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Why Certifications Matter

Professional AV companies have a selection of certifications they can qualify for, from industry trade associations like InfoComm and CEDIA, to product category-specific certifications from major vendors like Crestron or AMX or the Imaging Sciences Foundation and so on.

How important is it for you and your people to be certified? Granted, many municipalities require contractors to carry some kind of certification in order to qualify for licensing, but what other benefits do AV companies and their employees stand to gain? Does being certified really matter?

Certifications matter for four primary reasons. First, in the AV channel it’s not only possible but entirely common for non-licensed, non-certified people to solicit business from clients.

Most prospective clients don’t know what to look for in AV contracting, that’s why they’re talking to you in the first place. Completing projects is a lot harder than selling them in the first place.

If a salesman sells services to a client that the company has no hope of delivering, that has potential for damage, both to the customer, and the reputation of the entire channel.

I recall a conversation I had with a client shortly after I learned that I had passed my exam for the CEDIA Certified Professional Designer designation, and I told him that.

“So what does that mean?”, he asked (he was an engineer, by the way).

“It means,” I snarked, “that you can trust me with a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of equipment and I probably won’t burn your house down with it.”

On that note, marketing your company’s status as certified professionals can be a huge competitive advantage. My aforementioned client notwithstanding consumers can care about what certifications you carry; certainly some will have been burned by non-certified contractors. More than one industry veteran has asserted to me over the years that it’s a major differentiator that many companies overlook in their selling and marketing.

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It’s also been suggested to me time and again by industry veterans that when your people are trained and certified your clients are likely to be more satisfied and give you more testimonials. If you’re doing a better job, and clients are better satisfied then that’s going to lead to better referrals and repeat business and recommendations. That’s what service is all about, satisfying clients and meeting their needs.

Lastly, certifications and continuing education are crucial to professional development. Above and beyond, they’ll help you become better at what you do. The continuing education requirements for maintaining certifications teach professionals new things and keep their skills and knowledge fresh and current.

They may well also improve your company’s abilities. For example, consider service calls. You may have thought that your techs have always done a good job, but focusing their continued training on working as service techs will most likely teach you and them how to be more efficient. Those benefits include completing work more efficiently, saving money, and creating one more differentiator to promote your business.

Furthermore, for employees, certification provides a career path. As they maintain their certification they keep current with technology. It advances their level of knowledge and it builds and maintains their professionalism.

While I’ve known AV pros who have viewed certifications as both a burden and an expense, it’s a more practical mindset to view them as an investment, and capitalize on the benefits they offer to maximize your company’s return on that investment.

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