Anyone can establish a targeted reputation in their particular field and become a brand — even if it’s just a local one. “Firms are looking through their executive ranks for a marquee name. That’s equivalent to looking for a brand name that they know will deliver the goods consistently,” explains Rick Haskins, co- author of the book, “Brand Yourself.”

In the book, Haskins tells of a secretary at Lifetime Television, where he’s vice president of marketing, who wanted to advance in the firm. Realizing that many managers hed to make detailed presentations, she became an expert in Powerpoint presentation software. In doing so, she gained a reputation as the “Powerpoint Princess.” She had established her brand. Locally, Realtor Don Pennington comes to mind as “The Dean of Kitsap Real Estate.”

Creating your own brand requires you to recognize your own passions, core values, skills, and everything else that makes you unique, says Robin Fisher Roffer, author of “Make a Name for Yourself: The Eight Steps to Becoming an Unforgettable Brand in Your Business,” which will be published later this year. Here are some tips on branding yourself:

• Evaluate yourself. Make a list of the 10 things you do best, your best skills and exactly which market you want to reach. When a lawyer who specializes in divorce wrote that he was 30 years old and divorced, he had created his branding statement. He described himself as “the lawyer who understands.”

• Specialize in one area. Leverage your most important skill. The Powerpoint secretary distinguished herself from everyone else.

• Establish a single-minded focus. “Focus on one singular skill,” advises Haskins. Michelin makes tires and Epson makes computer printers. Each created a brand around one product. In your case, that product is you.

• Find your niche in the marketplace. An accountant who loved sports used her interest to become known as the “sports accountant,” relates Haskins. She utilizes sports analogies to clarify complex financial matters to her clients.

• Identify your target audience. Know exactly which particular group of clients you want to serve. When she started as a talk show host in Chicago, Oprah Winfrey was able to walk in the shoes of her audience, speak their language and tap their concerns. So can you.

• Create a tag line. Apple Computer’s “Think Different,” Microsoft’s “Where do you want to go today,” and Ivar’s “Keep clam” are all examples of this.

• Write your own mission statement. Your mission statement will reflect your passions, what you love about what you do and your vision of the future.

• Package yourself. It’s not just your resume. It’s YOU — how you look, speak and carry yourself that creates your brand. Martha Stewart conveys a sophisticated, suburban look that convinces housewives she can turn an ordinary house into an extraordinary home,” Haskins says. You can do the same thing by branding yourself.