Comments on: Communicating Differentiation to Grow Customers http://www.interimmarketing.info/communicating-differentiation-to-grow-customers/ A Blog for Marketing Executives Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:56:14 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Cal Harrison http://www.interimmarketing.info/communicating-differentiation-to-grow-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-194 Cal Harrison Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:35:24 +0000 http://www.interimmarketing.info/?p=629#comment-194 Paul you've hit on an important topic. The CMC certification can play many different roles for individual advisors such as differentiation between consultants and reduction of buyers remorse by the client at the time of engagement. As an industry group I think there's also opportunity to use it as a greater force for change - things like improvement of payment terms from government clients for CMC advisors etc. - but for that to happen the ICMCI and CMC designating organizations around the globe are going to have to shift into branding gear soon. The 2008 IMC USA Brand Survey is a good start. While 40% of respondents already indicated that the CMC gave them competitive advantage over non-CMC consultants that can improve significantly if the ICMCI takes the steps proposed to branding the designation internationally. This past November I did a half day business development workshop as the guest of CMC Canada as they partnered with ICMCI and Dennis Strong to launch the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants chapter in Barbados. There was a lot of dicussion about how ICMCI could support the chapters and business development efforts of individual consultants in the Caribbean with strong branding of the CMC designation. In my opinion it was likely one of the key reasons that chapter was formed. Take care Paul! Paul you’ve hit on an important topic. The CMC certification can play many different roles for individual advisors such as differentiation between consultants and reduction of buyers remorse by the client at the time of engagement.

As an industry group I think there’s also opportunity to use it as a greater force for change – things like improvement of payment terms from government clients for CMC advisors etc. – but for that to happen the ICMCI and CMC designating organizations around the globe are going to have to shift into branding gear soon. The 2008 IMC USA Brand Survey is a good start.

While 40% of respondents already indicated that the CMC gave them competitive advantage over non-CMC consultants that can improve significantly if the ICMCI takes the steps proposed to branding the designation internationally.

This past November I did a half day business development workshop as the guest of CMC Canada as they partnered with ICMCI and Dennis Strong to launch the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants chapter in Barbados. There was a lot of dicussion about how ICMCI could support the chapters and business development efforts of individual consultants in the Caribbean with strong branding of the CMC designation. In my opinion it was likely one of the key reasons that chapter was formed.

Take care Paul!

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