Branding The Corner Stone of Your Business

What is Branding? Branding = a promise delivered Everything you do in your business is a “promise” to your clients and partners. The colors, badge, names are only a small part of your Brand

Think of the ULTIMATE brand A simple piece of paper that Branding has made valuable On the front we find the owner of the brand the Federal Reserve and a testimonial from the first President George Washington There is a simple guide for users: “This note is legal tender for debts public and private.” To solidify the brand, the owner provides an important emotional message “In God we Trust” This world “brand” confers value globally even though it just a piece of paper

How is marketing different than branding Marketing is an attempt to Push a consumer to buy a specific product or service Branding is an attempt to Pull consumers in based on a feeling of recognition and trust Where marketing may sell a specific product branding creates loyalty and ambassadors

Branding is strategic Marketing is tactical Marketing can support a brand and help expose the brand to more prospects Branding is what remains after the marketing efforts happen Marketing may convince you to buy a Camry, but Branding may convince to buy Toyota’s from now on

Branding is more important than ever The world is On-Line Information is available at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger More and more buying decisions are being made based Brand knowledge No branding, no differentiation. No differentiation, no long-term profitability People don’t have relationships with products, they are loyal to brands vs.

Have I convinced you yet?

For the Mortgage Business you ARE your brand People don’t do business with you because of the company you work for or your companies brand They do business with you because they trust YOU……that is your Personal Brand

I would say we all have a personal brand that influences other people's decisions about whether to do business with us or not Your personal brand not only has a powerful effect on those you meet, but others within your network as well People talk about you the same way they talk about products or services and your personal branding has a big influence on those conversations

Personal Branding is NOT just about you professionally The best brands not only tell who you are professionally, but privately too Example : David Beckam - private branding shows who he is as a son, father and husband while his public brand shows who he is as professional athlete and fashion icon Example : Paul Baxter – my private branding is who I am as a father, husband, Floridian while my professional brand is who I am as a marketing coach, trainer, speaker and teacher

Your personal brand creates impact in 3 stages 1. The First Impression – This first impression happens even before you open your mouth – do you look the part 2. The Initial Conversation – what you say and how you say it to build rapport 3. The Follow Up – how you follow through and build the relationship

As a Mortgage Professional your brand MUST convey Expertise – You must be knowledgeable in in what you offer (this is why focusing on niches is so successful) Trust – Be honest and ethical in both your personal and professional life to be “branded” as trust worthy Availability – This bowls down to communication, both partners and consumers want to know they can rely on you for answers when they have questions…… Keep me in the Loop!!!

The Goal today was to change the way you think about your BRAND It is not just a name or image Your brand is how people feel when they see or hear your name or image Your brand is all the things you do in your business and a lot of times personal lives

How to create your Brand Name Step 1 = Type your first and last name Step 2 = Feel free to come up with something to follow but it is not essential (The Mortgage Dude, Mortgage Answer man….) Step 3 = Done

Take Google for instance – Nothing in that name says “search engine” However it is the most recognized “Brand” in the world Why? Because the branding came with getting their message out

An extreme example, I know But put it in perspective – Your “audience” are the Real Estate Agents and Home Buyers in your area Focus your branding on the right audience and maximize the result

You all now have a Brand Paul Baxter Implementation Coach Join me tomorrow and lets talk about how to get it out to your audience