The coursework you take on your way to earning your CGR is immensely valuable. You'll better understand how to run your business, run your jobs, and protect your profit. Putting those skills to practice will do wonders for your business, but it doesn't stop there. By filling out your graduation paperwork and completing your designation you've just opened a new window of opportunity, to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Earning designations, such as a CGR, and not marketing them is like throwing money and credibility away. Marketing your designations or certifications is a differentiator in the marketing place that consumers notice, so use it to your advantage. Educatied clients understand the difference between individuals that have certification and those that don't. They are looking for assurances of your professionalism, your committment, and your skill to manage their project. Those three little letters are a great way to convey professional credentials in glance so that you can calm their fears, win their trust, and win the project. 

Every tool I use (email signature, business cards, letter signatures, marketing pieces) all spell out the different designations I have obtained. What I want is for that customer to ask me what those letters stand for. That's the opportunity for me to launch into why there are advantages to hiring a CGR versus the other remodelers who might be just winging it.

Consumers are smarter now then there were in the past. The Internet has allowed them to check prices, find out who "likes" you, as well as who "dislikes" you. So marketing who you are! CGR allows you the opportunity to set yourself apart from all the other remodelers in your market. You may find you're the only CGR in your market, capitalize on that! And if there are other CGRs in your area, just remember that to ensure the professionalism of our industry, smarter competition is always better than "fly-by-night."

Michael Menn, CGR, CAPS
Michael Menn, Ltd.
Northbrook, IL