Awareness is Everything

• By: Lizzy Stence - TXIA Executive Director
• On: 09/17/2020 12:32:08
• In: TXIA News
• Comments: 0

Even though licensing is required in the state of Texas, it's no secret there are those out there who practice without a license. The license you carry didn't come easily. You spent countless hours undergoing classroom instruction and had to pass a comprehensive exam in order to be-come licensed. Not only did you pass the initial test, you invest time and money in completing the required CEU hours. Additionally, you had to undergo and pass a state background check and evaluation of possible past criminal history. Customers are protected when they hire a licensed irrigation professional, and you can make sure potential customers are aware of that.

Chances are you gravitate towards a concentration or two with regards to specialization.  Do you mostly do new installs? Maintenance? Retrofitting? Because all TCEQ approved courses are based on efficient irrigation and water conservation methods, adapt that education to your specialization. For example, if you concentrate on retrofitting older systems, use the calculators available to you either from a CEU course or an online manufacturer to show potential water savings in dollars and cents. 

Still not convinced that you as a licensed professional have something more to offer? Being knowledgeble on back flow and understanding the importance of  clean, uncontaminated drinking water should get anyone's attention. Sell the fact that licensed irrigators participate in continuing education and are, in most cases, more knowledgeable than their unlicensed counterparts.

In addition to the aforementioned, there are countless other advantages to hiring a licensed irrigator.  In most cases, licensed irrigators carry insurance specifically written to protect the customer. In today's world of lawsuit after lawsuit, sell the fact that you've invested in protecting those for whom you work, yourself, and your employees. Are you a member of your local irrigation association or the Texas Irrigation Association? Being a member of your professional trade associations lends not only to credibility but also speaks to your commitment to the industry in which you work. TXIA members have access to an association membership logo with which to use on websites, social media, company documents, etc.

Sell, sell, sell yourself and your credentials! Knowing that the statewide issue of unlicensed irrigators continuing to work, most without even a slap on the hand, the TXIA wants to support your efforts and empower you, the professional, to get the word out to the consumer on how to protect themselves and their property by hiring only licensed irrigation professionals. The TXIA has put together a flyer for you to use in selling your credentials. Because this flyer is produced by the statewide professional association for licensed irrigation professionals, you can present it with confidence that you, being licensed, are better educated and better prepared to conduct business with added professionalism. Download and utilize the Hire Licensed flyer and make as many copies as needed for use in selling yourself as a licensed irrigator.

One of the best ways to sell yourself is explaining what it means to be a licensed irrigator, the details involved in keeping your license, and the advantages of hiring a licensed irrigation professional. Simply put, no matter what, one should always hire a licensed irrigator. Use that fact to your advantage to sell yourself and your credentials.