CSP Professional Standards and Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CSP is speaking internationally and realizes local norms conflict with their standard ethical practices. The best approach is to:
- Abandon their ethics entirely to respect local customs
- Compromise only on ethics that are not legally required in the US
- Apply core universal ethical principles while being culturally sensitive in delivery (Correct answer)
- Refuse the engagement unless local norms match US standards exactly
Correct answer: Apply core universal ethical principles while being culturally sensitive in delivery
Core ethical standards like honesty and accuracy remain constant globally, while communication style and cultural nuances can and should be adapted.
Question 2: Under professional speaking ethics, how should a CSP handle confidential client information shared during a pre-event briefing?
- Use it freely to enrich the speech content with insider details
- Share it with other speakers in the same industry as general knowledge
- Keep it strictly confidential and use it only as needed to serve the client (Correct answer)
- Disclose it publicly if it makes the speech more impactful
Correct answer: Keep it strictly confidential and use it only as needed to serve the client
Confidential client information must be protected and used solely in service of the client, never disclosed externally.
Question 3: Which scenario represents an ethical use of testimonials in a CSP's marketing materials?
- Creating composite testimonials that combine multiple client feedback into one attributed quote
- Using a real client testimonial with their verified permission (Correct answer)
- Paraphrasing a testimonial without the client's knowledge to sound more positive
- Using outdated testimonials without noting the time period
Correct answer: Using a real client testimonial with their verified permission
Only testimonials obtained with the client's explicit permission and accurately represented are ethically acceptable in marketing.
Question 4: A fellow CSP asks to use your proprietary speech outline for their own paid program. Ethically, you should:
- Allow it freely since sharing among peers strengthens the profession
- Grant written permission with agreed-upon terms or decline (Correct answer)
- Ignore the request to avoid conflict
- Report them to NSA for asking
Correct answer: Grant written permission with agreed-upon terms or decline
Proprietary content may be shared, but only through a clear written agreement that defines terms of use.
Question 5: A CSP discovers their speech on a sensitive social topic could be interpreted differently than intended by a vulnerable audience segment. The ethical response is to:
- Proceed unchanged since intent matters more than interpretation
- Assess the risk and revise content or add appropriate context to prevent harm (Correct answer)
- Cancel the engagement to avoid all risk
- Blame the audience for misinterpreting professional content
Correct answer: Assess the risk and revise content or add appropriate context to prevent harm
Ethical speakers take responsibility for the potential impact of their content and proactively adjust to minimize unintended harm.
Question 6: Which behavior best exemplifies the NSA's standard for professional courtesy between competing speakers?
- Aggressively undercutting a competitor's fees to steal their clients
- Badmouthing competitors to event planners to gain a competitive advantage
- Referring clients to a competitor when the competitor is a better fit (Correct answer)
- Copying a competitor's marketing materials with minor changes
Correct answer: Referring clients to a competitor when the competitor is a better fit
NSA's code of ethics encourages referrals to peers when they are a better fit, demonstrating that client service outweighs competitive self-interest.
Question 7: A CSP is asked to speak on a topic adjacent to their expertise but outside their core competency. The ethical obligation is to:
- Accept and figure it out during preparation
- Disclose the limits of their expertise to the client before accepting (Correct answer)
- Accept and present with full confidence regardless of knowledge gaps
- Decline all topics not in their primary niche regardless of overlap
Correct answer: Disclose the limits of their expertise to the client before accepting
Transparent disclosure of competency boundaries allows clients to make an informed decision and maintains the speaker's integrity.
CSP Professional Standards and Ethics 3
A CSP is speaking internationally and realizes local norms conflict with their standard ethical practices.
The best approach is to: