CMI - The Outline Plan

[bkelly1]

Originally Posted by jbushart

IMO, it is one thing to have a vendor as a member with full board access, etc. That is cool. We need them and can learn a lot from them.

Put a vendor in charge or otherwise in control of some aspect of the association and it is totally different ----and it is only reasonable to expect them to utilize that position to further the business they "vend".

Hell, I'd do the same thing. So would anyone else.

I think it is time to take a hard look at this. Rowan lobbied Nick to throw me out of the association last year when I raised similar issues. I'm still here.

Does that hold true for Nachi's new VP ? Or did I just dream that up?

[James H. Bushart]

For clarification, there are NACHI members...long standing, contributing NACHI members...who later, after being members, become vendors. It is not of them that I speak.

I speak of the opportunists...those who are in business to sell wares to home inspectors and who become members in order to have direct access to a market of 9200+. They are the folks who, IMO, least deserve to be placed in positions where the marketing of their own product would or could interfere with the overall benefit of the member.

[rwand1]

James said;

For clarification, there are NACHI members...long standing, contributing NACHI members...who later, after being members, become vendors. It is not of them that I speak.

I speak of the opportunists...those who are in business to sell wares to home inspectors and who become members in order to have direct access to a market of 9200+. They are the folks who, IMO, least deserve to be placed in positions where the marketing of their own product would or could interfere with the overall benefit of the member.

I hear ya, this biz is rife with opportunists. The big boys have sliced up the turf, thier not in this for the glory but the bucks. Conflicts abound another reason to licence.

[mrowan]

Folks

There is no conspiracy here whatsoever. We are working on some great programs in the New Year for NACHI, which will bring many more inspections to every member. Yes we will announce these soon also.

Right now, we really need to focus on who best represents NACHI for the CMI program.
I know there are some great contenders, Paul A., Jeff P. and many others. There are many others around the country also such as Larry Cerro, Scott Patterson that I know have spent hours seeking a higher designation. If every association is represented, this qualification will hold water and will be one to be reckoned with.

You maybe asking yourself “Do we need this designation?”. As inspectors we do need this designation today. Ten years ago the average fee was approximately $250 dollars. Today it is still not much more, but our liability, dept of inspection and cost of doing business have skyrocketed. What have we done, or rather not done? This designation is for the good of the inspector, who gets paid far less than he/she is worth for the liability he/she takes on and the credibility he/she brings to the table.

For inspectors to move with the times, we must move on. We need to mature with our industry. The need for this qualification ten years ago was non existent. We cannot say that today.

This designation will raise the bar, consumer awareness and every one involved will be able to charge more, which means that all the other inspector certifications will be able to charge more too.

As far as education and selling education, this is the furthest thing from my mind. I have volunteered for the better of our industry for years, just like many of these boards. As far as what education has and will be approved, this is what the peer review group is for.

Let’s move forward, three years have been wasted here. Change is scary, but the glass is half full here! In five years you will look back and ask yourself what the heck I was so worried about.


Regards

Michael

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by mrowan

There are many others around the country also such as Larry Cerro, Scott Patterson that I know have spent hours seeking a higher designation.

Here is a note from Scott Patterson to Dave Bottoms that I was copied on:

Hi Dave,

I really don't care about the problems that Raymond and you have had, or the problems that he has had with OAHI.

I think that it is important that another person has left NACHI and is speaking out. If enough come forward regardless of their problems then we might see a change in the way that NACHI operates. Maybe the members will see the light and take the association away from Nick.

Scott Patterson

There was more to the message that Scott shared with his pal, Dave Bottoms. Fits right in there with Hooper. What a team of "peers" this is looking to be.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by mrowan

Let’s move forward, three years have been wasted here. Change is scary, but the glass is half full here! In five years you will look back and ask yourself what the heck I was so worried about.


Regards

Michael

Who's worried?

[James H. Bushart]

Those of you in the business of creating and marketing "credentials" may think so. I don't blame you for wanting to make others think so, too. Lot's of bucks in it.

The truth is, however, as NACHI has been illustrating for these "wasted three years" you are referring to --- the need is for educated and trained inspectors who can do a good job (regardless of the initials that follow their names). That is the value of these "wasted three years", Mike.

We have the highest annual CEU requirements in the industry and the most training available to HIs anywhere.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by mrowan

You maybe asking yourself “Do we need this designation?”. As inspectors we do need this designation today. Ten years ago the average fee was approximately $250 dollars. Today it is still not much more, but our liability, dept of inspection and cost of doing business have skyrocketed. What have we done, or rather not done?

I don't know about "we", but I do know about "me".

And I do know that if everyone concentrated on marketing different types of inspections to different types of clients at different types of pricing, no initials are needed; the sky is the limit.

For a person to think adding a CMI initial behind their name will boost their incomes, they certainly need to wake up to marketing 101.

[James H. Bushart]

Improve your skills in inspecting...through experience and training.

Improve your skills in marketing...through experience, training and study.

This is what NACHI is about. This CMI program, with the Hooper and Patterson (and God knows what other InspectionNews A-holes) connection, smells like a rat.

I think that somebody needs to go back and re-think this whole thing.

All of us regular-old NACHI home inspectors need to keep our focus on NACHI and keeping it relevant and strong. If people want to buy letters, let them play "Wheel of Fortune".

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by jbushart

For clarification, there are NACHI members...long standing, contributing NACHI members...who later, after being members, become vendors. It is not of them that I speak.

I speak of the opportunists...those who are in business to sell wares to home inspectors and who become members in order to have direct access to a market of 9200+. They are the folks who, IMO, least deserve to be placed in positions where the marketing of their own product would or could interfere with the overall benefit of the member.

Agree with you 1,000 percent. Couldn't of said it any better than that.

[bkelly1]

Originally Posted by bkelly1

Does that hold true for Nachi's new VP ? Or did I just dream that up?

Any oppurtunity here?

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by dduffy

And I do know that if everyone concentrated on marketing different types of inspections to different types of clients at different types of pricing, no initials are needed; the sky is the limit.

Very well said.

Give the Clients choices to help them, and we ourselves will be helped. But continuing to help ourselves with more initials, even when under the guise of helping the industry, is, I believe, what causes average inspection prices to remain low.

I'm not in this for me, nor am I in it for NACHI. I am in it to help people buy and sell real estate. It just so happens that doing so also pays my bills.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by jbushart

If people want to buy letters, let them play "Wheel of Fortune".

I like that.

"Is there a C?"
"Yes there is."
"How about an M?"
"There's one of those, too."
"I'd like to buy a vowel. Is there an I?"
"Yes. What does it spell?"
See 'em eye.

[Nick Gromicko]

Fellas:

I urge you to review www.nachi.org/whats_new.htm and at the bottom of that page go to the link which brings up even older news, and at the bottom of that page go to the link which brings up even older news.

www.nachi.org/whats_new.htm shows that together, our hard work has created one of the world's best if not the world's best trade association, and I'm not just talking about home inspection associations... I mean we're arguably the best trade association on earth.

What other trade association moves at our pace, markets as hard, educates as many, and offers as much? I know of none that even comes close to NACHI.

But all this is to what end? The third largest association in our industry openly permits its members to offer repair services. The second largest association in our industry still has no entrance requirements whatsoever. NACHI has its problems too. All this while states continue to adopt meaningless legislation which triples the number of competitors we have and schools refuse to offer nothing more than basic inspection 101 courses. And we wonder why our fees are 1/3 of what they should be!!!

CMI is not just a professional designation. It is a plan. A plan to take us all (not just CMIs) straight to the promise land. A land where we will all be the top trained, best educated, properly equipped, hi-tech, aggessively marketed, unwaveringly ethical, well paid professionals we know we should be. The plan requires that our top tier climb even higher, raise their fees, and for the rest of us to follow, cheering them on. Without CMI we'll be charging the same fees 10 years from now. Get behind it, and feel free to kill anyone who isn't (joke). Like I said, CMI isn't just 3 little letters, it is an impulse. An impulse for us all to lift off!!!

Not all of you trust me, even after all we've been through together, even after I've been crazy enough to have given NACHI the best years of my life... well, maybe it is wise not to be too trusting of a nut (joking again). But speaking to those of you who do trust me, and I think I've earned that trust over the years, I ask of you to in turn... trust Michael. Give him and CMI a chance please.

[John McKenna]

As I watch my clients searching for the right ingredient
that will help them decide which inspector to choose,
I have noted a few observations.

They have a house to inspect and several inspectors
are listed in front of them...

Now the struggle begins. Who to believe?

The solution many consumer look for is called third party
endorsement by someone they trust. This helps the
client cross the "trust factor".

As long as all the competition looks the same, then the
lower priced inspector looks the most appealing. But if
one inspector has third party endorsement by someone
the client trust... they will many times choose the "trust
factor", even if it cost more. In buying a huge expense
like a house, the "trust factor" becomes more critical.

The more educated buyer of today's internet market
is searching for the "trust factor" even more, because
the pit falls have been made known as their awareness
level has been made more sensitive through knowledge.

CMI is a HUGE factor in the process of the client search
for the "trust factor". So much so, that CMI's who ask for
higher fees seem even more respectful than the vast
sea of cheaper choices. I have had clients tell me this.

Now CMI is bull dozing into a higher arena of dominance.
On other message boards, I see those who envy, hate and
despise NACHI and CMI... but are starting to change their minds.

Even those who hated CMI are now wanting to be part
of it. They are the strongest converts. Nick is
smarter than many of the goofy naysayers and his
CMI baby will make foolish men fall silent as it grows.

If the enemies of CMI come on board to make it more
strict and thus more credible, CMI becomes stronger.
If all the associations that despise CMI end up endorsing
it (because some of their own leadership have made it
better) then Nicks wisdom will shine again.

Envy is like judo. When it comes at you, throw it in
the direction it really wants to go anyway. By using
the envy factor, Tom Sawyer got a lot of people to
paint his fence. He reached his goals by allowing
others to show they could paint just as good as he could.
CMI will grow as others prove they can make it better.

The more I see this thing unfold, the more I see the
birth of a giant. I am amazed others cannot see it
sometimes. Many of Nicks hardened opponents have
joined him in the CMI wagon. Sometimes they explain
long and elaborate reasons for changing their mind,
but they were simply wrong. Its hard to admit you
missed the ball. Some have not even showed up at
the right ball field yet.

In every industry, vendors grow as the industry
grows. Quality education, better tools, higher
training, are all provided by vendors. If they
produce a better product, then we all benefit.
If CMI inspires achievement to get that
designation... that's hard to argue against.

I for one protested when the CMI qualification
where too weak. It looks like some may start
protesting because this thing may get too hard.

Is CMI going to drive NACHI out of business.
Nonsense. NACHI is exploding because it
appeals to newbies and provides lots of benefits
for its inspectors. CMI will not change that.

Will a higher designation make some inspectors
feel envy and resentment? Yes. But... the strong
will survive. People attack the thing they fear.

CMI will continue to be attacked by those who
fear it. In a few years it may indeed be hard
to live in its shadow as CMI inspectors take more
of your market share.

CMI is the "trust factor" in a box. Clients choose CMI.
While some say its no good, I'm making more money.

CMI will continue to inspire inspectors to achieve
it and vendors to provide it. I make money and
the vendors make money. The client hires a more
educated inspector and everyone wins. Except
for those who say it will never work and cannot
admit they are wrong.

Pride Kills. Be careful what you say, its hard
to take it all back.