Each and every day, small business owners are lending their expertise to every imaginable field and specialty. From dog trainers to craft specialists, courses can be an integral part to developing your business. As your clients complete your courses, however, you may be wondering how best to handle their graduation. After all, it’s just as important for your client to feel that their money has been well spent as it is for you to use the opportunity to grow your business.
Thankfully, both of these goals can be accomplished with one tactical maneuver: hand out a certificate of completion. Keep on reading to find out how these simple tools can do impressive things for your small business.
Lend An Air Of Legitimacy To Your Program
You may be the best there is in your field, but your customers will still be slightly skeptical if you don’t have some token for them to show off at the end of your classes or courses. It may sound a little silly, but a certificate of completion can elevate the legitimacy of your business to new heights. After all, if you’re compelling your students to proudly proclaim their completion, then your course must have some level of relevance, right?
Drive Home the Sense of Accomplishment
It’s a shame, but the positive impact of learning can be kind of short-lived in even the most avid student. Here’s where a certificate of completion comes in: when your students have something tangible to hold in their hands at the end of your class, they’ll have a consistent reminder of their accomplishments. This, in turn, will not only help them derive prolonged satisfaction from the class, it’ll keep you (and the help you provided) in mind when your former client or student is looking to continue their education.
Keep Something For Your Records
Once your students complete your course, a certificate of completion is a great way for them to have a physical reminder of their completion. That much is plainly obvious. However, if you’re the type of small business owner who has a variety of courses or classes on offer, then a certificate of completion can be helpful for you, as well. Simply make two copies of any certificate you hand out, keep the second on file, and you’ll have a quick and easy reminder when your client comes knocking again. If you’re able to produce said certificate of completion upon your client’s return, it’ll show an avid personal interest, a benefit you can never put a price on.
Generate New Customers
You’d be surprised how willing people are to show off a little bit when they’ve completed something. Even if that means simply putting your certificate of completion up on the fridge for a bit, your certificate will be in front of your client’s face (and at the forefront of their minds) for weeks to come. You’d be surprised how often this kind of unconscious presence can lead to your clients’ discussing the course with friends or family, a happy tale that may lead to more business for you in the future.
You might not think about real, printed certificates of completion as something viable for your classes, but the benefits of the technique are undeniably worth the minimal cost. If you’re the kind of business owner who routinely hands out knowledge, then certificates of completion are simply invaluable!
