How can clients take me seriously without a certification?

I just met with a potential vendor for a service I'm thinking of using. He's not a good fit for my business but he threw out an interesting argument.

He made it known all of the MBAs and other certifications he's received over the years from some very prestigious organizations and schools. I find this very interesting for a number of reasons.

1. Your certifications and degrees are features and I don't care (I need benefits)
   
2. Your certifications also don't mean anything to me, so again, I don't care

Case in point: CPT, ACE, CI-CPT, NFPT, ACSM, ISSA, NCSF-CPT, NSCA-CPT. These are all certifications and organizations that will give you letters after your name, but it's likely most people would not know they are for personal fitness trainers. Even those who do know likely don't know the differences.

A personal fitness trainer should help me lose weight or make me look like the guy in a magazine. That's the bottom line. I don't care about your certifications or the school you attended.

No, the vendor I just met with did not sway me with his certifications and degrees. They are meaningless to me unless he can back it up with results.

Don't let a lack of certification slow you down in business. Get the training you need and then some experience, but don't rely on a piece of paper to prove competency because it won't.