PGI Friday: Adding Value to Certification
Everyone is always looking for ideas on how to add value to certification. Too often, the focus is on offering tangible benefits like certification logo-adorned boutique items (mugs, t-shirts, pens, calculators, etc.). These can add some value, but let's be honest, not usually a significant amount. How many individuals do you know that got a certification primarily for the mug?! I'm not saying you shouldn't give or sell these. You should. Certificants do like them and they also serve a role in promoting the credentials. When I wear my CAE lapel pin, I often get asked what the initials designate.
Up one notch on the value chain are certificant-exclusive services and events like electronic discussion lists, newsletters, job-boards, receptions, conference sessions/tracks/networking rooms,and discounts.
Finally, the most important way to add value to certification is to take strategic steps to ensure that certification is delivering on certificants' desired outcomes. So, you first need to find out what certificants were /are hoping to achieve by attaining certification. Often, these include recognition (by employers, the public, professional peers), career advancement, increased marketability, and credibility. The hard part is determining how to best deliver on these. Usually, a key element is educating relevant stakeholders on the meaning of the credential and convincing them of its value. So, how do you do that? An earlier PGI Friday post provided a few examples, and future posts will provide more.
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