|
Before you invest any of your resources (time, money and or reputation) in any Professional Society or Association make sure that they can pass the 15 point benchmark challenge below.
Professional Societies and Associations are a powerful resource for building and expanding networking and business opportunities, finding jobs, evaluating products and services, and researching trends or publications. Unfortunately, some organizations "pose" as associations without actually living up to the name. Just because they use the word "association" in their name, does not mean they can live up to the 15 benchmarks listed below. You should ask any organization that claims they are an Association the following questions. Legitimate organizations will allow access to the documents referenced with little or no hassle. Take the UPSA challenge and we will look forward to your future participation in our association.
Also, any Professional Society serving the sales community should exist to serve with the following priorities:
- The good of the business community as a whole
- The good of the profession
- The good of the professional
- The good of the membership
Note: since there are no "individual shareholders/owners" allowed in any association, the association should clearly be owned by the membership it serves. No individual should personally inure from any association activity. As they say in business...follow the money to find out who is legitimate and who is not.
UPSA? |
Download
UPSA's |
| 1. |
Have they filed their Tax Exempt paperwork with the IRS? |
|
|
2. |
Are their bylaws available for public knowledge?
- The bylaws should clearly state that they are an association and are membership-based
- The bylaws should clearly state "term limits" for all elected (never appointed) officers
|
|
|
3. |
Do their Articles of Incorporation clearly show they are a "non-profit" entity? |
|
|
| 4. |
Do they have a conflict of interest policy for board members? |
|
|
| 5. |
Does the incorporation paperwork have the same name as their "branded" name? |
|
|
5. |
Do they have a Dun & Bradstreet DUNS number? [what is this] |
|
|
6. |
Does there Dun & Bradstreet report list them as a trade association, do they have "no owners of stock" and are they solvent? |
|
|
7. |
Is their SIC Code (or NAICS code) listed as a "Professional Organization" or "Non-Profit Association) on their D&B Report or other 3rd party validation?
SIC Code should be: 86XXX
NAICS code should be: 813910 |
|
|
8. |
Do they publish membership statistics? |
|
|
| 9. |
Do they conduct voting for board officers in accordance with their bylaws?
- Note: UPSA follows the bylaws with the policies for the nominating committee. This must pass by 2/3rds vote of active board members as defined in the Bylaws and the nominating committee policy (see pdf to the right).
|
|
|
10. |
Do they have solid testimonials? |
|
|
11. |
Do they have a physical address? |
|
1700 Pennsylvania Ave, STE 400
Washington, DC 20006 |
12. |
Do they follow an open strategic planning process that allows members to contribute? |
|
|
13. |
Do they have a research agenda or other professional program(s) that support the profession and advance the profession as opposed to making someone inside the organization wealthy? |
|
|
14. |
Do they offer access to a scholarly journal or other source that provides research into what the profession is (as opposed to just "how to sell")? |
|
|
15. |
Do they allow access the financial's and financial records for members? |
|
available upon member's request |
While UPSA's certification process tests individual knowledge of the universal selling framework only (that is freely available), many organizations charge thousands of dollars to "certify" salespeople. Unfortunately, just because an organization says they have a certification doesn't mean it is 1) portable to other organizations or 2) globally accepted. Likewise, organizations that use the word "association" in their title, may not be an Association at all.
If you choose to become certified by a sales training organization, UPSA recommends you select certification from UPSA Compliant sources. This is because UPSA believes that there are many sales training organizations worth investing your time and money in to improve your skills. In fact, UPSA's continuing education requirements for certification can be filled from any sales training organization (UPSA compliant or not).
You should ask each organization that says they are an Association the questions above. Legitimate organizations will allow access to the documents referenced with little or no hassle.
View the online presentation and overview of UPSA
What you receive with membership
Find out more now |
First Time Visitors - Take the UPSA Challenge!