National Beef Ambassador Contestant Preparation Tips
NBAP contest preparation best practices:
1. Review the Rules and Regulations of the contest in detail. Never hesitate to reach out the
National Program Manager for assistance.
2. Complete the Masters of Beef Advocacy Program (MBA). It is no-cost, self-paced and loaded
with great industry facts and resources.
3. Become a member of College Aggies Online, a social network for Agriculture majors and youth
who support the Ag industry.
4. Review state contest score sheets and identify bright spots and growth opportunities. Next,
review the blank national score sheets to gain a better understanding of the particular skills and
behaviors that judges will be looking for during the contest and then create a road map for
development focusing in the areas of greatest impact and need.
5. Create a virtual, weekly, mock Issues Response program. Contestants can work with a state
chair, beef council, and/or community experts to receive and respond to blogs, websites,
articles, etc. that address a current industry issues. Instant feedback about the overall
effectiveness, grammar, format, and resources cited in the written responses can be provided
via email, making this a convenient and timely preparation activity.
6. State chairs, contestants and their parents should establish clear communication pattern. Be
sure to tap into email, text messages and Facebook as they can serve as effective
communication channels for those who are “plugged in”.
7. Conduct mock consumer demonstration and media interviews, asking questions related to hot
industry topics.
8. Follow the National Beef Ambassadors on Twitter (@beefambassador) and Facebook. New
posts are added daily!
9. Schedule time each week to read beefy articles and blogs like the Beef Magazine Daily.
10. Reach out to your local AG in the classroom programs.
11. Practice sharing powerful personal examples instead of data dumping. Statistics are valuable,
but they should be coupled with real life stories to have the biggest impact on the audience.
12. Attend as many consumer promotions as possible. State Fairs, Retail Store promotions and
demonstrations, local community events, etc. provide a great forum for polishing
communication skills.
13. Coordinate a “walk-a-mile” day with the Executive Director and staff of your state beef council
and state cattlemen's association. Experience a day-in-the life of the staff who are directly
connected to the beef industry. If possible, accompany them to a beef promotion or education event
to hear them speak and see how they handle conversations about modern beef production.
14. Coordinate a training day where contestants, cattlewomen and local teachers and
communications experts review best practices for each area of competition. Practice, practice,
practice and remember, the more the merrier!
15. Contestants can search for YouTube videos that provide tips on presentations and overcoming
fears of speaking, with a goal of finding two videos each week. Prepare a short written
summary of what can implemented during the contest to reinforce key concepts.
16. Review the contest scoresheets, looking carefully at the areas in which judges will be
scoring contestant performance:
17. Explore all online information about your Beef Checkoff.
18. Study all the beefy information on www.explorebeef.com, www.factsaboutbeef.com, www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com, and www.beefnutrition.org.
19. Review the "Hot Topics" document for a list of areas you should be prepared to correctly address at the contest.
What would you add to this list? Please send your suggested best practices to .
Revised 4/1/14