Making it personal; whether you're a beginner or a seasoned exec, this PR pro offers twenty tips to help you stand out.

Most people greatly under-estimate the importance of business details. But whether you are a job beginner or an established executive, you can stand out if you practice these 20 "little things."

1. Know that your reputation is valuable - and that it often reaches people before you do. Be sincere, be prepared, be professional, be efficient - and deliver.

2. Do what you say you're going to do. If you can't deliver on time, then pick up the phone ASAP and say so. Make sure you meet the next deadline you've set.

3. Return all phone calls or make sure someone in your organization returns them. You never know why a person may be calling.

4. Treat everyone with respect and courtesy. A person's position in life should have absolutely nothing to do with how you interact with them.

5. Be visible. Go to professional seminars, luncheons, receptions - any kind of gathering.

6. When you meet people, be mindful. Look them in the eye, smile, be personable, have a firm handshake.

7. Try to develop a knack for remembering names. People you meet will be flattered if you can call them by name after only a brief introduction.

8. Be an active listener while engaging in conversation. If you feel yourself becoming bored or distracted, just politely excuse yourself.

9. Create a "small talk" notebook for when you go out. This will contain anecdotes and/or questions you jot down about life or current events that are guaranteed to stimulate conversation.

10. Be sensitive to the body language of those you come in contact with. And be aware of how you come across to other people.

11. Send a follow-up note to people you meet and would like to stay in touch with.

12. Get to know the support staff of the person or the company you want to do business with.

13. Know your profession. Stay abreast of all the latest trends and developments in your field and your geographic area.

14. Pass articles along with a note if you come across one that may be of interest to a co-worker or a colleague.

15. Keep a supply of greeting cards for all occasions. Pay attention to the special occasions (honors, appointments and promotions) of colleagues and prospective business contacts.

16. Write ... write ... write. Send letters to people you want to do business with. Say "hello," "congratulations," "I like your work/your recent remarks/your article."

17. Go through your Rolodex periodically and send a hello note to those people you want to remember you.

18. Let people know that you are available to speak or to otherwise participate in panel discussions, seminars, clubs and service groups.

19. Selectively donate your services to nonprofit organizations that may be in need of your expertise.

20. Remember what Mom used to tell you - say "thank you." It's amazing how few people invest the time to express gratitude for a favor or a job well done.

Excerpted from The Personal Touch: What You Really Need to Succeed in Today's Fast-paced Business World by Terrie Williams with Joe Cooney; copyright 1994, Warner Books. Reprinted by permission.

About the Author

Terrie Williams, 40, is president of the Terrie Williams Agency, a New York-based public relations firm. In 1983, with an M.S.in social work from Columbia University, Williams made the switch from medical social worker to PR professional.

After Eddie Murphy signed on as her first client in 1987, Williams was on her way to owning one of the country's premier PR firms, representing such names as Janet Jackson and Dave Winfield, along with corporations such as Essence Communications Inc., HBO and AT&T.