Speaker - May 2009

Advice for enterprising speakers
it’s My Name—don’t Wear it out

At a recent NSA International Association of Speaker Conference, a well-known Bureaus (IASB) meetings. speaker said he was upset Article Four of IASB’s Code of Ethics that a speaker bureau states: purchased his name on “IASB members shall represent a per-Google’s pay-per-click son (speaker) in accordance with their advertising campaign. So, whenever wishes, the wishes of their designated his name is searched, the representative or as mutu-bureau’s ad appears on ally agreed via contract.”

Engaging in
the right side or at the a legal battle This addresses a fun-
top of the page. In fact, damental notion sup-
the bureau’s pay-per-click ported by IASB’s Board of

is apt to be

shows up ahead of his own Directors and the NSA-

expensive, with

listing in search results. IASB Council that people

no guarantee of

The speaker doesn’t work have a right to, and a say with the bureau and dis- in, how their name is uti-

the outcome.

likes his name being used lized. While NSA and IASB in this manner. agree on this point, the law is not as

A bureau also can buy a speak- clear on such issues. Engaging in a legal er’s name on Google, and not link it battle is apt to be expensive, with no

to the speaker’s page on the bureau’s guarantee of the outcome in each par-site (if the speaker has a page on the ticular situation. site). An argument could be made that the bureau is abusing the speaker’s name, potentially pulling business away from the speaker, costing the speaker bookings/revenue.

discretion in aligning with bureaus. If a bureau is committing the above referenced abuse, imagine what else it might be doing or saying? And when speakers appear on the Web site of an ill-reputed bureau, the speakers themselves (and their reputations) may become less attractive in the marketplace.

Speakers select the bureaus they want to work with, and bureaus choose the speakers they want to represent. In the end, it’s all about relationships that are established between both parties.

Know your Rights

In the past four years, these topics have been raised frequently at NSA and

take Action

Bottom line: If you do not like the way
your name is being used, ask that it be
stopped. If it continues and the issue
is with an IASB member, file an eth-
ics complaint ( www.iasbweb.org) or
pursue legal recourse. Where IASB is
concerned, violations of
the ethics code can begin
a stepped process and
lead to a bureau’s public
expulsion from IASB.
It is only natural for
speakers to fear that
bureaus may never
book them if they
take legal action
against them. Take
a stand. Speakers
must guard their
names and use

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE, works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employ-

ees. He is the author of Moments of Magic™ and The Loyal Customer. Hyken also created the Customer Focus™ program, which helps clients develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset. For more information, visit http://hyken.com.

Brian Palmer has been president of the National Speakers Bureau since 1996. He has served on the board of Meeting Professionals

International and he chaired the National Speakers Association/IASB Joint Task Force. Palmer has written numerous articles for industry publications and has delivered over 100 presentations on matters related to the meetings industry. For more information, visit www.nationalspeakers.com.