The attached Powerpoint presentation by Paul du Toit, CSP liaison for PSASA, details the process.

How to get your CSP by Paul du Toit  (1337.5 Kb)

What does CSP stand for?

Certified Speaking Professional CSP is the most sought after and visible measure of professionalism in the speaking business internationally.

Association Membership Standard

Be a member in good standing of NSA or other International Federation for Professional Speakers (IFFPS) Association for 36 continuous months (3 years) immediately prior to January 1 (Application deadline is always January 12).

Education Standard

Earn 32 education credits within the six years prior to submitting your application.

Education Credits

• Full NSA Convention: 8 credits
• Full NSA Workshop/Lab: 4 credits
• Full NSA University: 12 credits
• Full IFFPS Convention: 4 credits (max 16)
• Maintaining chapter membership: 1 credit/year (4 max)
• Listening to Voices of Experience or to recordings of NSA conference sessions: ½ credit each (2 max)

Next: New York 2-6 August 2008. SAA flies there direct.
Web: http://www.nsaspeaker.org

Speaking Performance Standard

Document clients, presentations, fees, testimonial letters and chapter membership in five of your most recent six calendar years as a working professional speaker. All requirements must be met in the same five years. Note: Education credits can be counted over all six years.

Business Model Options

Each year must include a minimum of 20 fee-paid presentations.  However, you may qualify under any of the following four options:

Definition of a “Presentation”

For CSP purposes, a “presentation” is a program:

• Delivered to an audience of 15 or more
• Lasting at least 30 minutes
• Consisting of at least 75% of the presenter’s own spoken word

That’s it!

Definition of a “Presenter”

• Independent: Markets and presents programs independently to client organisations.
• Contract: Contracts with a seminar company to present to audiences in Open-enrolment sessions and/or In-house sessions for organisations that pay the seminar company directly.
• Self-sponsoring: Develops, markets, finances and presents open-enrolment programs directly, receiving payment from the individuals in the audience or the organisations who sent them.

Independent Presenters

• New Client: Each organisation or each new budget centre within the same organisation.
• Fee: The “Fee” paid (not reimbursement for travel). For bureau bookings, it’s the fee the client paid the bureau.
• Multiple Presentations: Different clients, different topics or different audiences on the same day count as different presentations – up to 3 per day.
• Virtual Presentations: Up to 25% can be virtual – Must be live, real time, non-interview style.

Contract Presenters

• New Client: The seminar company that hires you to do public open enrolment presentations counts as the client. When a seminar company hires you to do an in-house presentation for a client, the client organisation counts as the client.
• Fee: For open enrolment, the fee the seminar company pays is the fee. For in-house, the fee the client paid the seminar company is the fee.
• Multiple Presentations: Same as Independent.
• Virtual Presentations: Same as Independent.

Self Sponsoring Presenters

• New Client: Each presentation with a different audience counts as a new client.
• Fee: The gross fees collected from the attendees count as the fee.
• Multiple Presentations: Same as Independent.
• Virtual Presentations: Same as Independent.

What happens when you have more than enough presentations and fee income, but you’re short on your number of presentations?

5:1 Rule

…you can use the 5:1 rule to trade 5 presentations/fees for 1 additional client – up to 50.

• 95 clients
• 280 presentations
• $271,000
• (Need 5 more clients to qualify)

Exchange 25 presentations & fees ($19,000) for 5 clients.

Now:

• 100 clients
• 255 presentations
• $252,000

Professional Business Management Standard

Your CSP application must…

• Demonstrate accurate data maintenance and record keeping
• Be complete and thorough
• Contain a logical format and sequence

CSP Demonstrates Professional Standards in…

• Association Membership
• Continuing Education
• Speaking Performance
• Business Management

Other Required Items

• 20 testimonial letters on client letterhead.
• 1 copy of promotional materials.
• 20 Performance evaluations.

Tracking Form

New Client #

New Div New Client #

Repeat Client

5:1 New Client #

Presen tation #

Presentation Date

Client Name

Client Addr

Client Contact

Client Phone

Client E-mail

Booking Agency (or Division Name if Column B is numbered)

Bkg Agcy (or Div) Addr

Bkg (or Div) Contact if different from client contact

Bkg Agency (or Div) Phone

Location of Presentation

Topic & Title of Presentation

Fee Paid (U.S. Dollars)

CSP Candidate Requirements

• Has not yet met the CSP requirements.
• Can use data from the 2 calendar years immediately prior to the application deadline.
• Must be a member of NSA for 12 continuous months prior to the application deadline.
• Must have served 30 clients.
• Must have given 75 presentations (at least 20 per year).
• Must have attended one convention, workshop or lab in the 24 months prior to deadline.
• Must submit 1 set of promotional materials.
• Must submit an application fee of $187.50.

Need Help or Have Questions?

• Consult your chapter’s CSP Liaison (in most chapters) who can answer many questions and help you with the application process.
• Contact NSA staff at 001-480-968-2552.
  • Brian Gilbert
  • Cara Tracy
• Contact PSASA staff at 011 462 9465
  • Nikki Bakker 
  • Paul du Toit (011 804 3520)

• How to get your CSP by Paul du Toit (Powerpoint) (1337.5 Kb)