Honor & Humility

 

There is a difference between simply consuming cigars and dedicating yourself to the craft, responsibility, and continual learning required of a certified tobacconist.

Cigars are consumed.

Education must be earned.

A certified tobacconist is not defined by ego, performance, or personality. The role carries something far more meaningful: stewardship.

Every cigar represents years of cultivation, fermentation, aging, craftsmanship, and tradition. Hundreds of hands contribute to the journey long before the cigar ever reaches a customer. At the point of service, that responsibility is ultimately placed in the hands of the tobacconist.

That responsibility should create both honor and humility.

Honor in representing the traditions, standards, and culture of premium tobacco well.

Humility in recognizing that learning never ends, details matter, and the experience is never truly about ourselves.

The best certified tobacconists understand that service matters. Knowledge matters. Presentation matters. Hospitality matters. The small details matter.

These professionals are often the quiet backbone of the industry: helping customers celebrate milestones, discover new experiences, build confidence, create memories, and slow down long enough to savor time together.

Certification alone does not make someone extraordinary. But the willingness to pursue standards, education, and continual improvement says something meaningful about a person’s character and commitment to the craft.

Today, we simply want to recognize and honor the certified tobacconists, students, and professionals around the world who continue to uphold those standards every day.

Your work matters.

And we honor you for it.

Leveraging Your Certification

TRUE STORY

My father went to a cigar store recently and was greeted by a person who proudly proclaimed they were a "certified tobacconist".  After they helped him select his cigars he told the clerk that his son was the founder of Tobacconist University and he looked forward to telling me about the interaction.  He thought it was a great idea to start the customer interaction by establishing their professional credibility.  The clerk's face immediately became somber and they revealed to him that they were not actually certified, but they were looking forward to becoming a certified tobacconist in the future.  

I, and many others, have seen cigar/pipe retailers claim on their websites and on social media that they are certified tobacconists when they are NOT!  And I've heard countless people claim to be wine and cigar "sommeliers" when they have NO certification.  I can't even begin to imagine the lies and exaggerations people tell their friends and customers!  

Another serious issue I see is people sharing wrong and/or stupid information online.  And I don't have the desire to be the internet police or a troll to correct misinformation whenever I see it, so the lies fester long enough and start to seem real.  That makes me sad and angry.  But I can't battle the whole internet.  All I can do is make sure we are doing the right things through TU, our curriculum and certifications.  

The real battle for truth and integrity in the luxury tobacco business must be fought by certified tobacconists, the special forces of our industry.  You must proactively promote yourselves and project your substance.   

Here are some recommendations ...   

- Let your customers know "I am a Certified Tobacconist" - combat the imposters and liars with proactive honesty! 

- Put the TU Certified Seal sticker on your door, by your POS, on your humidor window, etc...

- Put the TU Certified Seal on your business cards, website, social media, etc... Every impression you make on a customer adds value and adds up to a greater rate of return.  

- Conversationally mentioning your certification distinguishes you from the competition and is another positive impression you give a customer.  Positive impressions build trust and loyalty which increase sales: fact.

- Send out a press release and social media post every time someone gets certified or find an excuse to mention your certification: it certainly makes you look better than the competition!

From an organizational perspective, there are myriad reasons to get your employees and invested parties certified.  Below are just a few...

Certifiying employees establishes a standard of knowledge, creating a stronger culture and bond.

Certifying employees is an investment in their development and professionalism.

Certifiying employees shows the market that you are serious and knowledgeable.

Certifying employees shows your customers that you are above the competition, more committed and dedicated to excellence.

Build an army of brand ambassadors by certifying them as Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconists (CCST) - become a CCST Maestro!

Do you have any recommendations?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below....

PS: I totally forgot the first and most fundamental leveraging tool ever created for TU Certified Tobacconists.... the TU Lapel Pin pictured above.... Wear Your Lapel Pin!!!  Available for just $10 in our Campus Store: the price hasn't changed in 20 years!  

PSS: We are looking for a partner to help us develop TU branded merchandise.  Let us know if you have any suggestions...

  

 

The SOTL Global Movement Maestro School

 

Sisters Of The Leaf (SOTL) Unite!  

We are proud to announce our new and historic partnership with the SOTL Global Movement.   The SOTL Global Movement is an international organization committed to introducing, supporting and empowering women in the cigar industry and Tobacconist University is proud to engage with them and their mission.  We strongly believe that their contributions to our industry will benefit us all and contribute to our vision of "preserving luxury tobacco for generations to come".

The SOTL Global Movement has earned the privilege of administering their own Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) Maestro School and they are actively certifying aficionados through Tobacconist University.   See what they have accomplished by clicking here.

If you are a woman who loves cigars and would like to learn, network and contribute more, we encourage you to visit SOTL Global Movement or email info@sotlglobalmovement.com.

The Certified Cigar Sommelier

Few words evoke as much prestige and emotion in the luxury business as "sommelier".  The wine industry has done a great job of projecting their professionalism through trained professionals who are experts in serving their customers.  While there are many sommelier organizations, anybody can pretend to be one, so credentials matter greatly when people throw around titles!  There are even people around the world calling themselves "cigar sommeliers", but until now that has been a self-given title with no substantiation other than ego.  Just because you call yourself an expert, doesn't mean you are one!  To a large extent, that need for substantive credibility is where Tobacconist University started in 1996, aiming to give credibility and substance to luxury tobacconists.  To that end, we are now enhancing our certification programs to include bonafide cigar sommeliers.  

After years of development, we are proud to introduce the Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist (CCST) degree: ushering in a new era of professionalism, customer service, and credibility.

Our Cigar Sommelier degree is designed to serve the hospitality industry, including cocktail lounges, restaurants, golf/country clubs, and liquor stores.  Our specially tailored curriculum includes Retail School, Cigar Fundamentals, and a Pairing School.  Click here to see a demo.  The Tobacconist University Cigar Sommelier school is a password protected, customized curriculum for participating companies with an online final exam, so students can sign up, study, and take the final exam all inside of the TU website.  The degree itself focuses on cigars, retail processes, and service.  The curriculum is not as extensive as the Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT) degree, but it does include specialized content for those people who are not full-service tobacconists.

It is ultimately our goal to make sure that great service and knowledge is present wherever premium cigars are sold:  this focus is good for our businesses and customers.