After a week of thinking about this I'm reaching out to my CB friends.

Here's the deal. We're releasing a large course soon. As a "cherry on the top" type of deal, we want to offer some sort of "Certificate of Training"/"Certificate of Completion". It would be very professional, just like if you got a degree from a major University. It would even be hand signed, etc.

The problem came after I talked with my lawyer last week who strictly deals with copyright issues, etc. He said it's not really legal to give someone a certificate of training/completion with something like this because you can't prove they actually went through the course and were trained. Then they could simply hang this certificate up in their store/shop and we could be liable in one manner or another.

So I need some ideas on what to call this certificate. The only thing I thought of so far is ...

- Certificate of Authencity
- Certificate of Purchase

Sucks, I know, but my brain is a lil' fried right now...

Another thing I COULD do is create a multiple choice questions deal on a seperate domain that asks them questions and make them score an 80% or better to pass and actually GET a Cert of Completion and charge $99 for it or so and have this as a seperate income generator. But that would actually require work that I don't want to do but it would make it more legit.

So my question to you is, can you think of a good name for this "Certificate" they'd get once they buy the course?

How about "Recognition of Achievement" or some variation?

I like the idea of a test of completion. This way you know they know the material. Doesn't really matter whether they read it or not.

Seems to me that the certificate would be good then.

Rick you're on the right path with this... the real estate gurus do this alot as well. Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Award, Certicficate of Participation, Certificate of Completion. I know Carlton Sheets had a section with instructions on how to get your certificate including finishing a questionnaire. I recently threw out the certificate, cleaning out old crap and all. But anyways I don't remember whether he charged to get the certificate since I don't have the particular pages with the instructions in the course. Had to send them in to get certificate. I'm sure he did, everything is a income generator for him. I personally think you should charge. But anyways here's an example of how he put it in the table of contents. I'll search the shred bin to see if I have a copy of it.

"Certificate of Study"?

Perhaps consider a different slant, altogether ...

The course could lead to (or be a requirement for) membership in ... "something". Then, of course, the certificate becomes one of "Membership".

Remember, too, (if you've not, already) ... the multiple-choice questions needn't all be "textual". You could have a series of photos/illustrations and ask the testee to identify the [whatever].

And, of course, the test could be time-limited. If they don't answer a question within the allowed time, it automatically advances to the next question (with a brief mention of why).

Cheers, Ricky!
- Al

How about "Certified Associate" or "Certified Member in Good Standing" or "Braids By Breslin Certified Member in Good Standing"?

Personally if all you're doing is selling a course with nothing from the buyer to show they even opened the box it came in, then the only certificate you can offer is a receipt to show proof of purchase.

Anything else would indeed be misleading.

Crikey, if buying courses alone led to certification I'd now be a

certified Astrolger
certified Mega memory magician
certified arabic speaking person
certified mega maths person


and so on and so forth

NOW

I did however do some home study courses which required I answer questions, write essays and pass a 'home alone unsupervised' exam.

I am thus a:

Qualified Stress consultant letters MASC after my name
Qualifies Character Analyst letters AMANF after my name

It is really worth adding a few questions to your course! You can then give them a certificate and letters to put after their name! The buyer will appreciate the course more too.

These are all good selling points. Those letters and that certificate has value!

Here's the proof:

My stress consultant course (essays,questions,exam,cert, letters) cost me £500 ($1000)

My Mega Maths course (no tests, no certificate, no letters) cost me £35 ($70)

The price reflects the fact the buyer gets something of real value not JUST a course in a box. In other words something to show what THEY (not you) have achieved.

CF makes a good point.

Whereas a certificate has "value" primarily for those choosing whether or not to trust a particular service provider...

A test has value to the course participant, as well ... at least, to a conscientious participant.

When I'm considering taking some course, I feel more confident about it knowing that, at the end (or throughout, if a long course), I will have my knowledge/performance tested and feedback given ... so that I know where I'm doing well ... or not. So that I know what areas I still need to work on. And, ultimately, so that I have some faith in the value of that certificate.

Cheers -
Al

How about a "Course Completion Certificate".

You cannot argue that someone completed a course and it makes no overt claim about having achieved a certain level of skill or mastery but yet provides a means of credibility that this person has had some level of training.

The certificate could contain a web url so that people could check out the validity of that person's training, if displayed in a public place - and that gives you an opporunity to drive even more targeted traffic to your site.

Ricky,

That's what lawyers do, try to protect you...so make sure you have some way of proof that they did, indeed, complete the course. A couple of examples.

When I created the Remote Direct Marketing Professional Home Study Course, we included a blank "diploma" with the course. Once the student had successfuly completed the assignment, we sent them the "certificate" that was signed by the President of the Company (Benjamin D. Suarez) the COO, the Executive of the Department and myself...and I had the responsibility of "grading" the papers and work.

Now this program was based upon a seminar that was done at Walsh University and the promotional piece used was recognized as a "unique creative" piece at the time (since has had many imitations).

We mailed an unsigned certificate in a large envelope, along with the promotion. The recipent could see his name on the certificate. The seminar was for over 500.00. It was six days spread over 3 months. Two days in a row, and then the next month, two days, and then the 3rd month, 2 days.

The REASON it was done this way: at the first session attendees were given an assignment, they had a month to learn the material and prepare their project. The second session it was turned in, and we then graded them, and at the third session, we passed out completed "certificates".

This then evolved into the Remote Direct Marketing Professional Home Study Course and the "diploma" was for a Creative Marketing Professional who had completed our program. What the certificate meant to others in the industry was this: our students knew and understood the basics of direct response industry, had demonstrated that knowlege, and had completed an exam to demonstrate they had or had access (via the course) to this knowledge.

Rick, consider this: every Doctor/Attorney in America has at least one diploma/certificate/license hanging on their wall...and scores of LAWYERS will be banned this year from practicing and thousands of doctors will pay millions of dollars (via their insurance) for their incompetence.

If a LAWYER can't protect himself from being sued for many reasons, how are you going to protect yourself? You can't! So make your 'training' cert as benign as possible, and I agree with the concept of an "Association", which I've written about for the last two decades. In fact, my first pre WWW best seller was: How to Start a Cult for FUN and Profit. And it detailed how clubs, associations, "membership" type orgainzations, including fan clubs, secret societies, or trade and/or knowledge associations could be the ticket to living happily ever after.

An "insider" association gives you the ability to toss someone out who violates your TOS, and helps your attorney to ease your future liability issues. It works for the Bar Associations and the Medical Associations.

gjabiz