At the Connections Conference in Clearwater, Fla., the IICRC hosted a session that provided an overview of the IICRC’s continued evolution and how the number of changes taking place will fit together.

The session included a Q&A panel with three IICRC Certified Technicians – Brian Kornet, Patti Savelle and Mark Wichern – who discussed how they leverage their certification in marketing activities. The feedback we got from our panelists and the session attendees was invaluable.

As the Q&A panelists each discussed how their individual firms use their IICRC credentials effectively, it became clear that no one does it the same way. One factor they all agreed on was that, no matter what market, demonstrating that your firm is an IICRC Certified Firm shows consumers that the technician is an experienced and qualified professional who has proven their proficiency and that registration with the IICRC continues to set firms apart from the competition.

A few suggestions from the panelists ranged from incorporating the logo on all marketing materials, including a more robust description of the IICRC near the logo on their company’s website, to printing banners for local carpet dealers. One idea I thought was particularly clever was the “Lunch ‘n’ Learn.”

A “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” is when a firm would cater lunch to, let’s say the insurance agents’ office, and for 30 minutes grab a conference room to explain what their company does, demonstrate why they are experts and show them the IICRC standards books. Often, the panelists said they would conduct a short demonstration during the “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” by cleaning a chair or the corner of the carpet to show what clean should look like. I thought this was a very creative way to make an impression on important stakeholders in each firm’s local market.

Listening to the Q&A, I’m not sure that all of our firms are aware of the materials available on the IICRC website to help them better market their services. These materials are available exclusively to Certified Firms and can be found through the IICRC Certified Firms secure website at www.IICRC.org.

Connections was a great opportunity for us to hear from our registrants, but it shouldn’t happen only twice per year. Your feedback allows us to continue to improve our offerings and the value of your IICRC membership. If you have ideas for ways we can continue to improve, please let us know at info@iicrc.org.