I'll be bringing CMI awards to the following 5 events. Meet me and we'll take a PIC.

Certified Master Inspectors (CMIs) can take photos of themselves being awarded their Certified Master Inspector professional designation using these CMI awards: http://certifiedmasterinspector.org/awards/

So, bring a nice shirt and a camera to any event that I am at and I’ll hand you the award and shake your hand in the photo if you want.

Then put your photo on your inspection business website. A picture is worth a thousand words and a photo of you being awarded your Certified Master Inspector professional designation says it all.

I’ll be at these upcoming events:

Dallas, TX: http://www.nachi.org/forum/f13/nick-gromicko-speaking-3-days-secrets-revealed-dallas-texas-february-26-a-88361/

Toronto, ON: http://www.nachi.org/carson-dunlop-2014.htm

Venice Beach, FL: http://www.nachi.org/forum/f73/nick-gromicko-speaking-venice-chapter-meeting-venice-beach-fl-april-11-2014-a-88166/#post1137234

Orlando, FL: http://www.inspectionconference.com/2014-Orlando-Inspection-Training/index.php

Reno, NV: http://www.nachi.org/aii-conference-2014.htm

See ya there!

That’s great Nick. I’ll see you at 2 of them

See you in Reno.

Awesome Nick I will see you in Toronto!!

“the are just props for the photo shoots.”

Perhaps there’s a “just for appearances” theme to this CMI thing…

Correct. The CMI awards are for use in photo shoots. A picture is worth a thousand words and a picture of the inspector (consumers like to see the inspector they’re about to hire) being handed an award (which says something even more) and the award being for achieving their Certified Master Inspector professional designation (which says something even more) really expresses a positive news story to the potential client with one image. It coveys the right message quickly. Perfect for an inspector’s website.

Each photo on your website should tell a story. Maybe it’s a PIC of you safely (using gloves and eye protection) opening an electric panel. Maybe it’s you next to your dedicated inspection vehicle. Maybe it’s you being handed your Certified Master Inspector award. Photos overpower text, so be careful with them.

You don’t want to waste your precious photo space on your website or brochure with stock photos of a house or a “for sale” sign or worse, a young family. That’s a total waste. Every PIC should tell a story about YOU!!! That’s why the PIC I recommend isn’t one of the CMI award… it’s one of you receiving the CMI award.

The difference is subtle, but the effect is dramatic.

Run this test on each PIC on your website and brochure:

Look at the PIC without any supporting text. Ask yourself this question: Does this PIC, by itself, without supporting text, tell a story and is that a story I want to have told?

The answer for each PIC should be “yes and yes.”

Let me try it this way: The PICs on your website or brochure aren’t filler or background to your text. They are 10 times more important than your text and tell a story 100 times faster. Every PIC counts.

And in a way, the Certified Master Inspector logo is a type of a PIC too, one that tells the right story, which is why CMI’s should do this.

Anyway… Try to run my test on every PIC on your website and brochure. If a PIC fails the test, get out your camera.

A thermal image is worth two thousand words;-)

And a PIC of you using an IR camera is worth a thousand words. Consumers like to see who they are about to hire and they like action shots of you at work. A PIC of you using your IR camera tells a story and conveys a message.

Not as good as a thermal image of a nice electrical panel glowing at them as the consumer can not tell the difference in a digital camera and a IR camera by looking at a pic;-)