Worth putting after your name: four persons who earned their designation as a Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP) discuss the value of certification, what it has meant to them and how it has benefited their organizations.

Your accountant has one. Your financial adviser has one. Your information technologist has one. They all have professional certifications. Today, almost every industry offers certifications. So, it is not surprising that the bank marketing field also offers certification.

What is certification and why is it useful to practitioners in the area of financial services marketing?

Certification is "the practice of qualifying an individual to perform in a job or occupation based on a minimum set of standards," according to the American Society for Training and Development. "That means a professional body or organization has come together to set standards concerning what an individual should be able to know, do and be in a given field. That organization has also created a measurement tool (exam) to sample that performance."

The Institute of Certified Bankers (ICB), a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, is a leading industry provider of financial services certifications, including the Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP) designation for financial services marketing professionals.

In this article, four persons who received their CFMP designation share their thoughts on the value of the credential. They are Jeff M. Bargerhuff, senior vice president and marketing director of Nevada State Bank, Las Vegas, Nev.; Patrice Brusko, vice president and marketing manager, Harleysville National Bank, Harleysville, Pa.; Bruce A. Clapp, president of MarketMatch, Clayton, Ohio; and Alisha JR Johnson, senior vice president and director of marketing, Highland Bank, St. Paul, Minn.

The questions were posed by Mark DeBaugh, marketing and communication manager for ABA's Institute of Certified Bankers.

Why should a financial services marketing professional become certified?

Brusko: It's a recognizable designation that indicates to peers, bank management and vendors your level of experience and training.

Bargerhuff: For marketers in community banks, it provides the generalist training needed to successfully run a small marketing department. For marketing professionals in a large organization, it provides the additional training necessary to advance to the next career level.

Johnson: Although it is not an exact analogy, the CFMP is intended to do for bank marketing something similar to what the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation does for the accounting industry. When you look at people with a CPA, you know immediately that they are not just accountants, but rather accountants who are on top of their game. In a like way, the CFMP is intended to highlight the knowledge and expertise necessary to be a successful financial services marketer.

What value does your certification bring to your organization?

Brusko: With vendors and competitors, it positions our organization and the marketing function as knowledgeable and respected.

Bargerhuff: As a marketing manager, I see the designation as a way to assist my staff with their career development plans. It is a road map of what skills they need to develop in order to take on more demanding projects or job assignments.

Clapp: It brings a sense of excellence and a "mark of approval" for our firm. Having a principal of our firm with the CFMP credential helps us stand out in the field and denotes we are in the "trenches" along with our clients and have committed time, effort and resources to stay abreast of industry information and trends.

How does certification fit into one's professional development?

Bargerhuff: If you're relatively new to the industry, it provides a formalized approach concerning what subjects you need to master in order to advance your marketing skill set. If you're more experienced, it proves that you have financial institution marketing-specific experience and knowledge.

One advantage is that if two individuals applied for a marketing position and both were about equal, I, as a hiring manager, will pick the one with a certification over someone who doesn't have the certification. My reason is that if someone was willing to go through the effort to take the exam (I took it and it is very tough!), they have knowledge and confidence to handle almost any marketing task.

Brusko: The certification requires a commitment to the field over several years. The marketing professional can begin the process when they enter the field by attending the ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management while they simultaneously gain field experience on the job, or can attend the school later in their career, which is what I did. Earning the designation is really a two-way commitment between a marketer and the organization they work for.

Clapp: It should be a central point of professional development. The CFMP should be the focal point of education and development, as it ensures that one gains the depth and breadth of skill and experience necessary to be successful. It stands as the culminating mark of development for a financial services marketer.

Johnson: The CFMP encourages lifelong learning because, in order to maintain the designation, you must participate in continuing education.

What makes the CFMP designation unique?

Clapp: It is unique because it targets the exact experiences, skill sets and knowledge required to be a successful financial services marketer. The specific nature of the CFMP offers "step above" recognition for those that have earned it.

Johnson: There are a couple of things. First, the issues addressed in the exam are very timely. Some of the questions on today's exam might not have been there a couple of years ago. That's because the industry changes and new questions are constantly being added to reflect that change.

Another reason is that the exam is not strictly academic. It is written by top practitioners as well as academics. And you need some practical knowledge in addition to book knowledge in order to answer the questions correctly.

What does the designation mean to you personally?

Clapp: It means that I have worked hard, gained experience and have become a leader in my chosen profession. It signifies my commitment to my work, the value I place on education, and the desire to always be well-versed and informed on issues vital to my industry and job functions. Lastly, it represents pride of accomplishment.

Johnson: To me it means expert knowledge and professionalism. It is an acknowledgment of the skill set necessary to achieve that designation. It also means credibility for the person who holds the designation.

What does the designation mean to your peers and colleagues and clients?

Clapp: It is a widely known and respected credential that sets you apart. Clients are impressed with the implied efforts, experience, and skills that the designation represents, and the commitment to the field the process requires. It is a great addition to my business card and easily the most recognizable and universally accepted mark of excellence.

Bargerhuff: It means that the individual has a proven and well-rounded ability in financial marketing.

Brusko: People do ask about it when they don't know what the letters stand for. I think to them it means that I care about what I do and that I must really like it!

Johnson: It acknowledges that you are competent in your field.

How has certification helped you manage the marketing function in your organization?

Clapp: The process of attaining the certification requires a certain degree of preparation, focus, organization and depth of knowledge. The process has helped shape my outlook on the industry, financial services marketing and what it takes to become successful and maintain that success.

Bargerhuff: It has helped me to communicate better to executive management about how all the marketing elements work together. As a result, I was able to get more marketing dollars.

Brusko: It has added to my credibility within my department where I have taken on more management responsibilities since finishing the certification. I also think it adds to my credibility when working with other departments within my organization.

Johnson: Because of the continuing education requirement, I had to identify areas in which I needed to expand my knowledge. This process has helped me to become a more well-rounded marketer, which is important when you work for a community bank.

Can you think of any way that your organization has benefited from the fact that you have the designation?

Johnson: The bank benefits because I now have an incentive to participate in continuing education--to participate in lifelong learning. Now that I need to maintain my CFMP, I am pushing myself to participate in learning opportunities that I would not previously have participated in.

Brusko: I was hired as the database marketing manager four years ago after working at my bank for two years in other positions outside of marketing. By working toward the designation, I was able to gain more experience with the various areas of marketing. The designation represents my cross-over from being just the "data person" to a well-rounded marketer. I bring more to the table now.

My chief operating officer sent me a card when I earned my CFMP. It said, "I know it is difficult going through these programs, but the knowledge you gain and the satisfaction you feel makes it worth it. Way to go!"

I think he summed it up nicely.

To Learn More

For more information on the CFMP designation, please call (800) BANKERS or visit the ICB website at www.aba. com/icbcertifications

Jeff M. Bargerhuff, CFMP, is senior vice president and marketing director of Nevada State Bank (assets: $3.2 billion) in Las Vegas. He is a member of the ABA Marketing Network Council.

Patrice Brusko, CFMP, is vice president and marketing manager at the Harleysville National Bank, Harleysville, Pa. The bank's holding company has a of more than $3 billion. She is also a graduate of the ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management.

B A. Clapp, CFMP, Clayton, Ohio. The company is a marketing consultancy specializing in services for community banks. Prior to founding his own company, Clapp spent 13 years as a bank marketer.

Alisha JR Johnson, CFMP, is senior vice president and director of marketing at Highland Bank, (assets: $400 million) St. Paul, Minn. A former chair of the ABA Marketing Network Council, she sits on the CFMP Advisory Board for the Institute for Certified Bankers.