How to Build an Exceptional Personal Brand As an Expert

Having a strong personal brand that you can cash in on as an expert is not just for people like Oprah, Madonna or Martha Stewart. It's for everyone. It's for you. Just like these three powerful women, you too can build a strong personal brand and cash in on it. Branding yourself is an internal journey that leads you to toward taking specific and intentional action to become the biggest and brightest "you" that you want to be. And as an expert in your field, your personal brand is what will attract the kind of clients, partners and opportunities that fire you up.
To help you on this journey, here is a list of 24 things you can do take control of your personal brand and increase your profile as an expert:
1. What do you do best? Build your life around that.
2. Don't just say you are an expert. Instead, prove it by speaking, writing, creating an information product and adding value in social media.
3. Branding success is about consistency. Be the same offline as you are online.
4. Spend your time with people that motivate and challenge you to be your biggest you.
5. Make a niche for yourself. Those who try to be everything to everyone end up being nothing to anyone.
6. Believe in the value of your own voice. Right now, someone needs your expertise and insight.
7. Experts have self discipline. They carve out time to market themselves.
8. Branding yourself as an expert doesn't mean you know it all. It means you dedicate a good portion of your life to knowing more and more.
9. Update your bio at least twice a year. Really - you have probably changed enough to warrant a refresh.
10. Make it easy for a reporter to do a story on you by providing story ideas, industry statistics and references.
11. Buy any domain names that you think you will use. At the very least, buy YourName.com, YourNameBlog.com, and YourBusinessName.com. Protect your space online!
12. If you find an article that a client, potential client or partner would be interested in, email it to them.
13. Testimonials are success stories about your products and services. Collect them regularly and add them to your web site.
14. Be willing to connect others even if it has nothing to do with your business. What goes around, comes around.
15. Do something unexpected. Take a potential client out for pedicures instead of for coffee.
16. What three words do you want people to use when describing you? Are you giving them reason to think that of you?
17. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge you to grow.
18. Make clients feel special & appreciated. Ask yourself, "How do I want my clients to perceive me? Am I living up to that?"
19. Put some personality into your business. Don't stand behind a corporate wall. Show us who you are!
20. Use colors you love and that appeal to your target market. It's part of your messaging.
21. Use your outgoing voicemail message to brand yourself. Say something interesting.
22. Hire a professional graphic artist to design business cards, logo, letterhead, ezine, web site... It's a wise investment to look your best.
23. Know Thyself: Know the top 3 achievements your clients can expect from working with you.
24. If you're the "best kept secret" then you're not serving yourself OR your ideal clients. Share yourself with others.
Hopefully now you have a least a couple of new ways to build your personal brand as an expert. And by the way, this list is not exhaustive. But hopefully it will get you thinking about the many ways you convey your personal brand as an expert every day.
© 2012 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing.
Meredith Liepelt is CEO of Rich Life Marketing, a personal branding, marketing and web site firm specializing in creating visibility for experts.
This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.

Parameters To Check While Opting For Business Printing

There are different types of printing requirements and thus there is no dearth of printing companies. All business firms would require some types of printing services at different point of time. The right thing to do is to explore the different types of services and printing quality and related details before you make a final decision as to which company should be entrusted the job. When it comes to business printing, you have to be extremely specific about the type of print quality that you would get. We will explore the different details of printing documents for business purpose and thus familiarize you with the right way of approach. If you are aware of the right parameters that you have to take care of while getting prints for business purpose, you are likely to settle with the best company.
The term business printing actually refers to the fact that the prints that you are taking are solely for business purpose. It refers to business documents, business records, financial documents, brochures and other business documents. These documents carry a lot of significance and thus it is recommended not to compromise with the type of printing.
So, you should check that the printing agency whom you are entrusting the job can give you the right quality of print. You should not compromise with quality as it can create a wrong impression on your clients as well as customers. There are a few business documents that are meant for internal purpose only. They would not come in direct contact with outside members and in these cases; you may be a little bit more lenient. However, it is advised that you do not compromise with the quality of business printing at all. Even if the document is required for internal purpose only, you should try to use the best standards.
There may be a few documents that cater to the clients as well as the customers. These business documents are of paramount significance and these are the documents which you have to be very particular about. Using inefficient and low quality of business printing can do a lot of damage as your customers and even clients can get disappointed with the type of documents and print outs. This can wreck a lot of damage on your business.
So, check out the best printing agencies and examine the type of work that they do. After you have a clear idea of the type of work that they can do and you are satisfied with their facilities, you should avail their services. You should always opt for the best business printing services and make sure that you have provided the details and specifications clearly to your printing agency.