What the CSP is
The title is not given, it is earned
Have you come across the title Certified Speaking Professional, CSP for short? The CSP is the internationally recognised quality designation for professional speakers, awarded by the American National Speakers Association, the largest association of speakers in the world.
The designation has to be proven through extensive documentation and audits covering at least five years of continuous professionalism, client satisfaction and success on stage. In the United States there are well-known companies that will only shortlist speakers who hold the CSP.
Because the title is a registered trademark, it may also be written as Certified Speaking Professional™ or abbreviated as CSP®.
Prof. Dr. Christian Stummeyer, CSP
Awarded in July 2023 in Orlando
In July 2023 Prof. Dr. Christian Stummeyer was recognised by the National Speakers Association as a Certified Speaking Professional. He is one of the few people in the German-speaking countries entitled to carry the CSP.
The recognition was based among other things on more than 350 documented talks and keynotes between 2017 and 2022, together with outstanding client feedback. His rhetorical ability and stage presence were also assessed by a jury of CSPs.
See for yourself
Where the title is on record
Both associations list the holders of the designation publicly. If you are curious, the registers are the place to look.
The German Speakers Association adds its own certificate of congratulation, signed by the president and the vice-president of the association.
It names the date and place of the conferral: 15 July 2023 in Orlando, Florida, by the National Speakers Association.
Professional competencies
The four “E”s a CSP has to demonstrate
Earning the CSP means demonstrating four professional competencies. The NSA calls these categories the four “E”s.
Eloquence
The craft of speakingSpeaking is an art, and eloquent speakers show that they have mastered it. They make ideas clear, use their imagination, persuade and inspire people, and leave an effect behind.
Expertise
Subject knowledgeSuccessful speakers know what they are talking about. They are experts in their field, they pass that knowledge on to an audience effectively, and they spot the relevant trends early and reliably.
Enterprise
Running a businessCertified Speaking Professionals also have to prove their entrepreneurial ability and show that they have built and run a successful speaking business.
Ethics
Professional conductCredible speakers must conduct themselves ethically and professionally at all times. As part of the CSP application, speakers also sign a statement of ethics.
Requirements
What it takes today
The path to the CSP has three stages. First proof of continuing education, then economic success over years, and finally the stage itself, assessed by other CSPs.
Prove continuing education
Before submitting, applicants must have attended an annual event of the Global Speakers Federation, such as the GSA Convention or the NSA Convention.
On top of that come three videos on “How to earn your CSP”, “Business Ethics” and “Professional Competencies”. Only those who pass the test after each single video move on.
Document economic success
The applicant describes their own business model on one page. Then comes the record of talks and fees, for which there have been four named pathways since the class of 2026, shown in the table below.
The minimum qualifying fee is USD 500 per presentation. Anyone speaking as an employee inside their own company takes the fourth pathway and documents their role instead.
Hold up on stage
The most important element: a video submission of one presentation of 40 to 45 minutes, or two talks of 20 to 25 minutes each.
Preferably in English, otherwise in another language with an English transcript. Selected CSPs assess it for rhetoric, competence and eloquence.
Four pathways, one title
A higher fee level means fewer presentations, and the other way round. The fourth pathway is open to employees who speak inside their own organisation.
| Pathway | Minimum fee income | Period | Presentations |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Traditional Path | USD 75,000 per year across 5 years | 10 years | 250 paid presentations |
| B Mid-Volume, High-Income Path | USD 100,000 per year across 5 years | 10 years | 150 paid presentations |
| C Premium Speaker Path | USD 150,000 per year across 5 years | 5 years | 50 paid presentations |
| D Employee / Organizational Path | no fee record required; instead at least half of salary and working time spent on speaking | 10 years | 250 internal or external presentations |
What counts as fee income. At least USD 500 per presentation, and alongside the honorarium that includes reimbursed travel and same-day product sales.
Which five years are meant. On pathways A and B the five years may fall anywhere within the ten-year period, they need not be consecutive. On the premium pathway the whole period counts: there all five years must reach the threshold. On the employee pathway, the HR department confirms role and time allocation in writing.
All four pathways lead to the same title. The NSA states explicitly that prestige and recognition are identical whichever pathway is taken. The pathways simply reflect that speakers succeed in different ways.
The application costs money. For 2026 it is USD 375 for NSA members and USD 988 for non-members, due when the online form is submitted and non-refundable.
Status of this overview: requirements for the class of 2026. The binding source is always the description given by the National Speakers Association.
“The CSP is the accolade of the professional speaking world.”
Fewer than 40 speakers in the German-speaking countries hold the title.
Enquiry
Bring a CSP to your stage
For an organiser the designation is above all a safeguard: substance, craft and reliability have been examined over years by peers in the profession. Three details are all it takes: occasion, audience and time frame – from these, you receive a concrete proposal for your event.
Book Prof. Stummeyer, CSP, as a speaker