As president of NSA Georgia, one of my favorite things to do is talk to individuals who are considering joining our membership. This gives me the opportunity and privilege of sharing the value our chapter has to offer.
First I tell them about the incredible people who make up our membership and that our chapter consists of speakers with all levels of experience. We have some who are just starting their careers and those who are highly recognized in the speaking industry. Some of our speakers have been members of NSA Georgia for over 20 years. We have 15 members who have earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation and 3 members who are recipients of the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE).
Regardless of their experience or designations, our members are generous in sharing their experiences and expertise. I suggest that newcomers offer to buy a member a cup of cof-fee, or take them to lunch, and they will learn firsthand what it takes to be successful in this business.
The one comment I hear repeatedly after first-time visi-tors have attended a meeting is how friendly everyone is. People are often surprised at our warm hospitality.
Next I tell them how our chapter has received the MORE award from National Speakers Association, not just once but twice. We are a chapter that is recognized for pro-viding quality and value to not only our membership, but to our community as well.
We offer an Advanced Fast Track program to both asso-ciates and members that already has generated phenomenal results in individuals growing their businesses. This year we have 37 participants, which far exceeds past years. The pro-gress that individuals have made has cut their learning curve dramatically and advanced their careers.
Earlier this year, one of our members started sharing leads for speaking engagements he wasn’t able to accept for a variety of rea-sons. Emails were sent to our members and the results have been rewarding for many who responded. Now more members are sharing leads within the chap-ter. Even the participants in the Advanced Fast Track program have started sharing their leads. What an incredibly generous membership we have!
Our meetings have been phenomenal this year, provid-ing programs that offer a wide variety of valuable and useful tips to expand our businesses. Our attendance, for the second month in row, exceeded 80, and we had 3 more people join our membership. Our programs provide a wide variety of extremely valuable and useful tips. If we use only one tip from each guest speaker’s presentation, just imagine the value that could be gained.
Another value of membership in NSA Georgia is the op-portunity to become actively involved. From the value our greeters provide to serving on the Board of Directors, there is a place for everyone. We even have members who have offered to head up projects that weren’t even in our plans. They did it just because they wanted to help. An organiza-tion couldn’t ask for more! Our website offers our members exposure by featuring them with their personal listing and a link to their website. Meeting planners have a great resource to use to find experienced speakers who present on a variety of topics for any convention or meeting. Also, there is in-formation available about our chapter, our meetings and the
services we provide.
Although I never had an opportunity to hear him speak, shake his hand or see him in person, I am well aware of the spirit of Cavett Robert, the founder of NSA. I have been told by many whose lives he touched and speaking careers he launched that he was the spark that ignited the hopes and dreams of any individual who wanted to become a success-ful speaker. His belief was that there was enough business for anyone, especially if each of us was willing to share.
Our chapter is one of the best examples of the legacy of Cavett Robert. Never before have I known an organization that so willingly shares their mind, their time, their experi-ences and their expertise.
So, whenever I am asked about the value of membership in NSA Georgia, I am never at a loss for words. I simply say it all begins with our members and our legacy!
