If you’re looking for help with setting up your Dubsado account, then you’ve probably seen the term “Certified Dubsado Specialist” floating around. And you might be wondering, what does that mean? Do I need a Certified Specialist, or will any Dubsado expert do?
I’ve been through the Certification process twice now, so I’ve got the inside scoop. Today I’m here to demystify that for you so that you can confidently move ahead with getting the support you need.
What it does mean
“Certified Dubsado Specialist” is a term used to describe people who have received an official certification from Dubsado. Certification only lasts for one year at a time, which means that Specialists need to go through a re-certification process in January each year to maintain their Certified status.
Last year’s certification badge looked like this:
This year’s one looks like this:
To get certified (or stay certified), every specialist has to take (and pass) an exam in January each year.
So what does the exam actually test for? What skills does someone have if they passed the exam? Here’s a rundown:
Knowledge of workflows and automations
One of Dubsado’s most powerful features is the workflows. These allow you to automate your business, so that clients can receive their invoices, sign their contracts, and book calls without you lifting a finger.
Workflows are also one of the most technical and complex aspects of Dubsado, and one of the areas where it’s easy to make mistakes with unintended consequences.
By passing the exam, Certified Dubsado Specialists have shown a good knowledge of how workflows actually work, and they should be able to construct labour-saving, functional workflows for you.
Knowledge of what Dubsado can and can’t do
Dubsado does a lot of things, but it doesn’t do everything. A Certified Dubsado Specialist should be able to tell you whether Dubsado is a good fit for your business. (It’s a great system, but it doesn’t work for every business.) A Specialist can also tell you the best way to make use of Dubsado for your business, what workarounds you can use if something you want to do isn’t easy to achieve.
Expertise in all of Dubsado’s basic functionality
A Certified Dubsado Specialist knows that if you want to have clients book an appointment on your calendar, you’ve got to set up a scheduler. They know that a ‘Questionnaire’ type form doesn’t actually have to have any questions in it. They know how to set up your ‘Job’ and ‘Lead’ categories so that they make sense. They know that when you attach a ‘late payment’ email to a payment plan, it won’t be sent if the client has already made the payment. They know that a ‘canned email’ is different to an ‘email template’ in Dubsado.
They just know all that stuff, and they know how to translate your customer journey into Dubsado-ese.
Access to upcoming features
Certified Dubsado Specialists tend to get an advance heads up before new Dubsado features are released. Plus, we often get early access to test those features out. Meaning that you won’t be left with a setup specialist who doesn’t understand new functionality.
Knowledge of the scheduler
Schedulers (i.e. booking calendars) can be a little tricky to set up correctly, which is why the exam specifically tests for knowledge of Schedulers.
What it doesn’t mean
Perfect, bug-free systems
Having certified status doesn’t mean:
- Perfect knowledge of the system
- Ability to prevent bugs from happening
As a Certified Specialist, I don’t know everything about Dubsado. But I do know the best places to look for the information you need. I also can’t completely prevent bugs (it’s software, bugs happen) but I can troubleshoot quickly and effectively, and tell you when something needs to be escalated to Dubsado Help.
Doing it all
The exam tests for knowledge of Dubsado’s features, and nothing else. That means that certified status does not guarantee that your Specialist has:
- Design ability (or willingness to design your Dubsado forms)
- Knowledge of how to compose a great customer journey
- Web coding skills
- Copywriting experience
- Understanding of how to integrate other software with Dubsado
If any of these are important to you as part of your Dubsado setup, make sure to ask your Specialist exactly what they offer.
Every Specialist’s process is different, which is why I’ve listed my complete process on my website. I think it’s important for you to know what you’re signing up for! If your chosen specialist doesn’t have a public description of their process, don’t be afraid to ask them.
You could even ask for a peek at examples of their previous work, especially Dubsado forms they’ve designed.
If you prefer to do all your own copywriting and be heavily involved in the setup process, then look for a specialist who does that. If you prefer to be completely hands-off and have someone do everything for you, then there’s specialists out there who do that too. (Not me though — I believe we get the best results when you stay involved.)
Whatever you’re looking for, there’s a specialist out there who will meet your needs.