From Your Peers

From Your Peers

Thank you all for contributing your best practices, ideas, tips, etc. on how to market the CGR designation. Together we make the CGR designation program grow. We can learn from one another, grow our businesses, and feel good about moving the remodeling industry forward. Read on to find out what your peer CGRs are doing to make their designation work for them.

George Christiansen, CGR of Pequot Remodeling in Fairfield, Conn.

I have been a CGR since 1993 long before there was a Remodelors Council in my area. I had to travel to Hartford to take my classes and it took over three years to get all of the credits that I needed for my designation. I have used the designation effectively in my design/build business here in Connecticut for over 13 years. There are hundreds of remodelers in my area and there are only a handful of contractors who have any credentials other than their registration number and their business cards.

I use my CGR embosser to validate every page of every contract that I give to potential clients. I know that each page is the original when I get it back signed by the client. There have been unscrupulous individuals who change language on prints and proposals to better the deal. The contractor who is at risk in these instances can’t recant a signed agreement that he did not double check that what he signed were actually his words. This practice is not common, but having the “raised” emblem on the paperwork makes it easier to detect forgeries.

My business card is a fold over and I have the CGR Emblem done in Gold embossed print. It really stands out brilliantly and makes a definite statement about the quality to be expected of our services. People save these cards for long periods.

I definitely believe in education and since our State does not believe that licensing has any merit, setting myself apart from the average contractor has its advantages. There are clients who want to use someone with credentials.                                

John Allen, PE, GMB, CGR, CAPS of Southern Construction & Design, Inc. in Madison, Ala.

I am the Huntsville/Madison County Builders Association (Alabama), Remodelors Council Chairman.  My company is Southern Construction & Design, Inc., which is a 9 year old family business. We have progressed from the first job of a front door replacement and some sheetrock repair, to six figure remodels and additions.  We believe the remodeling industry is an exciting area not only for business growth, but it is an industry ripe for

I have obtained our GMB, CGR, and CAPS designations.  I believe that a designation is another level of professional commitment to the industry and to you.  I promote the designation in email, business cards, website, and all other business related documents and transmittals.  I sell the value of the designation to the potential client, by explaining the process by which one obtains a CGR designation, the class work, and finally the time commitment.  I believe it shows the owner that I am committed to the industry, committed to the profession, and have a desire to learn more and obtain more about our industry.  It shows them a commitment, a determination, and a drive for success.  All of these are positive attributes for a client as they select a remodeler for their project.  One unique idea we have presented is to create a newsletter which we mail to our former clients.  In this letter, we can explain the designations obtained and why that is important.  What does this do?  It educates our former clients, of which word of mouth business drives work to us, and therefore they can give their friends and neighbors the newsletter and so the potential word of mouth clients are already pre-disposed to the benefits of a CGR.

Visit the CGR Message Board 

Visit the CGR message board on www.nahb.org/forum. The CGR message board allows you to ask questions and get the answers from your CGR peers. Feel free to ask a question, post an answer to a problem or start a dialogue on a business issue that interests you. Visit www.nahb.org/forum for the current list of conversations or start your own discussion thread. 

Follow these quick steps:

• Log on to www.nahb.com 
• Hit the Community button
• Select Forums
• Click on the Certified Graduate Remodelor (CGR) Forum
• Enter the password — “CGR”

The forum is available to NAHB members only. [ return to top ]