Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2019 - 34

Learning Corner

The Power of
Certification

LOUIE DELAWARE is the
co-founder of the Living In
Place Institute. DIANNE
POGODA is the creative
content manager at the NKBA.
ANDREW MACKENZIE is the
senior certification programs
specialist at the NKBA.

Getting a leg up
on the competition
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF and your business from all the
others? The most typical approach is to offer services or products that your
competition does not. But often the results can be short-lived, and unless you
have an exclusive with a specific product, your competitors may take advantage of your marketing efforts and offer a better price. The same thing goes
for your services - they just add what you do into their marketing messages.
Formal degrees require many years of part- or full-time effort (who has
time for that!) and usually a large sum of money. And, in most cases, degrees
do not directly transfer into jobs for your business. Besides, how many of us
are working in the same fields we went to school for originally?
GETTING CERTIFIED

Probably the best business effort and most prudent expense for practicing
professionals is to become certified in a designated,relevant specialty.Let's look
at certifications from two organizations.First,the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) has several levels of certification that are specific to the K&B
design community: Associate Kitchen & Bath Designer, Certified Kitchen &
Bath Designer and Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer.There are approximately 2,500 professionals who hold those certifications,and they market
themselves successfully using the power of their own certification - not to
mention the organization's much larger efforts to promote certified members.
The second example is the Certified Living In Place Professional (CLIPP).
Offered by the Living In Place Institute through the NKBA, it helps designers, contractors and other professionals work together to make all homes more
accessible, comfortable and safe for all clients, regardless of their needs or age.
The strategic marketing advantage is the appeal of helping all consumers - not
just the narrow focus of those aging in place.
"Recognition of Knowledge: Earn More Money. Certifications identify individuals as on the leading edge of new concepts and ideas. Most include precertification requirements, further bolstering credibility. You can use this to
your advantage when marketing to new clients. If you are seeking employment with a company, such credentials might improve your chances. Health
and safety coordinators typically earn 35 percent more if they are certified,
according to Monster.com. If employee salaries can be higher for certified
workers, can fees similarly be higher for providers who hold certifications?
"Building Confidence. Certifications lend the confidence needed to manage
and excel professionally. You become more comfortable with soliciting
and gaining work that before you thought too demanding and complex.
Confidence is contagious within your company and network, which in turn
may increase revenues for you and your company.
"Networking & Partnering with Other Professionals. One important benefit
of becoming certified is increasing your network of other experts. For
example, the typical CLIPP certification class includes professionals from
the construction, real estate, medical and many other facets of the home

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and human care industries.These interprofessional alliances are immensely
beneficial for sharing business opportunities. A certification also helps you
encourage someone who is not part of your trade association to join you at
your chapter meeting. As the saying goes, what goes around, comes around
- everyone wins. Also, many certifying organizations have members-only
forums that foster private discussions on a wide range of topics.
"Continuing Education. Most organizations require their members to keep
certifications current through continuing-education requirements. These
often include taking classes aligned with their certification, writing articles,
giving presentations, etc. Many certifying organizations have materials
available on members-only pages about new products, ideas and tips. Some,
such as the NKBA and the Living In Place Institute, offer free webinars on
relevant topics through the year that qualify for continuing-education units.
"Tools & Marketing Materials. Certifying bodies often have a wide variety of
materials available to their graduates to help market and promote themselves. These materials typically range from templates for press releases,
assessment forms and brochures to seminar-style presentations to other
professionals and to potential clients. Most organizations offer web-based
search capability to find professionals by geographic area. Some even have
electronic apps to assist with specific work-related tasks, such as conducting home assessments. Earning your certification is the first step in taking
advantage of the opportunities offered by certifying organizations to
promote your personal brand.
"Trends. With so many new products being released and suggestions proposed for different use or installation, it can be difficult for an individual
to know where to start looking for changes. Some organizations offer
members-only forums to discuss challenges and new ways of operating.
Certified professionals are typically kept up to date by their certifying
organization. The NKBA, for example, offers an annual Kitchen & Bath
Design Trends Report.
"Staff Development. Savvy business owners know the techniques and benefits
of distinguishing their company from others. Companies can recognize a
significant cost savings through the reduction of errors typically made by
non-certified employees vs. certified. Many will pay for their staff members
to pursue certification classes and other educational and training opportunities. But even if the company does not pay for education, it still serves you
and your clients well to learn as much as you can in your field. Becoming
certified is the proven method of maintaining and advancing your business.
The bottom line for you is to continue learning all you can,especially through
professional certification courses.Becoming certified emphasizes your expertise
to your clients as well as your peers, positioning you as a truly knowledgeable,
industry-certified professional. Plus, you may add those fancy initials behind
your name and proudly wear a lapel pin at industry meetings!


Kitchen & Bath Business / FEB.-MARCH 2019 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of KBIS (KBIS.com)

1/23/19 2:56 PM

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