Third-party recognition can help solidify your company’s reputation. This is part 2 in our series on reputation management. As marketers, we are happy to help clients navigate the nuances of appropriately managing their reputations, especially online. It is more challenging to help businesses lacking industry third party recognitions, like professional affiliations or trade association memberships, proper licenses, and additional certifications and awards.
Third-party Affiliations Support You: Learn, Network, and Teach
Consider the affiliations, certifications, and awards you’ve earned when you’re looking for ways to make your company stand out among the crowd. Professional affiliations, or trade associations, also help you network with other remodelers and home builders in the industry. You can learn from one another, gain insight into how to improve your business, not to mention make friends when interacting with other members of your association. The organization itself finds ways to support your business endeavors in the industry, while at the same time, providing continuing education opportunities for you and your team.
In addition, professional affiliations help you gain credibility among prospective clients. After all, most professional organizations in the industry have a number of checks and balances to ensure their members are in good standing within their communities. You will also have the opportunity to mentor those just starting out in your industry. People learn effectively from conversations with others. The quality of networking that occurs at meetings and conferences for organizations like these can be invaluable.
Licenses and Certifications: Stay Legal Inspire Confidence and Specialize
Licensing is often required by law, on a state-by-state basis, so it is not negotiable. Not only does licensing require builders to carry proper insurance policies, but licenses are often required to pull the necessary permits for construction. Use your licensing to assure clients their home and assets are protected. Showing a client your insurance certificates is one way to inspire confidence. If you are forthcoming with all of your licensing and insurance coverages, it will differentiate you from companies who remain tight-lipped or can’t provide documentation of licensure.
Continuing education for remodelers and builders helps their marketability to potential clients. People want a highly trained contractor who knows how to correctly deal with any situation that may present itself during their project. If you have specialized certifications like CAPS (Certified Aging in Place) or UDCP (Universal Design Certified Professional) you have an advantage over competitors who may not be certified when someone is seeking out an accessibility oriented design. There are many certifications allowing you to specialize your services. If you have all of your team members earning these certifications it shows that your company cares about continuing to learn and adapt as building practices change.
Awards
How gratifying to win an award in your industry! Awards are multifaceted in their benefits to your company. First of all, awards inspire employee morale. Say what you will, but there is something satisfying about having worked on an award-winning project. Most employees leave jobs because they do not feel fulfilled or satisfied with their work. An award is inspiring and gives everyone a little push to keep up the excellent work.
Another important purpose of awards is to show clients that your projects are solid—award-worthy—and have third-party verification. After all, the judges selecting projects for awards are top industry professionals. They have a discerning eye toward what makes a remodeling or building project spectacular.
Next Steps
Do you already have all of the third-party recognitions you need to build a strong foundation in reputation management? Even if you feel fully supported in this aspect of reputation management, review the steps below to further support your efforts.
- You may want to perform an audit on your business’s current practices involving affiliations, certifications, or awards.
- Use your memberships to their fullest advantage in order to reap the benefits of networking and education.
- Give back to your community in the industry. Someone likely mentored you in some aspects of your business, and it’s vital to reciprocate.
- Assess whether the certifications your employees hold help your company obtain work that uncertified competitors may not. Highlight this expertise to potential clients!
- If you are missing specializations, make plans to obtain company-wide certifications.
- Practice transparency with your licenses and insurance documentation.
- Remember that awards benefit the company as a whole, including each employee who had a hand in creating the winning project. Let them know they made the win possible.
If you need assistance marketing your third-party affiliations or recognitions, contact RT Marketing. We have more than 26 years of experience helping businesses in the remodeling and building industry effectively market their companies.