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Game Changer
By: Staff
Issue: 2010mar
A Distributor Asks:
I’m looking for ways to increase the professionalism of my distributor company and am thinking about looking into the Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) certification. Does certification make any difference to my clients? Is it reasonable to expect that I might land more projects because of it? And, is it worth it?
John Niemi, MAS
Promotional Consultant
Artistic Promotions
UPIC: ARTISTIC
Any certification will make a difference if your client understands what is involved (hours of study and testing) and how it differentiates you from those who don’t have a professional designation. The need to educate clients and potential clients is absolutely necessary.
Industries that have professional designations (insurance, financial planners, event and meeting planners) are good targets because they understand the value in a designation. They understand the work that went into the process and the competency and knowledge one has after receiving his or her designation.
Lorey Gallop-Wintz, MAS
Owner
Help Is On The Way
UPIC: HIOTW
Having your CAS/MAS certification shows the public, as well as suppliers and distributors, you are serious about this industry, that you understand its ins and outs and that you keep on top of technologies and trends.
It may or may not make a difference to your clients, but it will make a difference in how you are perceived by others in the industry. It is worth pursuing the designation(s) if you intend to make the promotional products industry your future. Just like other industries, continuing education is the only way to stay informed.
Melinda Bowden, CAS
Owner/Promotions Specialist
PromoHits! Ltd.
UPIC: Promo408
I earned my CAS last January and feel it does make a difference to clients. I mention my CAS in presentationa to new clients to show that I stay on top of the industry and continually educate myself. I remember one meeting with a large university. The expressions on their faces and the looks they exchanged made me realize it is important to clients and makes me stand out.
Seth Weiner, CAS
President
Sonic Promos
UPIC: sonicpro
There is certainly some added muscle that comes with certification. With clients, you are able to say that you fall into a very small percentage of promotional marketing professionals who have done the necessary work to better themselves and their participation in the industry.
More important, the mark of CAS or MAS adds instant credibility with suppliers. They recognize you as someone who is “in” the industry, not just someone working in the industry. This can help with setting up accounts, strategic partnerships, special pricing and branding programs.
Lastly, if you are considering making the promotional marketing industry the place where you build your career, why wouldn’t you do everything you could to learn as much as you can so that you can better serve your clients? Doctors, lawyers and professors go through years of schooling. There is no reason why we should not be expected to uphold the same level of expertise and professionalism.
Allan Chase, MAS
CEO
ARC Promotional Design
UPIC: ARCPROMO
At the risk of using a phrase that is starting to irritate me, yes, it is a game changer. I achieved my CAS and MAS in the late 1980s and can tell you that going to the weeklong schools we had back then changed my entire approach to this great business. I remember going to a weeklong school at the University of Houston where I met many of today’s Association leaders. I followed it up with weeklong schools in Dallas, where I met future PPAI Chairmen of the Board, board members and future Hall of Fame designees.
Do you think it helped my business? I can tell you it did, and the friends I made during those times are precious to me, and they have endured. Yes, you learn a lot, but the major benefits to your firm, I believe, are the relationships forged during those learning times. Invest in CAS designations for your team and you will reap benefits for years to come.
Bruce Perryman, CAS
President
Embroidery Unlimited, Inc.
UPIC: euinc
Would you rather go to a board-certified physician or a medical school graduate? Perhaps a law school graduate as opposed to a member of the bar? What about a certified auto mechanic versus Joe, the mechanic working out of his garage?
Many professional designations exist throughout business. It makes a powerful statement that you’ve invested in yourself on a professional level. It doesn’t guarantee results; it simply puts you in the field. It’s still up to you to make the difference.
Dawn Gould, CAS
Promotional Consultant
Cedric Spring & Associates
UPIC: CEDR0001
I attended an end-user panel discussion at an industry tradeshow where the question of understanding what CAS meant to the end user came up. Buyers stated that although they do not know what CAS or MAS stands for, they recognize that it means their salesperson went the extra mile to attain additional education in his or her field, making them a more knowledgeable resource. And as a result, the end user was more likely to buy from someone who has that designation.
Lee McCubbin, CRS
Co-Owner
McCubbin Trophy & Engraving
UPIC: MCTROPHY
The point is not whether my customers are impressed by it or not. I have learned so much in the process of earning my certification that it has been well worth every minute of my time and every ounce of my effort—and each and every one of my customers is benefiting from that increased knowledge and ability. At this time I do not have my CAS for the promotional products industry, but I do have my CRS (Certified Recognition Specialist) and I am working on my CRM (Certified Recognition Master) in the awards and recognition industry. I intend to get my CAS as well.
To the average customer it may not make much difference. To the customer planning to spend several hundreds or thousands of dollars on a promotion or incentive, it makes a lot of difference to know he or she is dealing with a business person who is knowledgeable and educated in the field. Their business image is at stake, and he or she wants the end result to be the most positive.
A Distributor Asks:
I asked a supplier to come with me on a sales call, but she declined saying she didn’t want to show favoritism to one distributor. Was I out of line? I thought suppliers wanted to help me educate end buyers about their products?
What’s your answer? E-mail answers along with your name, title and company name to Question@ppai.org by March 29 for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine.
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