You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. That's why it is so important to get it right the first time.

There are moments throughout our careers where how we present ourselves is of the utmost importance. It might be a job interview, a presentation to the senior management team or a lucrative sales call. The situation is irrelevant. What is relevant is what image we've left behind.

Having superb technical skills isn't necessarily enough to move you ahead anymore -- having above average interpersonal skills, communication skills, networking skills, business etiquette, personal image (dress, grooming, body language, etc.) and even dining skills is what's important.

In other words, being personally effective is just as important as being technically effective.

Consider this commonplace scenario: One job opening and two technically qualified employees. Employee A is introverted, keeps to himself, comes in, does his work and then leaves for the day, rarely goes to office social events and his dress is on the sloppy side.

Employee B is well-liked, always dresses neat and polished, a good presenter and takes time getting to know the employees/clients within the company.

Guess who gets the job? Exactly, employee B.

"Just being technically brilliant isn't enough anymore. It's about branding, personal leadership and creating a reputation for making things happen," says consultant Roz Usheroff, president of the Usheroff Institute, and a leading communications and image specialist.

Chances are, if you called up any image consultant they would speak to you about the concept of "branding." But that's not branding yourself with an iron, it's branding yourself with an image.

"Celebrities have adopted product and service branding attributes for their 'personas.' Madonna is becoming the 'tough girl' of pop music quite unlike the persona she started with. While celebrities might use personal branding to create a new character, people like us can use personal branding to project our real best attributes," Usheroff says.

But before printing up any personal flyers, consider who your target audience is and how you'd like to be perceived by them. Then find out how you are actually perceived -- for example, ask work colleagues for some feedback about how you might be perceived by others.

Once you've determined what aspect(s) of yourself you want to brand, Usheroff recommends the following:

Project a winning image -- the image you project defines you from the moment you walk into a room.

Become the authority in a specialized area --begin to offer advice to those who can benefit from your expertise.

Get comfortable with self-promotion -- make your boss aware of your activities, accomplishments and how you are helping others.

Become a master networker -- contacts are critical. Some will become customers; others can guide you, learn from you, or serve as role models.

Develop outstanding interpersonal skills -- conversational skills project your personality, show your sincerity and make people feel comfortable with you.

"Everything is a strategy in life. Our power is in defining who we are and being consistent with who that is," Usheroff says.

Getting ahead in business is greatly influenced by how well you build relationships with the people who are important to that business. That's why developing the necessary soft-skills is so important. And it's also about projecting confidence. People prefer doing business with people they feel comfortable with.

Style for Success, an image consulting organization, says it best on its Web site, "All things being equal -- people would rather do business with those they know, like and trust. All things being not so equal -- people would still rather do business with those they know, like and trust."