Benefits of the CPSM Certification Program
When you apply for the CPSM examination, you are taking your first step toward joining a distinguished group of professionals who have made a commitment to professional excellence, career advancement, and ongoing pursuit of knowledge.

This voluntary certification is designed to:

• Raise the professional standards and stature of marketing and business development in the design and construction industry
• Encourage self-assessment by offering guidelines for achievement in the profession
• Recognize individuals who have demonstrated knowledge of the practice and related disciplines through a test of basic competency
• Enhance the credibility of the profession in the industry
• Influence the future of the field.

The CPSM designation is a mark of distinction. The achievement offers you a wide range of important benefits:

• Improved ability to compete in the job market
• Enhanced credibility as a professional in the A/E/C community
• Potential for increased compensation and benefits.

Upon earning the CPSM designation, you will receive:

• a personalized certificate of achievement
• a CPSM lapel pin
• a notification letter sent to your employer
• acknowledgement in SMPS’s publications, on our web site, and at the National Marketing Conference.

Grandfathering
SMPS members who have an MP or SMP designation are not required to take the written examination and may use CPSM after September 1, 1999. These previously certified individuals must meet current certification renewal requirements. For more information please click on the Certification Renewal link.

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Eligibility Requirements
Requirements to apply for the CPSM examination:

• Possess a bachelor’s degree plus four (4) years of experience in marketing or business development for firms in the built and natural environments, or
• Possess an associate’s degree plus six years work experience in marketing or business development for firms providing professional services, or
• Without a degree, eight (8) years of experience in marketing or business development for firms in the built and natural environments
• Must pledge to abide by the CPSM Code of Ethics.

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The Examination
The 150-question, multiple-choice certification exam is based on a practice analysis commissioned by SMPS. Candidates will be tested on their skills and knowledge of the following six domains. (The figures indicate the percentage of exam questions relating to that topic.)
Marketing Research, 15%: Gathering and analyzing data related to markets, competitors, and prospects; social, cultural, and economic conditions; and regulatory changes as they affect markets.
Marketing Plan, 16%: Formulating the firm’s marketing plan by: a) identifying current and anticipated marketing trends, opportunities, and problems; b) helping to develop the firm’s long-range strategic plan; c) developing recommendations on market opportunities, prospective clients, goals, and strategies; and d) preparing and implementing action plans, schedules, and marketing budgets.
Client and Business Development, 20%: Building new or repeat business opportunities for the firm through a) maintaining and expanding existing client relationships, b) forging new relationships with prospective clients, and c) project lead finding and tracking activities.
SOQs/Proposals, 18%: Strategizing, developing, and writing statements of qualifications (SOQs), proposals, and related materials; organizing/rehearsing presentations; and negotiating contracts.
Promotional Activity, 16%: Developing, implementing, and coordinating efforts to promote the firm through advertising, public relations activities, and media outreach.
Information, Resource, and Organizational Management, 15%: Internal communications, information management, staff training, and activities to enhance organizational effectiveness.
To learn more about these six areas, called the Domains of Practice, click here. In order to pass the exam, a candidate must have broad and complete knowledge of professional services marketing.

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Application Process
Request an Application Kit from the SMPS National Office by completing the application request form. The kit includes application forms, a suggested reading list, sample exam questions, and more detailed information on the certification program. Please note that, as part of the process, you will be required to submit a copy of your original college transcript and three letters of reference with your application; please allow additional time for this step.

To sit for the exam, each candidate must submit an application and specific documentation and pass an approval process. You will receive a confirmation with your admission ticket at least a week before the exam. If you do not receive any correspondence on your acceptance into the program and/or a letter from National, please contact the SMPS Education Specialist at 703-549-6117, ext. 228, to confirm your participation.

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Fee Schedule
Application Kit - Member /Nonmember Free
Application Fee - Member $195; Nonmember $350
Online Examination Fee - Member $250; Nonmember $415
Paper Examination Fee - Member $275; Nonmember $440
Recertification - Member $150; Nonmember $300 (once every three years)

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CPSM Application Kit

CPSM Application	PDF
CPSM Certification Program	PDF
CPSM Professional Reference Form	PDF
CPSM Study Guide	PDF
Domains of Practice	PDF
Gap Analysis for Professional Services Marketers	PDF
Online Testing Benefits	PDF
Reasons to Earn CPSM	PDF
Suggested Reading	PDF

To request the application kit, please complete the application request form and return the completed form to: SMPS, Certification Department, 99 Canal Center Plaza, Ste 330, Alexandria, VA 22314, fax 703-549-2498, or e-mail kevin@smps.org

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Chapter Certification Study Groups
Wouldn’t it be great to join a support group to help you prepare for the certification exam? Well, the Sacramento Chapter offers just that. Contact ckenney@geiconsultants.com to join a study session near you!

CPSM Code of Ethics
A Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) is expected to adhere to a Code of Ethics. It recognizes an individual’s integrity and obligation to maintain high standards of individual professional behavior, as well as a responsibility to promote these same standards within our industry.
As a Certified Professional Services Marketer:

• I will maintain and advance my knowledge of professional services marketing, respect the body of marketing knowledge, and contribute to its growth.
• I promise to continually seek to raise the standards of excellence in professional services marketing.
• I pledge to pursue my professional activities with honesty and fairness, to demonstrate the highest standard of personal conduct, to actively encourage the highest level of ethical standards within the profession, and to report unethical behavior to the Society for Marketing Professional Services.
• I promise to practice in a manner that supports the rights of employers, employees, and clients and will not discriminate because of race, sex, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
• I recognize my responsibility to uphold all laws and regulations relating to my firm’s policies and activities.
• I promise to be loyal to the firm that employes me and pursue its objectives in ways that are consistent with the public interest.

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Information for Employers
Getting new business is not hard - if you are willing to undercut your competition and work at minuscule margins. Building your business profitably is the challenge of today.
In order to maximize profits from new business and concentrate on the best opportunities, you must do extensive research, target your market, develop a comprehensive marketing plan with specific action items, communicate your strengths, and build meaningful relationships with your prospects.
These are the responsibilities of the professional services marketer. And whether you’re in a hot market or a competitive environment, a skilled marketer can mean the difference between success and mere survival for your firm.The Benefits of Certification to Your Employee

The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), the authority on A/E/C marketing, has published the Domains of Practice for Professional Services Marketers outlining the knowledge and skills required for successful professional services marketing. Now, with the SMPS certification program, you can be assured that your marketing professional has what it takes to generate profitable business through demonstrated proficiency in the domains of practice.
Certification is the time-tested means of measuring a professional’s credentials. It sets the standard for architects, engineers, attorneys, accountants, and many other professionals. Because the Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) designation is the model for excellence within the profession, qualifying for it demonstrates your employee’s pledge to excellence.

A CPSM on staff brings to the organization:

• Diverse background and skills to successfully develop meaningful project opportunities for the firm
• Tested knowledge in marketing management to help plan for the future growth and prosperity of the company
• Experience to add to the profitability and success of the company
• Commitment to keeping abreast of the latest trends in the industry
• Increased professionalism.

CPSMs are identified as the experts - professionals who stand out from the rest of the pack. They know marketing better than most of their peers and have turned that knowledge into results. They’ve developed databases of qualified prospects, found the most creative ways to communicate with them, built the types of relationships that generate ongoing business opportunities, and prepared proposals and presentations that win new business. CPSMs know how to find and deliver profitable business.
Who wouldn’t want someone with this reputation on your team?

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Certification Testing
What’s involved?
A 150-question, multiple-choice certification exam tests candidates on their knowledge and skills in six areas:

• market research
• marketing plan
• client and business development
• qualification statements and proposals
• promotional activity
• information, resource, and organizational management.

To learn more about these six areas, called the Domains of Practice, click here. In order to pass the exam, a candidate must have broad and complete knowledge of professional services marketing.

How to Get Your Employee Started
Please click below for details to get your marketer on the road to becoming a CPSM:

• Eligibility Requirements
• Application Process
• Fee Schedule
• Application Kit
• CPSM Code of Ethics

Testimonial from Scott Milder, CPSM
“When I decided to take the CPSM exam, I was doing it for the personal satisfaction of knowing that I have achieved the highest level of certification the industry has to offer. That’s the overachiever in me. Then something very odd began to happen. People in my firm began to take me more seriously with the initials following my name. No one knew what it meant, but they were not afraid to ask and I would answer, it means I’m really good at what I do. Before long they started believing it. Notice my title below. I’m told the CPSM designation had something to do with that.” - Scott Milder, CPSM, Vice President, Communications, SHW Group Architects, Dallas, TX, 2003 SMPS National Chapter President of the Year

A conversation with Peter Kienle, FSMPS, CPSM, Chief Marketing Officer of McKim & Creed, P.A., and 2006-07 SMPS National President Pete Kienle, FSMPS, CPSM , is the Chief Marketing Officer of McKim & Creed, P.A., a 475-person engineering, surveying, and planning firm serving the Southeast United States.

McKim & Creed has 18 offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Virginia. An ENR Top 500 firm, McKim & Creed recently received the ZweigWhite Hot Firm award, as one of the fastest growing A/E/P firms in the country. Last year, the firm grew over 40% and is expecting 20% growth this year.

Pete is the National President of the Society for Marketing Professional Services ( SMPS ) and is a Certified Professional Services Marketer as well as a Fellow of the Society. He has a BSBA and an MBA from Ohio State University, and previously served in marketing roles for Moody-Nolan Inc. and NBBJ, both in Columbus, OH.

He started his career as an owner’s representative on over $250 million of construction, including serving as the chair or committee member on over 100 A/E selections.

In the last 5 years, he has made over 40 presentations on A/E/C marketing practices, speaking before AIA , SMPS , and engineering associations, as well as audio conferences for ZweigWhite and IOMA.

We sat down with Pete to talk with him one-on-one about his thoughts on being a CPSM.

CPSM: What was your motivation for becoming a CPSM?
KIENLE: I would have a credential just like the “professionals” I was working with - architects and engineers.

CPSM: Has your certification made a difference in your professional life?
KIENLE: First, I know what I have accomplished in becoming certified - mastering the skills and acquiring the knowledge for the six domains of practice. Also, when people see my CPSM they ask what that is and I get a chance to promote certification.

CPSM: Does your employer support your certification?
KIENLE: Yes. He knows there are critical knowledge and skills that are necessary to be a professional marketer.

CPSM: Would you encourage others to seek certification?
KIENLE: Yes. There is no other way to distinguish a professional accomplished in A/E/C marketing. Soon it will be the standard for A/E/C marketing in the United States. I can actually give you an example of a success story where I encouraged a fellow colleague to earn the CPSM. Russ Sanford, CPSM, Vice President of Healthcare Real Estate (a real estate development, brokerage, construction and property management services firm with offices inCincinnati and Columbus, OH, and Tampa, FL ) called me while working with a new client just after he earned the CPSM. He told me that he was happy he’d read all the books to prepare for the exam because he’d learned a lot and now all that knowledge was proving to be really helpful in working with the client. He was grateful that I’d got him involved in the CPSM program.

CPSM: What did you find was of most value to you in studying for the exam?
KIENLE: All the books and articles were excellent. I found out about areas I do not routinely work in.

CPSM: What advice would you give to future certification candidates to help them prepare for the CPSM examination?
KIENLE: Read the material, start a study group, and have a plan for certification. Without a plan, it will be very difficult to discipline yourself to prepare for the exam.

CPSM: How does your local SMPS chapter support the certification program?
KIENLE: Our chapter is now starting its first study group and certification is promoted at the monthly meetings of the chapter.

CPSM: Would you be likely to maintain your certification if you left the A/E/C industry?
KIENLE: Certainly. A certification in professional services marketing is a valuable entity in today’s world.