NSA-Oregon Candidate Program

The NSA/Oregon (NSA/O) Candidate Program is designed to help you accelerate your successful entry into the speaking profession, strengthen your speaking/training or consulting business and qualify you for membership in NSA and NSA-Oregon. This program is presented by a faculty of experienced successful professional speakers and co-coordinated by Jan Carothers, CPC and Christine Richards, each of whom have long-standing speaking and training careers.

The NSA Oregon Candidate program is a two-year commitment and contains a number of educational and developmental elements designed for the skilled speaker with the intention to build a more extensive independent or internal speaking practice.

Required aspects of the program consist of all of the following:

1. Fast Track Course– An intensive learning program course that meets once a month, designed to help you develop the necessary information to address all the aspects of launching or expanding your speaking business.

2. Bonus events - Special guest training opportunities developed each year tailored to the special needs and interests of the people in the Candidate Program.

3. NSA Oregon Speaker Lab’s – An ongoing informal monthly evening with a guest speaker facilitator/coach focusing on different aspects of speaking performance.  Open to all members and candidates. Every monthly Speaker Lab is an exceptional creative opportunity to give and receive supportive feedback on material, delivery, stories, etc with excellent speakers at all levels of experience.

4. Designing and Progressing on Your Business Project

5. Small group participation

Candidates are eligible and highly encouraged to attend:

NSA Oregon Chapter meetings – Monthly from September to June the Oregon Chapter has a special membership event (seminar, gathering, or teleconference) that is open to the NSA community here in Oregon and SW Washington. Candidates are part of that community and may attend these events. Often there is a guest speaker or panel of experts or meeting professionals and other speakers who give high content focused presentations targeted to the needs and interests of dedicated professional communicators. Chapter meetings have a separate registration fee per event (usually $35.00)

At least one of these:

• NSA National Convention (in Summer),
• NSA Eastern or Western Winter Workshops, or
• NSA Special Performance and Technical Laboratories around the country (see www.nsaspeaker.org for details)

Special Opportunities and Speaker Discounts

From time to time, candidates may be offered special packages and discounts from special vendor arrangements for services and products needed by speakers, such as video production, portrait photography, graphic or web design, etc. These are offerings as a benefit, and are not required to participate.

The chapter doesn’t participate in such fees, and NSA Oregon will never propose an arrangement with a vendor that doesn’t meet a high standard of service and expertise.

The primary goals of the Candidate Program are:

• to support every participant being capable to qualify for NSA membership at the end of the two years.
• that participants develop a project plan and to take the steps to build a sustainable business that will help them reach their professional goals.

Top 10 Reasons to Enroll In The Candidate Program

1. You will become industry savvy. – Learn from the experience of others how you can be most effective and thrive in this changing communication services profession. We hold small, private, interactive meetings led by seasoned pros. On your own, it can take years to learn the successful business practices, strategies, and techniques shared with you in these straight forward work sessions.

2. You will accelerate your business growth. - We assert there is more than enough speaking business available for all of us to achieve our dreams. Our goal is to do whatever it takes to support every candidate in achieving his or her professional goals. Creating and sustaining a living in this business can be a long road, alone. Every month you will see progress in yourself and in your candidate colleagues that will both delight and challenge you.

3. Your marketing will become easier and more effective. – You will learn marketing skills, focus your offerings, target your specific audience and market, enhance your sales skills, and have opportunities to demonstrate your expertise to other speakers, to business buyers and event professionals. You will plan, create or upgrade key elements of promotional material needed, including images, footage, web presence, graphics, writing and media outreach.

4. You can get referrals. - Clients often ask us to make referrals and we know we will delight them if we refer speakers with the right experience and expertise. Because we are a close community and many seek opportunities to become familiar with each other's work. Consequently we are able to cross-refer frequently. Through the Speaker Lab’s, candidates have a singular opportunity to be seen and heard by more senior speakers in a casual environment.

5. You will be clearer about yourself. - We offer high impact, compelling educational sessions and prograns in which you can watch and learn from international masters -- some of the best speakers anywhere. This is an excellent place to test your intention to be in the speaking training and consulting business. But it’s not the place to learn to speak. If you are really beginning in speaking we will be happy to suggest other training resources.

6. You’ll know what’s going on in the speaking business here and around the country. – We include you in other resources that will help you stay current on the latest information about NSA-Oregon, NSA, and each other. We share ideas and provide a listserve to keep an on-line connection to the questions, quandaries and progress of the members of your candidate class.

7. You will make more good friends. - We are entrepreneurs, road warriors, experts, entertainers, and much more, who enjoy a "water cooler" experience with peers. We believe that adults learn best through participation in the content. We also believe that groups support accelerated learning, so you will be part of a number of groups. This is not the industry or business for the solitary learner. It is a business of relationships, and many report that some of their best relationships started in the Candidate Program.

8. You will save money. – This is an investment that pays off. As we look back, most of us can point to money we wish we hadn’t spent in our businesses. Or spent differently. The Candidate Program gives you priceless access to information – recommendations and cautions – from seasoned people. You will hear from experts what really works for them, and you can save time as well as avoid their costly mistakes.  (Then you’ll be free to make your own!)

9. You will have a blueprint for success. - Attending Fast Track is like getting a Masters Degree in “Building A Successful Speaking Business,” only not quite so much work and much more fun. This focused program is both an academic as well as hands-on experience that covers the four key elements of success as a professional speaker and teaches myriad skills and disciplines. One universal claim from Fast Track participants is “I didn’t know how much there is to know in this business.”

10. You will have fun and laugh. – We promise. You don't need to be funny, but we do require a light-hearted sense of humor.

 

2008 Fast Track begins October 6th - Sign up soon!

There is still one final early enrollment discount of $50 if you sign up and pay by September15, 2008.

As they say in all life, to the degree you work the program, you'll get these results.  If these are reason enough for you, contact Rich Felton or Andrea Waltz at 360-737-1608 or email Andrea at info@goforno.com for an application.

Take advantage of the special $50 discount. Space is limited. Reserve your place now.

The 2008-2010 program begins in October 2008.  If you want to attend an information event the next one will be September 11, 2008 from 7 pm – 9 pm at the Courtyard by Marriott. Follow one of these links for a flyer on this event : So You Want to Be a Professional Speaker.

For further information or for an application to the NSA Oreogon Candidate contact Membership Chairs Andrea Waltz and Rich Fenton at 360-737-1608 or info@goforno.com

or Chapter Administrator Becky Klotz at 503-655-4775  or designcorr@comcast.net.

Co-leaders of the Candidate program and Fast Track are Jan Carothers (503-786-9132/ jan@jancarothers.com) and Christine Richards (Christine@blackbeltbizsolutions.com/503-697-8563).