Who Signs Contracts?

If it’s the executive director your organization might be putting itself in danger, at least that’s what Steven John Fellman says in the latest issue of “Bottom Line Briefing.”

In the article “Who Signs the Association’s Contracts?” Fellman (Galland, Kharasch, Greenberg, Fellman & Swirsky, P.C.) argues that while the staff should provide the board with information on the risks involved with a contract, especially economic risks, it’s the Chair of the Board that should ultimately sign the contract. Fellman states that this practice both protects staff members and makes board members increasingly aware of their financial responsibilities.

The article introduces an interesting point but fails to expand on the specifics of the memo that outlines the risks (and, one can assume, the benefits) of the contract. Who signs significant contracts in your association? If you use the memo format, as the article suggests, we welcome you to share your experiences with us.

The Do's and Don'ts of Case Studies (According to MarketingProfs.com)

We use case studies for a variety of reasons. Vendors might use them to show how specifics services and products have helped clients. Certification organizations might use a case study as a testimonial from a certificant outlining why they sought certification and how it’s helped them professionally (and personally, in some cases).

I came across an article on MarketingProfs.com on why too many case studies don’t work. The 10 tips they listed were all helpful, but this one stuck out at us—don’t use sweeping generalizations. In other words, show us, don’t tell us.

Telling readers why you’re so great isn’t nearly as effective as showing them how you’re so great. Let’s say you have a certificant with a great story of how achieving certification helped their career. Don’t just say, “Achieving the XYZ credential helped Joe Smith professionally.” Tell the reader how. Did they get a raise or promotion? Did they receive more responsibility in the workplace? Did they get a new job that otherwise would’ve been out of reach?

It seems like a pretty basic tactic, but one that is overlooked too much. Show us…don’t tell us. Let that be our new mantra.

Unfortunately, to read the article you need a login to marketingprofs.com. Click here for more info.

Eligibility Requirements Comparison

We recently reviewed the eligibility requirements of NCCA accredited certification programs. As you might expect, we found a wide range of criteria. Some programs had no requirements while others required extensive education (doctoral degrees in some cases) and experience. The common element was that the candidate had to meet all of the criteria before taking the exam for most programs.

We thought it would be helpful to share some of the general information we found.

• 36 of the programs had formalized alternate pathways to eligibility (all alternate pathways are reflected in the numbers below).
• 10 programs had minimal or no requirements.
• 47 programs required no formal education (but had some experience, training, or other requirements).
• 48 programs required a Bachelors or Associates degree (often in addition to other training and/or experience).
• 24 programs required a Masters or Doctorate degree (often in addition to other training and/or experience).
• 57 programs required another credential or licensure (often in addition to some of the requirements above).
• 4 programs required a sponsor or reference letters in addition to other requirements.

Other more specific findings include:

• 15 programs required some job related experience.
• 16 programs required a combination of training and experience.
• 15 programs required completion of a training program.
• 1 program required a portfolio and experience.
• 13 programs required a Bachelors degree or Associates degree.
• 6 programs required a Bachelors or Associates degree and additional training.
• 11 programs required a Bachelors or Associates degree and experience.
• 6 programs required a Bachelors or Associates degree and experience and additional training.
• 11 programs required a Bachelors or Associates degree and experience and another credential or license.
• 1 program required a Bachelors or Associates degree and additional training and another credential or license.
• 2 programs required a Masters or Doctorate degree.
• 6 programs required a Masters or Doctorate degree and another credential or license.
• 4 programs required a Masters or Doctorate degree and experience.
• 12 programs required a Masters or Doctorate degree and experience or training and another credential or license.
• 8 programs required another credential or license.
• 16 programs required another credential or license and experience.
• 7 programs required another credential or license and training.
• 2 programs required another credential or license and experience and training.

Our review included programs that were accredited after the NCCA implemented its revised standards in 2003 and those that publish their eligibility requirements on their Web sites. Included in the review were 147 certification programs from 70 sponsoring organizations. How do you compare?