• A REALTOR® who has earned a professional designation is likely to be more competent that they were before attending the classes that entitled them to use that designation. The same can be said of those who earn college degrees, pass the bar or earn a CPA designation.
   

• Since those who earn real estate designations are likely to provide better service, on the average, than those who do not have these credentials, other REALTORS® send referrals to REALTORS® with designations. Not because a designation guarantees the quality of their work but because of the increased probability that they will provide quality service.
   

• Obtaining a designation will improve the quality of your services and give you a competitive edge over your competition.
   

• Many REALTORS® will make the statement, “Nobody but a real estate agent know what these designations stand for, so why bother putting them on your card?” While it’s true that the average consumer has no idea of what it takes to become a real estate agent, and certainly does not know what our industry designations stands for, there are still great opportunities available in actively promoting your credentials.
   

• When a potential client looks at a business card and asks, “What’s a GRI?” it gives you the opportunity to promote yourself. You can simply respond by casually mentioning that getting licensed only requires some relatively short courses and passing a multiple choice test but that the real knowledge necessary to provide quality service comes after licensure, through advanced study in getting a GRI.
   

• Your can point out to a potential client the small number of the member in your Association that have designations. While most REALTORS® are not impressed by such comparisons, it is more than moderately persuasive from the potential client’s point of view. There is an obvious incremental value in a potential client’s mind of the REALTOR® who uses this strategy in their presentations.
   

• Potential clients seldom have all of the potential knowledge necessary to make an informed decision. In the absence of having all of the potential knowledge they rely on clues to help them make their daily decisions. One of the clues they look for is the appearance of authority whether it is real or simply perceived. This reliance on the appearance of authority is seldom done on a conscious level. It has been programmed into us over a lifetime of experiences that dictate that we give more respect and credibility to those in positions of authority. Potential clients are simply more likely to listen to, and believe, those who are perceived as an authority on some subject matter, than to those who are not. Professional designations convey the appearance of authority. The appearance of authority makes designations much more powerful in affecting a potential client’s decision than most of us would realize on a conscious level.
   

• Whether you wish to pursue professional credentials simply for the education they provide, for the strength of their power to persuade others, or both, you are to be commended and will surely be more successful for your efforts.

Stephen M. Canale, GRI, CRS, CRB, RAM
Training & Seminars in Technology, Sales & Marketing
www.Canale.com