National Speakers Association Archives

September 6, 2020 By Sharon Weinstein

What’s in a credential?

You see lots of letters after someone’s name, and you wonder what they might stand for! Perhaps your search for those acronyms leads to a discovery that your new friend or peer is a highly credentialed professional. They are “Certified.” Certification is an earned recognition that demonstrates specific skills, knowledge, expertise in a given area. Usually aligned with a profession, technology, or industry, the credential is usually awarded by a professional organization or credentialing body.

A professional certificate, like many offered online, is not the same thing as professional certification. Certificates are not all equal…and those who have earned the highly regarded credential are honored to be recognized. According to the American Association for Legal Nurse Consultants, certificates and certification are very different.

Certification

Results from an assessment process that recognizes an individual’s knowledge, skills, and competency in a particular specialty

Typically requires professional experience

Awarded by a third-party, standard-setting organization, typically not for profit

Indicates mastery/competency as measured against a defensible set of standards, usually by application or exam

Standards set through a defensible, industry-wide process (job analysis/role delineation) that results in an outline of required knowledge and skills

Typically results in credentials to be listed after one’s name (LNCC, ONC, CCRN)

Has on-going requirements in order to maintain; holder must demonstrate he/she continues to meet requirements

Certificate

Results from an educational process

For newcomers and experienced professionals

Awarded by educational programs or institutions often for-profit

Indicates completion of a course or series of courses with a specific focus (different than a degree-granting program)

Course content determined by the specific provider or institution, not standardized

Usually listed on a resume detailing education

Demonstrates knowledge of course content at the end of a set period of time

Let me provide an example that is critically important to me. The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) is an earned credential. The CSP credential offers skill validation from clients, peers, meeting professionals, and other CSPs. It adds opportunities to command greater fees and to develop new and sustainable connections. It also showcases the designees, allowing them to shine on paper as much as on the platform, in the training room, or in the virtual studio. The CSP designation is the speaking profession’s highest earned international measure of professional platform competence. Less than 17% of National Speakers Association members worldwide have achieved the CSP designation. With support from NSA’s CSP Committee, the CSP is conferred by the NSA Board of Directors upon qualifying members of NSA as well as upon qualifying members of the 16 Global Speakers Federation (GSF) associations. For me, earning the CSP credential was a milestone; it was not my first credential, nor will it be my last. As Chair of NSA’s CSP Committee, I’m pleased to announce that on September 4th, candidates for the CSP Class of 2021 were encouraged to begin the application process. https://www.nsaspeaker.org/csp/.

Certification is an earned recognition that demonstrates specific skills, knowledge, expertise in a given area. When you see lots of letters after someone’s name, take note of what each acronym stands for, and realize how hard they worked to earn that credential. What about you? If you are a speaking professional, are you prepared to apply for the highest earned international measure of professional platform competence – the CSP?

The application process begins now…for professional members of the National Speakers Association (NSA) or one of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF) member associations. Will you be certified?

February 7, 2019 By Sharon Weinstein

Success Comes to Those Who Publish

An incredible feeling of success comes to those who publish! The hallmark of a professional is the ability to share knowledge through speaking, coaching, training, facilitating, and yes- through publishing.

I recall my first published manuscript in a professional nursing journal; I was thrilled to see my name in print, to read my content (which I then critiqued), and to know that journal readers throughout the country and beyond would be reading my words. Since that time, I published forty-three peer-reviewed manuscripts and guest editorials in that particular journal and over one hundred in other journals. One of those manuscripts was titled, “Writing for Publication.”

Clear, precise writing is an excellent vehicle for communicating ideas and why not write about something you know well- something about which you are a content expert? How does one begin? Try these 5 steps to success as you begin to share your knowledge:

Choose your topic well (Be able to answer why and what)
Research your intended (target) publication by knowing what they publish and why
Separate the thinking and writing phases, understanding and appreciating the writing process
Follow author guidelines and be prepared for revisions and editing
Respond in a timely manner to editorial requests and deadlines

I recall my first published manuscript in a professional journal. Now, it is your turn to enjoy your first time in print, or perhaps one of many times in print. The feeling remains the same- that of accomplishment and a thirst for more. There is something magical about the word, “ACCEPTED.” Success truly comes to those who publish!

August 27, 2017 By Sharon Weinstein

SCORE!

And I scored! All 5s, that is, on a scale of 1-5 during 8 presentations in a two-week period! I knocked it out of the park, meeting and exceeding the expectations of my hosts, sponsors, and audiences. WOW – it felt great!

The thrill of the game
The drama of the goal
The sound of the bat
The thrill of the crowd
The standing ovation

Perhaps you have been there, when the Cubs won the World Series, when Simone Biles took home Olympic Gold, and when Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James have scored.

“To me, form is not about scoring runs but how you feel about your game. Sometimes the runs are not there, but you know you are batting well, and that is good form for me.” Gautam Gambhir

As an adult soccer player, I scored a magnificent goal that won the game and the trophy. In the process, I broke the metatarsals of my left foot, but I continued to play. When I learned to play golf 8 years ago, I scored a trophy as most-improved player in the 18-hole women’s league!

As speakers, trainers, facilitators, consultants – we are expected to SCORE a win for those who engaged us! We customize programs, give it our all, exceed expectations, excite the audience, offer a call to action, and get great reviews. To those who attend our sessions, embrace our content, employ our techniques, and follow us – thank you! As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), I share your commitment to the process and the outcome!

We are professional speakers! Our goal (no pun-intended) is to score for you every time, at every event, and at any venue! I scored, and I enjoyed the thrill, the drama, the sound, and the standing ovation. WOW – it felt great; let me SCORE for your organization or event!

The win will be yours, simply for asking!

June 15, 2017 By Sharon Weinstein

Protect and defend…your voice, that is!

We all speak for a living; we use our voices to communicate, to present, to train, to teach, to inspire, provide customer service, to preach, and to respond. What happens that the voice on which we depend simply shuts down, turns raspy, and no longer cooperates.

Some say that the eyes are the windows to the body; peering into one’s eyes can tell an ophthalmologist what else is happening internally. And, some say that the voice is the mirror to the soul and spirit. When was the last time that you listened to your own voice? Did you sense the clarity? Was there a resonant quality? How did the experience make you feel?

We know our bodies best; when we listen to our bodies, we get unique signals about how we are doing, how we are feeling, and if things are going well. The same is true of voice…if we listen to our voice, we sense how things are working, and if we need to take special steps to preserve our gift of voice!

We all speak for a living; we use our voices to communicate, to present, to train and more. Those of us who use our voices to make a living can suffer from voice fatigue, loss of voice, hoarseness. Perhaps it is time to care for our unique gift – the gift that keeps referrals coming our way and repeat performances on our calendars.

Try these simple tips:

Drink enough water
Avoid irritants including environmental agents or self-imposed irritants like coffee, tea, alcohol, cigarettes, spicy foods
Get sufficient rest; a tired body has a tired voice
Use your voice wisely, project with confidence and care

What are you doing to protect and defend…your voice, that is?

January 25, 2017 By Sharon Weinstein

Endorse me for public speaking…

With thousands of LinkedIn connections, I typically see at least 10 popups a day suggesting that I endorse my connections for Public Speaking.

We are not all public speakers; many of us speak as a part of our career responsibilities, or introduce ourselves at networking events, but that alone does not make one a speaker. Many of these self-professed public speakers simply list multiple skill sets on their profiles, but they have no idea that Speaking is itself a true Profession and one that requires talent, training and a commitment to continuous learning. Much of that learning takes place through the National Speakers Association (NSA), the premier professional society for public speakers or aspiring public speakers. Visit the NSA site to explore the strict requirements for membership and the paths toward this goal.

How many ‘skills’ do you list on your own LinkedIn profile? Are you truly skilled in those areas, or are they skills in which you have dabbled? Public speaking, like coaching, seems to be a ‘skill’ that everyone has, but requires a unique ability to engage, empower, and educate audiences. Are you still seeking that endorsement? Are you really a Public Speaker; if your answer is yes, then apply for membership in NSA.

If you have sat in audiences watching the keynote deliver a strong message and thought, “I could do that,” perhaps the timing is right. If you have spoken before small community or work groups and liked the experience, perhaps this the time for a deep dive. And, if you are the kind of person who lights up a room with your presence, connect to NSA now. We are waiting for you!

http://www.nsaspeaker.org/attend/winter-conference/

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Sharon Weinstein, CSP, is a Certified Speaking Professional and one of only 22 nurses in the world with this credential. She is President-Elect of the NSA-DC Chapter and Dean of the Academy. Yes, she does offer public speaker coaching.

To start the process: