Does Your Personal Brand Need a Makeover?

August 18, 2022 • John Salustri

What does “branding” mean to you? For Amanda Heismann Gray, CPM, it’s a matter of perceptions. But it’s much more than that.

“Branding is what you stand for, how you are perceived and how you perform,” explained Gray, the Aviva Institute’s director of property management. 

For property managers, all the advice comes down to one simple truth: “Your personal brand is your promise to your constituents.”

Gray asked audience members at her educational session at the 2022 BOMA International Conference & Expo in Nashville in late June what skills and strengths give them a unique advantage.

“What are your core beliefs, and what are non-negotiables for you?” she said. It could be sustainability or the importance of training newcomers to the property management field. Whatever your core beliefs are, Gray said, they are part of your branding profile. 

Because so much of branding is perceptions, Gray said, successful branding addresses the expectations of others. 

So, if you feel your personal brand needs a makeover, whether you're looking to make a career switch or simply redefine yourself in your current role, there are four key components to redefining yourself—consistency, visibility, frequency and authenticity. 

But make slight changes, rather than drastic shifts. “People want that consistency,” she said, to accept the changes more readily that you want to make.

They also need to see your brand with regularity and consistency. And it needs to be authentic, Gray said.

For those who might be job-seeking, she said, “Recruiters know if they want to hire a candidate within 90 seconds.”

So, your branding must be evident in all of what Gray described as “touchpoints,” whether they’re your email style or your approach to meetings.

She recommends using emails for short, simple messages and attachments. With meetings, she asked: “Are you first to a meeting, prepared and ready? Or do you arrive late?” Touchpoints either underscore the consistency of your branding, she said, or casts doubts on the perception of it.

Social media is another touchpoint, Gray said. “And here, too, your message should be consistent and authentic.” She investigates potential job candidates on social media, and this helps influence her hiring decisions. Social media, used wisely, is terrific, Gray said, “to help make connections, and to create trust and authenticity.”

In your excursions into social media, Gray said provide value. “Why else would they follow you?” 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Salustri is editor-in-chief of Salustri Content Solutions, a national editorial advisory firm based in East Northport, New York. He is best known as the founding editor of GlobeSt.com. Prior to launching GlobeSt.com, Salustri was editor of Real Estate Forum.