We are thoroughly enjoying Ed Pierces new fleet marketing column A Call to Action (for Fleet Providers)' published monthly in Fleet Management Weekly. In his July column he said, As any great sales person will tell you, sales is not about a great product or service, its about the customers perception of value.
We thought about Ed's statement while we interviewed a number of distinguished fleet professionals at NAFAs recent Board of Governors meeting in Orlando. The industry is changing, they say; many fleet managers now report direct to strategic sourcing or work closely with these folks in purchasing/bid processes, and sport new job titles. But we were struck by something that we heard over and over again: the absolute value these fleet professionals are realizing by having earned their CAFM accreditation from NAFA. Several people said that they would not even have been considered for their current position without it, and others said how the CAFM status substantially elevates the perception of their very real capabilities to upper management.
At one time or another nearly all of us must 'market' ourselves and we need to have the tools to do that effectively. We think NAFA excels in fleet education, whether it occurs at webinars, at local chapter meetings, the annual I&E, the Expo floor at I&E, fundamental and advanced fleet management seminars, and events such as this falls International Fleet Academy and the CAFM Bootcamp. Graduates tell us that it's not easy to earn a CAFM, making it all the more valuable in the marketplace.
And while were talking about excellent opportunities to expand your fleet education, dont miss out on the 2014 AFLA Conference September 7-10 in Las Vegas. Great educational sessions, terrific keynoters, and superb networking - so aptly named: "Improving Your Odds for Fleet Success."
Janice Sutton
Executive Editor
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