If you hold a credential, a degree or a certificate, you should be proud of your achievement and make sure you put it to good use throughout your career. Especially when marketing to customers, your expertise should be readily available, accessible and noticeable. As they say, “it’s a sad dog that doesn’t wag its own tail.”
That goes for your co-workers and staff. Your expertise gives you an edge and your customer a reason to feel confident about hiring you. Always play up any credentials your team holds at every opportunity.
As a Landscape Industry Certified Manager or Technician, you set the standard for professionalism in the industry. Using your toolkit, your imagination, and simple strategies, you can promote your certification, impress and assure customers, enhance your career and gain recognition from your colleagues and supervisors. Here are a few ideas to get you started…
Individuals
• Use Landscape Industry Certified after your name on all correspondence to showcase your credentials.
• Add Landscape Industry Certified and include the logo to your business card, and use your card when meeting with customers and potential business partners.
• Use Landscape Industry Certified and logo as part of your email signature.
• Wear your Landscape Industry Certified pin and logo on your apparel.
• Hang your Landscape Industry Certified certificate in a visible place of honor in your office.
• Send a news release (template provided in your online toolkit accessible to active Landscape Industry Certified professionals) to your customers and media announcing this achievement. Don’t forget your alma mater!
• Seek or accept speaking engagements that will promote you as Landscape Industry Certified, and give you and your company more exposure.
• Volunteer a testimonial or submit an article to PLANET or other organizations to use in its communications, promotional material, and on website.
• Post social media updates about your certification. Tell your friends, family, customers about your certification on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
• Talk up your certified status. Take advantage of community events and professional meetings to speak about your credential and why communities and homeowners benefit from hiring certified professionals. Use the “Do you know who’s working for you?” brochure in your toolkit as a guide.
• Encourage your company to recognize certified staff. Ask your organization to help promote your certification by posting the following message on its Website with a list of the company’s other certified professionals.
Congratulations to our Landscape Industry Certified professionals! Certification helps ensure that our team members have the knowledge, experience and integrity to provide the best possible service to our customers. Earning a PLANET certification demonstrates an elevated commitment to the profession and our customers.
[List organization’s certified professionals]
• Educate customers with leave-behinds. Leave the “Do you know who’s working for you?” brochure in community common areas, homesites, or commercial sites to inform customers about choosing companies with Landscape Industry Certified staff. TIP: Customize the brochure with your company information. Brochure templates are in your certification toolkit.
• Tell the reporter you’re certified. When interviewed by industry or consumer media, don’t forget to state that you are Landscape Industry Certified.
Companies
• Add individual’s name with the Landscape Industry Certified designation and the logo next to that person’s name on your company’s website.
• Add individual’s name with the Landscape Industry Certified designation and the logo next to that person’s name on company’s promotional literature.
• Put the Landscape Industry Certified logo on your company vehicles.
• Advertise employee achievement in the company newsletter.
• Do a news release or other media format about your Landscape Industry Certified staff.
• Advertise to customers that employees hold this designation showing commitment to excellence.
• Use the social media and blog posts to list your staff’s credentials and help build your business.
• Announce that you have Landscape Industry Certified on staff on your on-hold messaging or voice mail.
You get the idea — there are many ways to leverage your credentials. Be creative and bold, but don’t forget the obvious and easy places to Market Your Expertise!
Karen Barnett is PLANET’s director of certification and can be reached at 800-395-2522; karenbarnett@landcarenetwork.org.
