What is a trust mark?
Trust marks are a way for organisations to demonstrate their legitimacy and visual aids that indicate trust, quality and reliability.
They were first developed by the British Standards Institute (BSI) 100 years ago, by a chap who was disgruntled by the level and variants of the quality of manufacturing. BSI has evolved over time and has grown into one of Britain’s most important and most recognised consumer quality marks.
Investors in People then came along and trust marks started to become something that people put on plaques and buildings. With the introduction of the internet in the 90’s, the first trust marks were then used online. These were either ones that verified payment such as Paypal, to show your transaction was safe and the second, being technology security, such as McAfee and other virus protection software.
These were the first few symbols adopted and now training providers and the coaching industry not only have to display these trustmarks to reassure their customers, but also have external third party verification through trust marks is now critically important.
This third party certification and quality marks show which companies can be trusted as they have already been through rigorous standards testing, audited and earned accreditation on merit and performance.
So why do we need them and why are they important?
In today’s world there has been a surge of online learning, and we know that all of our CPDSO providers have achieved a rigorous third party assessment, however, we know there are other scrupulous providers out there.
Since the start of the COVID19 pandemic, there has been a surge in online learning, and the web has become flooded with new training and coaching providers. As with every industry, there is always a black market. Sadly online learning has a dark underbelly, and we know that all of our CPDSO providers have achieved a rigorous third party assessment, however, we know there are other scrupulous providers out there.
It’s now more important than ever to show that your training has been verified and that you are a trusted training/coaching provider. You need to differentiate yourself from others on the web to stand out in a crowded market, perceived trust is a key element when customers are deciding whether to purchase a course or learning activity online.
Accreditation inspires trust, influences buying decisions and provides a visual symbol to set you apart from the competition. Our accreditations open the door to set apart your portfolio and signifies “training you can trust”
