Question

Topic: Branding

Name For A "quality Management" Training Company?

Posted by ojfranklin on 500 Points
What is a great name for a "Quality Management" Training Company?

We are starting a new training company that provides "Quality Management Certifications." Our customers are most often working with the US government and are required to receive a set of certifications that increase their organization's ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customers needs and expectations. These core standards are set by the "International Organization for Standardization" or ISO and are often called the ISO 9000 Core standards.

The field has a lot of competition and we are trying to come up with a name that is consistent with what the industry expects while still standing out.

Our competitors have names that fall into these basic categories:

- PARTNERS FIRMS/ACRONYMS: These are never spelled out/explained, they seem to be meaningless: SGS, BSI, SAI Global or more obvious partners are used in the title such as Cavendish Scott

- PLAY ON ISO: The Core Solution, The9000store, ISO 9000 Consultants

- PLAY ON QUALITY/COMPLIANCE: ComplianceHelp Consulting, SRI Quality Systems Registrar, Quality Management Systems International (QMS).
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on Accepted
    I would interview a dozen decision-makers at the kinds of companies that would hire you and see what criteria they use to select a quality management training firm. I'd ask them about the kinds of questions they'd ask potential vendors and which vendors in the industry they think are doing a great job (and why).

    There's no need to tell them you're looking for a name. Just ask your high-gain questions and let them talk.Follow up when appropriate and take detailed notes. What you're looking for are the core benefits they seek and the words they use when they discuss the subject.

    When you have completed 12 good interviews, step back and review your notes. The name will all but jump out at you. We've done this for dozens of clients and it always works.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on Member
    ...and it would help us for you to tell us more about why people would want to hire your firm in a crowded marketplace. Are you planning to be a "me, too" business or will there be some significant way you'll distinguish yourself from the pack?
  • Posted by ojfranklin on Author
    Great question. We will differentiate in three key areas:
    1) Cost leadership: We are lean and efficient and can afford to lower our prices well below our competitors. We don't plan to sustain lower prices, but it will eable us to run highly competitive promotions or provide additional value added services.
    2) Quality of training solutions: Training is our expertise and we plan to offer the highest quality and most engaging training experience and materials on the market. Our competitors offer basic compliance training
    3) Range of services: We will offer more training options than ~80% of our competitors.

    Hope that helps.
  • Posted by mgoodman on Moderator
    Are these the most important benefits your target audience is seeking, or are these just some things you've identified as possible differentiators? For example, is "broad range of services" important to a client? Don't they just want the services they need? How is "broad range" a benefit for them?
  • Posted by ojfranklin on Author
    Many clients don't even realize there is a broader range of offerings out there, thus they often don't know what they're missing. The other choices will have different levels of convenience, quality, and price so they can choose what's right for them.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on Member
    1) Being a price leader sometimes connotes that you're lower quality, not higher.
    2) Who specifically would be interested in something beyond basic compliance classes?
    3) Are clients seeking a wider range of offerings or are they mostly seeking one or two classes (so that breadth is not something that they'd care about).

    What does "higher quality" mean to your potential clients? For example, it could mean: your classes take less time, your classes are available online, your classes have a higher satisfaction score from attendees, your classes are in foreign languages, etc.
  • Posted by ojfranklin on Author
    Thanks for the interest/help for those who responded.
  • Posted by mgoodman on Moderator
    I think what you are hearing from Jay (and me) is that you may not have done the necessary up-front marketing thinking. And naming -- when done right -- is really a reflection of your well-thought-out marketing strategy (including Positioning).

    We are not trying to be difficult. We are trying to help you.

    Jay Hamilton-Roth is a respected professional when it comes to naming, so I'd listen carefully to what he has to say. You're getting hundreds (or thousands) of dollars worth of great advice from him ... and you're not having to pay fair-market-value for it. Don't blow the opportunity.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on Member
    How about: "Qualitatively Better Training"? It shows you're better than & alludes to your business.

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