Thanks to the hype around smart homes and intelligent solutions, the end-customers have been made more aware of the possibilities that automation offers.
However, at the same time, the whole industry becomes more competitive and thereby threatening every integrator. So what can you do, in order to benefit from the hype and not face losses or even bankruptcy? People can now fight about the obvious, such as marketing activities, extension of product portfolio. However, one answer, which you might not have on your card is also the most efficient.
In order to stay strong in the market, the most efficient solution is training!
It is not new that training can help you becoming a better integrator, better integrators have a better reputation and will be recommended to one another, following the motto: “Knowledge is Power”. But making the obvious clear is NOT the intention of this article. Therefore, let’s have a more analytical look at trainings, especially certified ones.
Higher exposure thanks to training
Good restaurants can be certified by various organisations, like TripAdvisor, Michelin and others, which can grant you the usage of a nice sticker on your door, showing that the things you are cooking might actually be better than what your competitors are cooking. Same applies to system integrators. No matter which kind of training, it brings you closer to the people, especially if we are talking about certified independent trainings, e.g. the Project Management Professional (PMP) or KNX, as well as expert trainings by manufacturers. And here it comes: Most courses, which have been successfully participated in, authorise you to use logos, titles, stickers, etc. which distinguishes you from the competition.
Certification makes it also easier to find you
Like a traveller would look for a good pub on TripAdvisor, potential customers look for skilled integrators on online databases. These databases are often provided by the organisation, which handles the certification of participants and put you on the map for everyone to see.
Lastly, certified trainings offer a perfect platform for networking opportunities, and knowing a lot of people that can support you with anything is a great asset. So how can you meet these skilled people? Easy! Either you contact the people in the database yourself, or you attend one of the networking events, which are organised by the institute, which issued you the certificate.
And the best thing about training is, the benefits do not have to end here. Depending on the organisation, you can be given access to discounts, information, business opportunities, etc.
Oh, and of course, let’s not forget that you actually learned something, which will help you boost your business.
In regards of the many advantages, why is not everyone participating in certified Training?
Most obvious reason: People do not know about certification possibilities. Reasons for not knowing could be that the person is new to the industry or the according certification scheme was introduced at a later stage. No matter what the reasons might be, let’s hope that this article turns more people into “knowers”.
For those who know, certification is always very attractive, but being attractive is often not the reason to invest time and money. Depending on the desired certification, the monetary investment can reach thousands of pounds, without taking any preparation courses and course materials into consideration. As for the time, which has to be invested. Depending on the course itself, it might take months of deep preparation before you are ready to get certified, not to mention the certification procedure itself, which can also last several days.
Lastly, for those who have enough time and money, the fear of failing is a major hinderance. Some certificates are known for being difficult to obtain, as these are only issued to those who have the necessary skills (otherwise, a certificate does not represent anything). Thus the depressio one might fall into after failing certification.
In the end, certificates require effort. Taking this step is a crucial one, as it might change your life completely. However sacrifices have to be made and is a question that has to be asked by everyone beforehand.
For more information on training for integrators, visit KNX, which gives you a perfect overview about the training opportunities for beginners and experts.