How to Involve CSPs, CPAEs and Other Veteran Speakers in Your Chapter
Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC, Vice Chair, CSP Council
Most chapters would like to increase the participation of CSPs, CPAEs and other long-term full-time veteran speakers at chapter events. So how can you keep these folks activity engaged in the chapter? Here are some ideas:
Appoint a CSP Liaison to interface with your CSP members to ensure their needs are being met. Ideally, this would be a CSP, but it could also be a CSP candidate, or even a veteran speaker if no CSPs were chapter members. See the report from Mike Stewart which follows to get some ideas on what your liaison might do.
Think about how you can involve, serve and use the veteran speakers in our organization. What works?
Ask your CSPs, CPAEs and veterans “What do you want to do?” For example, I host “NSA/NC at the Movies” (with apologies to Ebert and Roper) where we review videos from the Convention then talk about what worked and what you would tell that speaker if you were coaching him/her. We have pizza and salad first to socialize, then watch the videos. It’s a fund-raiser for the chapter.
Think of creative, short term, one-shot activities that you could ask a CSP, CPAE, or veteran to be a part of.
Be part of the first-timers session to let folks know what the value of NSA membership is, even for experienced professionals.
Facilitate a “Breakfast with a CSP” session before chapter meetings
Attend dinner with the out-of-town speakers before the chapter meeting
Be part of a “Why get your CSP” session at the chapter
Report on Involving CSPs in the NSA/GA Chapter
Mike Stewart, CSP, NSA/GA CSP Liaison, 770/512-0022
Our Certified Speaking Professionals were recognized individually at NSA Georgia's annual awards event. The new CSPs were then symbolically awarded their medals by the President of NSA, Jim Rhode, who also said a few appropriate words about the designation.
Note: This is a black-tie affair and all CSPs wear their medals. This was really exciting last year and very well received by our membership.
Early in the year I sent two NSA documents (“An Overview of Criteria” and “Quick Tips for CSP Applicants”) along with a memo from me to all members of our chapter encouraging them to work toward becoming a CSP if they weren’t already.
This year we made sure our CSPs were recognized at every chapter meeting, sometimes as a group, and sometimes individually. We made a point of explaining what the Certified Speaking Professional designation means, sometimes just stating that it is the highest earned designation of NSA, or that a speaker who holds it is a recognized professional, and so forth. A couple of times we gave more detailed information -- what is required to earn it, and that it is our hope that it will become the expected level of achievement for all professional members of NSA in the future.
As you may have noted, we are conscientious about using the words "Certified Speaking Professional" as may be appropriate when we refer to CSP.
We held two CSP receptions in ’01-‘02, in November and May. My wife and I hosted these events in our home on the Friday night before our Saturday meeting and invited our national speaker as an honored guest to each function. We were careful to schedule these around the visits of well-known CSPs who would bring prestige to the event and were fortunate to have Glenna Salsbury and Rebecca Morgan as our guests last year.
These events were strictly CSP only, so not even our past-presidents or CPAEs were invited if they didn’t have their CSP. Our budget for these receptions was $1,000/yr.
We sent an invitation to all CSPs in NSA inviting them to reception if they were going to be in Atlanta. I heard from a CSP in Louisiana who said that if she weren't booked she would come to Atlanta just to come to the party!
I maintained personal contact and encouraged our three CSP Candidates throughout the year. One earned his designation this year, the second is on track to get his designation next year, and the third will hopefully earn his CSP soon.
