Pondering Life’s Milestones

My family celebrated a milestone occasion when my son graduated from high school. I am sure many of you can relate to these significant education accomplishments, either as a proud parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle.

Indulge me for just a moment. Ryan has turned out to be a great kid. He is smart, a talented drummer, a leader at our church and has a desire to help others. His plans include going on to college to continue his education as he establishes himself in whatever career he chooses in life.

My life’s career led me into the promotional marketing industry, and I love it. In addition to my distributor business, I have the privilege of publishing FreePromoTips.com, which allows me to help distributors and suppliers build their businesses in a variety of ways. That’s rewarding to me.

I’ve learned many things in my 20-plus years in this industry. Some lessons (often the hardest ones) have come through experiences dealing with both clients and suppliers. Through the years, I’ve made it no secret that I believe there are many benefits to building relationships and gaining knowledge though others. I am passionate about being involved with my regional association and attending industry events.

Many years ago, I set a goal to pursue industry certification. By taking a variety of classes, I’ve achieved the CAS (Certified Advertising Specialist) designation and went on to get my MAS (Master Advertising Specialist) designation. These are the promotional marketing industry’s continuing education degrees.

Some don’t fully understand or appreciate the benefits of industry certification. The question comes up about the value of these designations. Do clients care? What does it really buy me? Speaking from personal experience, I can say that the benefits are there. My degrees have served me well.

Your clients probably don’t fully understand what those letters after your name mean, but they can probably assume it means you have gone on to get more education in your industry. And education means something. That designation gives you an advantage in an increasingly more competitive marketplace. By noting you have accomplished this goal, you can earn the business over someone without a certification credential.