the mess hits the fan, when you're not, through no fault of your own, achieving like you were, suddenly you realize - you are dispensable.
Unlike the real 'family' of Timpson employees where kindness matters more than performance.
Personal Brand will be the only measure of your worth in years to come.
If we're on the same page with that, here's why you need to stop doing what isn't working and replace it with something entirely different.
I know where you've been. What you've been told. And the people who have enriched themselves from selling you that dream.
Better estate agency. Better scripts. How to door-knock more effectively with 'frozen peas:).
What to say when people tell you NO.
Pivot - designed to keep you in a positive mindset. New scripts and tactics tailored specifically for today's market.
How to negotiate in times of crisis. Tips and advice for keeping your clients calm in the face of adversity.
The Million Dollar Agent Podcast. Pre-listing questions. 80% Psychology and 20% Mechanics.
None of it will make you more trusted. None of it will make you more liked. It might, even, portray you as so fake that you're less trusted.
Upside Down Management - that's the, not-so-secret, secret to Timpson's success.
Trust, Kindness & amazing personality.
As real estate stands, at present, it's far removed from that ideal.
But all that's needed are a few courageous agents to succeed. Being kind. Being chosen for their authentic personality. A few early adopters and then........
A change is gonna come.
When vendors choose a realtor/agent, not on performance, not on brand, not on guesswork, but on character.
Then.
Then you can be precisely who you're supposed to be.
Not who you've been told that someone expects you to be.
Polished and perfected until you've lost all sense of identity.
Big change.
From what's so obviously no longer working.
To simply being yourself.
Competent enough. You can list and sell with the best of them.
What you haven't been able to do, to date, is to manipulate & to hustle for your worth.
Because that's not really who you are.
You've been given this toxic label that identifies you as a realtor. An estate agent.
But that's not you.
You've been told that you're broken. And that they can fix you. For a fee, of course.
But what if you aren't broken?
What if you're just perfect for some group of homeowners and now you're in danger of being turned into something that you're not.
Don't drink the Kool Aid.
The Hacking of Estate Agency Mindset.
Follow these scripts. Overkill, over time.
Brainwashed into thinking that you have to perform like some dancing bear.
And all the while with empathy. With compassion. With contribution (love that one!). With insincerity.
Vendors can smell the BS from a mile off.
No matter how much you practice your 'show'.
Be yourself. Be honest. Be authentic. Be genuine.
That's where the difference becomes obvious.
Agents so obviously being told to be genuine.
And those who are.
If You Believe in only one thing, believe in this:
Believe in Yourself.
Thanks, as always, for reading. It's much appreciated and if you would like a simple email notification next time I write a post, there's a form on the home page. I don't cold-call, I don't spam, as a result of your signing up. You won't hear from me except for the notification.
Personal brand for estate agents is often misunderstood.
It's not your reputation. How others see you. It's not a race for attention.
It's how you see yourself and the story that only you can tell.
Attraction marketing at its most basic.
If I can help, just drop me a line.
www.andsothestorybegan.co.uk
Here's to your difference. Here's to your personal brand.
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