Cavett Robert

If you are a professional speaker and you don’t know who Cavett Robert was, you should!

Cavett Robert was born in 1907. He always had a desire to help other people and to speak. He joined Toastmasters International and won the International Speaking Contest in his second attempt. This launched his speaking career at the age of 60. He was also awarded the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International, Speaker of the Year by United Airlines and International Speakers Network. For the next 25 years he went around the country speaking. In those days the only ‘professional’ speakers were doctors, lawyers and politicians.

In 1966, he got the desire to help other people to become better speakers with the idea that there was always enough room in the profession for more. This would be an uphill battle since only 3% of organisations in that day used outside professional speakers.

But Cavett's life motto was: "Don't worry about how we divide up the pie, there is enough for everybody. Let's just build a bigger pie!"

Most professions are so filled with competition that this thinking isn't rewarded, but to the speaking profession, this would ignite an industry boom. An industry where very few organisations used professional speakers.

Cavett wanted to form a national organisation with the goal of making speaking a full-time profession (there was no such thing in those days) and helping people to become speakers through OPE (Other People's Experience).

His first attempt at getting speakers to join his organisation was met with stiff resistance and failed. The idea of full-time speaking was unheard of for the most part. The concept of helping each other out in a competitive market was unthinkable. Speakers would write or call him with discouraging statements: "Oh, it's been tried before...it'll never work." Remember, these were the people who would one day be known as ‘motivational’ speakers!

After a year of discouragement, Cavett realised that he would have to use his skills as a salesman to win people over to the idea of a speakers’ association. He had high standards and a clear purpose in mind. The National Speaker's Association was to promote high ethical and professional standards of its members. It was never to exist for selfish, self-promotion of its members. It was hoped that the public would recognise a member of NSA as one who adhered to the high standards of the profession.

Cavett's second attempt was different from the first. He appointed a board and advertised the high standards to prospective members. They elected a recognised professional speaker to be the first President (the late Bill Gove). They began with sales seminars in Phoenix for eight years. 20 people joined at the NSA's incorporation. At the fifth year convention held in New Orleans, 300 people attended, more than three times the number of any previous gathering. As the orgnisation grew, it never lost sight of its purpose. After a few years that purpose became the drive to give an annual award to the individual who embodied the profession's highest standards - known as the Cavett Award. Cavett Robert himself was the first recipient, in 1979 and Bill Gove was the second.

Today, NSA members adhere to strict standards including eight competencies in speaking and training. The association has over 5,000 members and continues to grow annually. There are now speaking associations in many countries all over the world, all of whom are connected via the Global Speakers Federation.

Cavett passed away in 1997, leaving a lasting legacy in every individual's life who has heard a motivational speaker or trainer. The members of NSA call the attitude of helping each other "The Spirit of Cavett.'' NSA has grown to be a place where people can share, grow and nurture each other just as Cavett dreamed it would.

Wouldn't it be great if every profession had this goal in mind? Next time you think of changing professions, remember Cavett Robert, a man who changed many times and left a legacy of a better world through the encouragement of others.

Cavett’s love, encouragement, generosity and wisdom embody the spirit of NSA today, and continue to guide the NSA and other members of the Global Speakers Federation, as it grows in number and diversity.

Cavett displayed an uncanny ability to inspire others and share his wisdom and expertise. "A desire to help others is our most noble attribute; it gives immortal momentum to life and is our only certain path to heaven," he would say.

For more Information on Cavett Robert, visit www.cavettrobert.com
To see recipients of Cavett Awards, please click here.