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How to Join the National Speakers Association, and Why You Should

By Nate Riggs on March 22, 2016 |

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national speaker association winter conference 2016
For any of you who read this and know me personally, you know that I have been speaking on and off since 2009.  
 
It was actually my friend Mike Bowers who gave me my first shot on the conference stage, back during the early days of the social media boom. 
 
Chris Brogan visited Columbus as the closing keynote for the Ohio Growth Summit that year.  Mike invited me to be a speaker on the bill as well since I was one of the local social media consultants in Columbus at the time.
 
I was sweaty-palmed, wide-eyed and terrified as I stood up in front of the crowd of nearly 300 small business owners that afternoon. It was my very first time on a conference stage.
 
Had I been a member of the National Speakers Association back then, I would have been way better prepared for that moment.

An Interesting Twist on Being a Conference "VIP" 

In the context of the National Speakers Association, being a "VIP" simply means that it's your first time at one of the events or conferences hosted by the association each year at locations all over the country.
 
Since these events tend to draw a repeat crowd of regular attendees, identifying new members as VIPs helps the long standing members better identify the newbies so they can make a special effort to connect with them. 

national speakers association vip badge.jpg
The approach is completely backwards from how the large majority of conferences and events view VIP attendees.  In most cases, VIPs are those who pay special fees or are highly targeted individuals because they control budget decisions for products and services that are being marketed at the event.
 
But there is a lesson to be learned from the NSA's approach to doling out VIP badges.  
 
The unique VIP approach ensures that new members are welcomed by groups of people who understand and hold sacred the culture of the association.  For the National Speakers Association, the way things are done is rooted in the teachings of its founder, Cavett Robert.
 
Referred to by those who have been around for a while as The Spirit of Cavett, the NSA operates on the foundation of three core values -- sharing, serving and mentoring.  These values promoted the idea that experienced members in the NSA work to share their secrets for the benefits of all members.

Aside from an easy way to identify the newbies - those who will ensure the future of the association - being the recipient of a VIP badge also sends a message that it's the responsibility of new members to understand, take seriously and abide by The Spirit of Cavett.
 

Why Join the National Speaker Association?

I had the privlage of experiencing being a VIP at this year's NSA Winter Conference in Austin, TX, and it's an experience I won't soon forget.
 
national speakers association member logo.jpgAround every turn in the Austin Hilton, some tenured NSA member noticed my VIP badge and went out of their way to engage me in conversation. 
 
I was surprised by the number of folks willing to offer any help they could, from navigating the event to info about the latest speaking tools, as well as tips on the techniques they use in their own speaking business. Spending time with existing members was by far the most valuable asset of attending the conference.
 
During the VIP attendee session at the conference, new members were taught the "Four E's" that are critical in the process to being a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP.
  1. Expertise - Professional speakers must absolutely know their subject matter. 
  2. Eloquence - Professional speakers master the delivery of what they know and inspire audiences.
  3. Enterprise - Professional speakers learn how to make a living through their speaking platform.
  4. Ethics - Professional speakers believe that actions of one member reflects on all members and are expected to uphold a clear set of ethical guidelines. 

How to Join the National Speakers Association

There are a total of 6 primary designations of NSA membership, which make it possible for different types of new members to join the organization and qualify for educational resources, events and a network of connections that help to foster the development of anyone's speaking or facilitation business. 

  • Academy Membership - This entry level membership is designed for aspiring professional speakers who are just getting started. Through the Academy for Professional Speaking, new Academy Members receive discount pricing to the annual one-day Cavett Institute, monthly eLearning opportunities, subscriptions to Speaker magazine and the Voices of Experience audio magazine, discounts on NSA national events, and many other benefits.

  • Qualified Professional Membership - This is the next step in your progression through NSA membership. For a speaker to be eligible for this level, they are required to meet one of the following criteria: Provide supporting documentation that they have have received compensation for 20 or more presentations, have given 20 or more presentations to audiences of 15 or more as part of a salaried position, or have earned $25,000 or more giving presentations. Any of these have to have been within the 12 months prior to application. Based on my past experience and teaching at Ohio University, I was fortunate to be able to qualify for this tier.

  • Certified Professional Member (CSP) - Professional members of the NSA are also able to earn certifications that require additional rigor. The CSP designation or Certified Professional Speaker is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform competence.

  • Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE)Established in 1977, the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) is an award for speaking excellence and professionalism given to speakers who have mastered seven categories: material, style, experience, delivery, image, professionalism and communication. The award is not based on celebrity status, number of speeches, amount of income, or involvement in NSA. 

  • Professional Affiliate Membership - For businesses that support professional speakers or speaking bureaus, a Professional Affiliate Membership allows your business to access critical touch-points like NSA advertising and events. 

  • Student Membership - For students who aspire to be a professional speaker and share their message with eager audiences, the NSA makes it very affordable for high school or college students to begin laying the foundation for success.
Members are permitted to move about these various designations as their status changes throughout their career.  At any rate, each provides the benefit of networking and making connections with other speakers who share a passion for making a living by educating and inspiring they audiences they touch.
 
 
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Nate Riggs

Written by Nate Riggs

Nate Riggs is the Founder and CEO of NR Media Group, a Certified HubSpot Partner and inbound consulting firm. He leads a team of experienced strategists, content marketers, creatives and technologists that help organizations deploy and use HubSpot’s marketing, sales, and service software to operate more efficiently and accelerate growth. Nate regularly presents keynotes and workshops at top industry conferences like INBOUND, Content Marketing World and Oracle’s Modern CX. In 2017, Nate was recognized by HubSpot for his contributions to the development of the HubSpot Education Partner Program. Nate regularly presents keynotes and workshops at top industry conferences like INBOUND, Content Marketing World and Oracle’s Modern CX. In 2017, Nate was recognized by HubSpot for his contributions to the development of the HubSpot Education Partner Program.
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