CMI logo chosen.

[jmichalski]

By the way, I have several friends who have become Realtors int eh last 5 years and the were all told "Don't expect to make any money in your first year".

I know aggressive people - they succeeded and made money.

My point is that the non-agressive newbies in real estate die out quickly, eaten by the vets. Is that what we want to become?

[Nick Gromicko]

Now I know CMI is a good idea. Our attorney Mark Cohen just received notice from ASHI threatening that if NACHI does CMI they will go to court to try to stop us.

I think that says it all.

CMI... full steam ahead!

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by jmichalski

That just doesn't make sense from a marketing perspective, Nick.

Ask this:
How can I use my CMI designation to improve my business?

The logical answer:
By differentiating myself from those who do not have it, making their services seem less qualified.

The extent to which this method is successful for CMI's is the exact entent to which they are successful in making non-CMI inspectors appear to be clueless or unqualified.

Ergo, the most effective strategy does, inherently, hurt newbies. It cannot help but create a tiered class, and it will be used agressively as a marketing weapon against non-CMI's

Therefore: It helps some, it hurts some.

Joseph,

Look at my Tech Inspection post.....no CMI required, nobody asked why I can charge $1,179.00 to inspect a couple thousand square foot home.

I told them why I do it......experienced professionals, no CMI required.

Forget that CMI non-sense before you start believing you need it...........

[Nick Gromicko]

Joe, according to your logic should we kill http://www.nachi.org/iac2certified.htm as well?

[jmichalski]

Excellent, another project with no goal or plan. Just what we need.

Nick, instead of obtaining reassurance from a threatened ASHI action, can't we - JUST ONE TIME - say that we are doing something because we have an orgnizational plan, and have projected our goals and considered manageable growth and it is the smart move for reasons XYZ?

Just once, a move dictated by a plan, that shows some degree of forethought to the impact on the organization, the membership, future growth (or lack thereof), and attaining specific identified goals would be refeshing.

No...I'm sorry....we are in a silly frat war with ASHI - nevermind.

[Joseph Kormos]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Veterans aren't taking any work away from anyone. They are already busy doing 600-700 inspections a year. 3 letters aren't going to change their established markets. 3 letters won't make them work harder, but might permit them to charge more.

You know maybe if our vets who are already working full schedules charged more they might just find it unnecessary to accept as many jobs.

Nick, you may have a point, but, and you know there is always a but, so the but iks that the perception of the new guys out there, they may not get the phone call or the referals. All for one one for all.

And in Illinois I beleive the only designation that I can use is licenced Illinois Home Inspector, I can say that I am a member of NACHI, but I am not positive on that.

[jmichalski]

Nick - that's apples and oranges.

If you want to talk about certification for specific ancillary inspections, then that is fine, and I agree with the additional seals, logos, whatever. IT is icing on the cake for a good business.

If you want to stick to the discussion about polarizing or segregating membership based on a designation that will impact the BREAD AND BUTTER bottom line of the CORE BUSINESS of home inspections then we can talk.

[Nick Gromicko]

Joe M.

What do you mean "move by a dictated plan" ?

Lost.

[jmichalski]

Nick -

Actually I think we have just stumbled on the whole problem.

I said "a move dictated by a plan" NOT "a dictated plan". When there is a Strategic Organizational Plan, there are clearly identified (and written) short term and long term goals for every conceivable area of the organization.

Objectives (short and long term) are derived from the goals.

Action itmes are created from the Objectives.

This way, every action is in some way premeditated with the purpose of achieving a goal. Actions not contemplated in the plan can occur, but are discussed and introduced in terms of their abilities to meet or exceed specific goals.

It also ensures manageable growth, protects against possible shortfalls, and objectively assess Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT).

We have no plan.

I have asked repeatedly, and learned there is none as such. I have offered to help form one, to coach or moderate, or lead a committee, whatever.

No response.

THAT is what i mean that an action should be "a move dictated by a plan".

Fail to plan, plan to fail.

[Nick Gromicko]

No response from who? We've been working on CMI for years. Hell I filed the Trademark in 2003!

Look, CMI is just another qualification.

Perhaps I should take down http://www.nachi.org/brochure.htm and http://www.nachi.org/brutal.htm since they advise inspectors to tout every qualification they have. Perhaps NACHI should make it illegal to say you were once a plumber, or that you are code certified, or that you are a P.E. or that you are mold certified, or that you've been in business for 7 years, or that you carry insurance, or that you are licensed.

Hell, let's go all the way and prohibit NACHI members from saying that they are NACHI members.

That is nuts.

[Nick Gromicko]

Hey everyone, if you have been an inspector for 10 years... don't tell the public as it gives you an unfair advantage over those of us who have only been in business 9 years.

Oh brother.

[jmichalski]

Those who advertise their years of service are smart to do so. But it isn;t an artifical designation from a national trade organization, indicating other inspectors are lesser.

All the other items you mention are privatly obtained certifications or education that is legitimately used to give a leg up. This is an artifical creation of a trade organization that USED TO pride itself on all members not being branded.

Now, "non-CMI" will mean second class.

You still have not responded about the data for the single-inspector vets who do "600-700 annually", which is 50-60 per month, or 2-3 per day (every day of a 7 day week). Where is that from? (speaking of nuts.)

The "no response" was in reference to all previous attempts to convinve YOU that there is aneed for a strategic organizational plan. Chase a trademark all you want (it says a lot about you that you chose to trademark your own name), it does not show how that fits into a goal for NACHI and a specifically identified goal.

[jmichalski]

Hey everyone,

we're better than ASHI becasue we don't brand newbies who have less than 250 inspections.

Except now we want to create a special designation for those with 250 or more inspections.

Oh brother.

[Joseph Kormos]

These are just trade associations that offer its members recourses, and others in the industry recourses as well. It is how well we (NACHI) serve our industry and that is how we will be perceived by the industry we serve.

After that point it will just be what association will offer the most to its members, the industry it serves and the consumer. This is the industry perception that we need to work on as an association, bottom line do we want to be # 1 or # ??

[Nick Gromicko]

600-700 inspections was about the most I could do in a year. I was maxed in terms of numbers. I couldn't do any more... therefore no matter how successful my marketing... I wasn't going to be doing any more work...therefore my competitors were not harmed by my strong marketing.

The survey you quote sounds correct. If the average is 230/year, that means that some inspectors have to be doing 600-700/year to offset those who do very few a year. In other words, a 600-700/year max correlates perfectly to a 230/year average in my opinion.

Now here is a fact: There are 2 basic ways to make more money when you work alone: Do more work... or... charge more. The only way to make more money in the home inspection business, by yourself, when you have a full schedule... is to raise prices. And when you raise prices... everyone wins... including your competitors.