As incoming chairman of the IBBA, I am already thinking of significant ways to improve both the IBBA and M&A Source. After talking to members at the IBBA Spring Conference in June, I want to concentrate on branding and raising awareness for the CBI and M&AMI designations.
In order for the credentials issued by our organization to have real value, they need to be recognized by the end user-in this case it is the business owner who ultimately becomes the client. When a business owner is thinking about selling his or her business, it should be so that they know only a CBI or M&AMI is qualified to handle the sale.
In order to commence branding the certifications, we want to incorporate a "tagline" that everyone who holds either designation can use in their signature. This will indicate to everyone we do business with that the CBI and M&AMI are the premier certifications for business brokers around the world.
Knowing that some of the most brilliant and ingenious people I know are members of these two organizations, I wanted to engage everyone's brains and develop a contest where you, the member, comes up with the tagline the associations will use in the future.
Contest Guidelines
Because the CBI is a designation that specializes in "Main Street" business brokerage, and M&AMI deals in corporate mergers and acquisitions, it is appropriate to have two separate taglines tailored for the different areas of expertise, but can also be broader to include both designations. The tagline should be catchy and professional, and should be included in all mailings and correspondence to business owners. Here are some examples:
"To get professional results, you should only trust a credentialed CBI or M&AMI"
"For mergers and acquisitions, trust a certified M&AMI" etc.
To submit your entry, please send your taglines to george@plethorabusinesses.com. You may submit a total of three (3) taglines, preferably one for CBI, one for M&AMI, and one generic. Once the taglines have been submitted, the winners will be chosen by members of both boards. The winners of this contest will win One Free Registration for the 2013 IBBA Conference. There can be up to 2 winners, and the contest will end August 31st.
Once the taglines are chosen, we urge those who hold the designation to use it every chance they can, thus branding the certifications to our clients and prospects. Through branding, the IBBA and M&A Source credentials will become synonymous with the idea of selling a business. Giving significance to our credentials will, over time, change the landscape of our associations for the better.
I look forward to hearing your responses and welcome the opportunity to involve you in the future improvements of the CBI and M&AMI.
Sincerely,
George Lanza
2013 Chairman Elect
