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Amendments to Membership Criteria October 2009

Dear Candidate Member, Member or Fellow of the Professional Speakers Association

There are two amendments to the membership criteria for joining the PSA that I would like to make you aware of. Historically there has been much confusion around the many words related to the way we communicate our messages from the platform. Specifically words such as keynote, training and workshop have many interpretations both positive and negative when stereotyping the definition of a Professional Speaker.

1. The terminology we will be adopting is ‘A speaker crafts, researches and delivers their Own Material or Own Content from the platform’. Specifically what does this mean? Candidates, Members and Fellows can deliver their messages as a keynote, workshop and seminar (etc), as best fits their speaking business model on the condition that it is their material. All speakers absorb, interpret and create their message based on their own individual journey and story; speakers do not regurgitate others materials, stories or programmes. The majority of Members of this Association have a combination of income generating streams used and we as an Association accept this as the case for a ‘Speaking Business’.

2. Corporate speakers will now be welcomed within the PSA. The alternative qualifying criterion that has been added is as follows they have ‘presented ten times in the last twelve months to an audience of 15 or more as part of your salaried position’. All other standard membership criteria remain the same.

The importance of Sponsorship - The major emphasis, as it always has been, is on the performance of the individual. To back up these amendments we rely on a sponsor to assist the association to self regulate its membership; it is imperative the sponsorship element of the application form is fully respected. A sponsor is either a Fellow or Member (for more than 18months), they must have seen a fee generating (except in the case of Corporate applicants) professional performance, and are tasked with sponsoring and supporting the quality of the speaking performance. The membership committee will be analysing sponsors’ comments and feedback and requesting additional sponsors where necessary. If you are asked to sponsor an application and are not sure of the applicant for any reason then decline to sponsor and assist the applicant to find a suitable sponsor or mentor as appropriate.

The strength andintegrity of our organisation relies heavily on us all as Candidates, Members and Fellows pursuing the best intentions for the Association going forward. This is after all The Professional Speakers Association, with an emphasis on the words Professional and Speakers.