Find that one thing

In total, a brand is known for one thing, whether it is "absolutely, positively overnight" or "finger-lickin' good." Remember the movie *City Slickers,* starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance? In it, Jack, the wizened old cowboy, tells Billy that the secret of life is "one thing." So it is with branding yourself. Like Billy, you just have to figure out what that one thing is. Nobody wants to exclude possible business, so we tend to sell ourselves as having a broad range of capabilities. People ask what you do, and you give them a laundry list. But people can't remember what's on a laundry list, so if that is what you tell people, what is it they are going to remember? Little or nothing. You are just another among the many professionals they have met. You are just another brand X.

I recommend: 

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout

KISS

Keep It Simple, Stupid. The simpler and clearer you state what it is you do and why you are better/different from all the others who do something similar, the more likely people are to remember you. Sure, it may exclude some things on your laundry list, but that doesn't matter. You are only going to be remembered for one thing anyway, so it's best if you control what that is. The challenge is to come up with one thing that encompasses the most important elements of your business. I was at a networking function last year where each person had the opportunity to stand up and give their 30-second elevator speech. One participant was an investment advisor. If he had said the typical, "I help small business people invest wisely and plan for their future, and yadda, yadda, yadda," I would have long forgotten him. Instead, what he said was that he helps people make work optional. Now there is someone you want to remember! That is a simple and brilliant brand statement.

I recommend: Article on developing your elevator pitch in USA Today.

Become an Expert

A way to boost your credibility is to become recognized as an expert. Certainly there is something you can claim expertise in. If you don't have some expertise, what are you doing working independently? Let people know about it by writing articles and giving talks. When you have published articles and/or speaking engagements under your belt, people can easily acknowledge you as an expert.

I recommend: Writer's Resource Center article, How to Become an Expert.
Success tip on Monster.com

Be a Resource

In a world where it seems like everyone is always pitching, people who ask what they can do for you are like an oasis in a desert. The more you can be a resource for others, the more likely they are to want to remember you, welcome you, and send leads your way. I learned this lesson well when I was running marketing for a software startup. It is much harder for small companies to get ink than for the Microsofts and Intels of the world. As a result, magazine and newspaper editors are bombarded with releases and story pitches. What I realized is that writers and editors always need resources for industry information. By establishing myself and our company as a resource for editors rather than always pitching them, they started calling me instead of my having to contact them all the time! We were always included in appropriate articles, and when we did send them something, it was read and considered.

I recommend: Article on positioning yourself as a resource.

Talk to Lots of People

One thing most professionals don't like to do is sell. So, what some do, with a sigh of relief, is take a break from developing new contacts and leads when they get a couple of leads that seem warm. That business may be a month off – if it turns into business – but they pin their hopes on it. Of course, that month can easily turn into two or three or six, or the prospect may fizzle out completely. Instead of selling, try concentrating on talking to lots of people every day. The best way to do that is to network, network, network. The more people who know you, the more likely they are going to know or hear of someone who needs what it is you do. Now combine that with a good, clear brand statement, and you're onto something.

I recommend: No More Cold Calling, by Joanne Black