CSP Professional Standards and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CSP is hired by a company that later asks them to deliver a speech promoting a product the speaker privately believes is harmful. What is the most ethical course of action?
- Deliver the speech as requested since the client is paying
- Disclose the conflict privately to the client and renegotiate or withdraw (Correct answer)
- Deliver the speech but secretly warn audience members afterward
- Report the client to the NSA immediately
Correct answer: Disclose the conflict privately to the client and renegotiate or withdraw
Ethical professional speakers address conflicts of interest directly with clients and withdraw if they cannot in good conscience fulfill the engagement.
Question 2: Under NSA ethical guidelines, a speaker discovers a competing speaker has plagiarized content. What should they do first?
- Publicly call out the plagiarist on social media
- Speak directly with the individual before escalating (Correct answer)
- File a complaint with NSA immediately without warning
- Ignore it as it doesn't affect their own business
Correct answer: Speak directly with the individual before escalating
NSA ethics encourage direct communication with the individual first as a professional courtesy before any formal escalation.
Question 3: A CSP is offered a significant referral fee by an event production company without their client's knowledge. Accepting this fee without disclosure would violate which ethical principle?
- Competence
- Transparency and honesty (Correct answer)
- Continuous learning
- Audience engagement
Correct answer: Transparency and honesty
Accepting undisclosed financial arrangements from third parties is a conflict of interest that violates transparency and honesty standards.
Question 4: Which practice best demonstrates a CSP's commitment to intellectual property ethics?
- Paraphrasing others' frameworks without attribution since paraphrasing is not copying
- Securing written permission before using another speaker's proprietary model in paid programs (Correct answer)
- Citing sources only in written materials but not in live speeches
- Using material freely if it was found on the internet
Correct answer: Securing written permission before using another speaker's proprietary model in paid programs
Obtaining written permission before using proprietary frameworks respects intellectual property rights and is the standard for professional speakers.
Question 5: A CSP receives a negative review from a client that is factually inaccurate. The most professional response is to:
- Threaten legal action against the client
- Post a counter-narrative publicly disparaging the client
- Respond calmly and factually, offering to resolve the issue privately (Correct answer)
- Ignore the review entirely and never address it
Correct answer: Respond calmly and factually, offering to resolve the issue privately
Calm, factual, and private resolution of disputes reflects the professional standards expected of a CSP.
Question 6: When a CSP modifies their signature speech significantly for a specific audience segment, what ethical obligation applies?
- They must notify the NSA of content changes
- They must ensure the modified content remains accurate and does not misrepresent facts (Correct answer)
- They must charge the client extra for customization
- They are required to file a new copyright for the modified content
Correct answer: They must ensure the modified content remains accurate and does not misrepresent facts
Regardless of customization, speakers maintain the ethical obligation to ensure all delivered content is accurate and not misleading.
Question 7: A speaker is asked to endorse a product during a paid keynote without disclosing the endorsement deal to the audience. This practice:
- Is acceptable as long as the product is high quality
- Violates FTC disclosure requirements and speaker ethics standards (Correct answer)
- Is standard practice in the speaking industry
- Only requires disclosure if the audience asks directly
Correct answer: Violates FTC disclosure requirements and speaker ethics standards
FTC rules require material connections such as paid endorsements to be clearly disclosed to audiences, and NSA ethics align with this requirement.
CSP Professional Standards and Ethics 2
A CSP is hired by a company that later asks them to deliver a speech promoting a product the speaker privately believes is harmful.
What is the most ethical course of action?