Ask just about any homeowner, “What is a PMP?” and I’m sure you’ll get some raised eyebrows, stammering guesses and end up with the same final answer almost every time. “I dunno.” If you search “pmp” on the net you get 10 straight pages of Project Management Professional web sites and the occasional Portable Media Player thrown in before you ever find anything related to pest control. Granted the mystery of Google and page ranking is more magical and money rather than science but since our industry seems to be all PMP all the time now you’d think some articles or references would have stuck so that at the mere mention of these 3 letters you would automatically associate it with pest control. So my question is has PMP run its course?
PMP is an acronym that stands for Pest Management Professional. It is a moniker that has been brought about in the last 10 years or so and I believe it was thought of as a way to ‘reinvent’ the pest control image. Don’t get me wrong, reinvention in business can be a good thing and is quite positive in most cases. Usually this is done after a bad situation occurs or sales might be stagnant as a way to resell yourself to a suspicious or wary public. Since pest control has been under assault for many years by every phobic group there is I can see why some may have thought this was a good idea. It just seems to me however that this new label has just never stuck the way the originators would have hoped.
When I go to meetings it’s very rare that a technician or other company owner introduces themselves as a PMP. I have a habit of collecting pest control business cards and not one has these letters embossed across the face. Yellow pages, web sites, radio or TV ads just don’t tout this term on any regular basis. Now I know the term is used and when I do hear it at CEU’s or what have you it is almost always the speakers or presenters who say it but it’s not on their cards. (I’ve got a few) There’s even a magazine-a great magazine that is titled PMP and if you read the articles PMP is in every other paragraph. It reminds me somewhat of IPM, another great acronym (Integrated pest management) that we’re told we HAVE to do if we even want to be considered professional but somehow that too never stuck. Whole other subject but the push is the same. However it seems the more it’s pushed the less traction it gets.
So is PMP a title that never caught on and if so why? Do you call yourself a PMP or are you happy with something else? I have my personal preference on the subject but I’m much more interested in hearing what you think. There’s got to be a reason for the lack of embracing this well thought out title and maybe it’s just me needing to get out of the house. In any case let us know what you think in the comment section below, I might not answer right away since I have such a busy day but you’re still my BFF and don’t worry I’ll BRB.
