What is a CSP?

What is a Certified Speaking Professional?

The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, conferred by the National Speakers Association and the Global Speakers Federation (GSF), is the speaking profession's international measure of professional platform skill.

The CSP designation is earned through demonstrating competence in a combination of standards:

Professional platform skills
Professional business management
Professional education
Professional association

Speakers must be members of NSA or another GSF organization for at least three years and complete a rigorous application process to earn the CSP designation.

What are NSA and GSF?

The Global Speakers Federation is a global framework for independent speaking organizations to collectively serve the interests of their individual members while advancing the professional speaking community worldwide.

The GSF currently comprises of 10 independent speaker associations representing 13 nations and nearly 5000 individuals from over 20 countries. It provides its members with the resources and equation designed to enhance the talent, ethics and business acumen of professional speakers.

The National Speakers Association is the member of the GSF and is dedicated to advancing the art and value of experts who speak professionally in the United States.

How Many CSPs are there?

Ted is one of less than 10% of the speakers who belong to the Global Speakers Federation to hold this professional earned designation. CSP is the international standard that these associations agree represent demonstrated competence in the speaking profession.

Meeting Professionals: Certified Speaking Professionals Make Your Job Easier!

Think the caliber of presenters you select for your event is important?

Professional speakers who have earned the CSP designation bring a proven track record of experience and expertise to your meeting.

As speakers go through the five-year process of becoming certified, they are required to:

Receive excellent ratings from past clients on performance evaluations
Demonstrate that they serve a wide variety of clients
Take part in ongoing education
Perform and document hundreds of presentations
Submit testimonial letters from their clients
Provide samples of their promotional materials

The CSP Certification is an indication that you are booking a committed professional who has a history of success with many audiences.

What Do People Who Hire Speakers Say About the CSP?

"When I see the CSP designation, I recognize it as the hallmark of a speaking professional who has met the impressive and high expectations required to earn the certification. Our audiences have never been disappointed in the powerful, relevant messages delivered in educational sessions conducted by CSPs."

Nancy A. Woolever, PHR, Society of Human Resource Management

"CSP is an insurance policy toward the meeting planner's success. The CSP designation is a qualifier in the mind of the astute planner."

Brad Plumb, North American Speakers Bureau, Inc.

"I am a CMP (Certified Meeting Professional). I believe strongly in designations. It says you are committed to the profession. When I have equal speakers, I will take the CSP first over the non-CSP. Yes, CSP does make a difference in selecting speakers."

Betty E. Garrett, CMP, Garrett Speakers International

"You know CSPs have achieved a certain discipline that puts them in a category all their own; they have passed the test of longevity; they have proven themselves. It makes a difference today and will continue to make a difference in the meetings industry."

Marolyn Wright, Program Resources

"When I have a choice of a speaker who is a CSP or not, I will select the speaker who is a CSP."

Michelle Lemmons, International Speakers Bureau, Inc.