FizzBin - The Technical Support Secret Handshake

We need a word that says "I know tech" when you're on the phone with tech support, you'd just say "Fizzbin" and they'd know.

I hate that 5 minute to 5 hour long "ramp up" when I'm on the phone with any kind of technical support as they realize that we both know what we're doing. Or at least, one of us does.

How often, as a building product sales rep or marketer, have you had this problem while talking to architects and engineers? It's understandable; they have to work with many reps that know nothing about the industry beyond their own products, if that. Wouldn't it be nice to have a magic word that tells them you know the industry?

There is. The Construction Specifications Institute offers the Certified Construction Product Representative Program.

As a product representative, you're a vital source of technical information for the construction team. With CCPR certification, you'll be a sought after industry expert with an in-depth understanding of the overall construction process and superior ability in the principles of effective product representation. Plus, CCPR on your business card means you speak the same language as architects, engineers, specifiers, contractors and other decision-makers – and that opens doors.

This certification is available to people that have at least two years as a product rep and have passed the Construction Document Technologit (CDT) exan. If your customers are architects, or you are trying to get written into more specs, this can be a powerful tool.