Guest Post: How to Know What to Charge for Public Speaking

How to Know What to Charge for Public Speaking

By Meredith Liepelt


So you're a business owner who is interested in spreading your message through public speaking. Good for you! Public speaking is arguably one of the best ways to promote your business. The problem is that you don't know if you should or should not charge for your speaking engagements. And if you do charge, how do you set your fee?

Here's the answer - you just decide.

This sounds very simplistic, but this is the reality. You just decide what is right for you at this point in time. There is no "speaking fee system" that you have to fit into, thank goodness! That would severely limit what you as business owners want to do in your business.

In fact, that concept reminds me of my former work in corporate human resources, where I had a hand in creating compensation systems for three different organizations. For example, it was determined that if you are in job A, then you are in pay scale 1 and the salary range is $X to $Y. (I don't miss that work.)

There is no system like this for speakers, thank goodness. You just make it up.

That being said, there are many things that you need to weigh for yourself to find out what is right for you. Here are a few considerations to ponder.

1. Do you get clients when you speak?
One of my clients was going through this struggle. She regularly enrolled clients after speaking, to the tune of a minimum of $20,000 each over the course of their relationship. So, I asked her this, "If you can enroll a few clients at this level each time you speak for free, is a $3,000-$5,000 speaking fee worth limiting your speaking opportunities to only paid engagements?" Bottom line here, don't let your ego get in the way.

2. When someone asks about your fee, go into "journalist" mode by asking them questions first.
There are many things that go into a speaking engagement. For example, are they expecting original material or can you tweak your signature speech? Do they want power point slides, how many people will attend, who are they, what information are they expecting and/or wanting, can you sell from the stage or sell products at the back of the room, is there travel and an overnight stay involved, and so forth. Gather as much information as you can so you can assess if it's even an opportunity you want to pursue. If a relevant audience will not be there, just pass on the opportunity.

3. Ask who else is speaking and who spoke last year.
While this won't tell you exactly what the venue is accustomed to in terms of speaking fees, it is a clue as to what caliber of speaker they expect and what they may have budgeted for a speaker, if anything. And who you may be able to meet.

4. Find out all the "soft" benefits.
If they tell you upfront that they don't pay for speakers, find out if there are any "soft" benefits instead. For example, will they record your speech and send you a copy? Will they add a small amount to the ticket price to cover the cost of giving your book or a DVD to each attendee? Will you receive a list of attendees with their contact information so you can follow up with them once? Note - don't just add the attendees to your email list. This is called SPAM; it is not ethical and will not do you any favors.

5. Can you chalk this up to good PR and high-level networking?
Many times at large events, one of the benefits of speaking is that you get to meet and network with the other speakers. This can be worth way more than a $2,000 speaking fee. Or, you receive positive PR for your business, and being a speaker at the event builds your credibility. Again, that could be worth a lot more than a speaking fee.

6. Raise your fees
If speaking is your main source of revenue, keep raising your fees. In fact, increase it by at least 30% for the next inquiry you receive. One of my clients doubled her speaking fee and to her surprise, she keeps getting it! Now, she's raising her fees again. If nobody is saying "no," you're not charging enough.
So there are arguments for charging a fee and not for charging a fee. What's your business model? Are you working toward being a professional speaker or are the relationships that you can make worth more than the speaking fee? The beauty of being an entrepreneur is this: you decide what's right for you. And your answer can change over time.

Copyright 2011 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing
Meredith Liepelt, President of Rich Life Marketing, offers a free report called "101 Ways to Attract Ideal Clients, Build Your List and Raise Your Profile," which can be downloaded immediately at http://www.RichLifeMarketing.com.

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Get Speaking Engagements: Straightforward Cold Calls That Work!

By Lily C Iatridis


Being invited to speak regularly is a wonderful place to be. You don't have to do the work anymore to get the speaking gig! But we're not all at that point all the time. And if you're not there, you mustn't be too picky about who accepts you as a guest speaker. Remember, even the local Rotary or Garden Club is perfectly acceptable when you're starting out.

It's important to get out there and leverage your time by speaking to groups.
So if you want to get regular speaking engagements, you've got to get on the phone and call people that don't know you. You have to promote yourself to people that may have no clue who you are.

Pretty uncomfortable, hey?
Well, here's how I've gone about finding my speaking engagements in the past, and it's worked well for me. I hope that it will do the same for you.

Know where you are.
In other words, get rid of the ego. I've heard complaints about speaking to groups while they're eating dinner, and I've done a few of those myself. Yes, it is distracting to speak amidst the sound of clinking glass and silverware with waiters crisscrossing the room in front of you. If you find situations like that truly horrible, then don't do it. But remember, you have to build your speaking resume somewhere, and as the old saying goes, "beggars can't be choosers." Taking the position that some groups aren't good enough for you is self-defeating, especially if your speaking calendar's not fully booked.

Prepare a "sales" letter and send it via email to the right contact person.
First, call the organization or research online to find the person who books speakers for the group. Then, write an email that describes the benefits of your message clearly, hits the emotional triggers of your target audience, and builds credibility around your work. When you send the letter, create an interesting subject line that will entice them to open your email.
There's a reasonable possibility that your email won't be opened. That's ok. You can reference the letter and it's contents briefly when you follow up with a phone call a few days later, which leads to the next step...

Follow up with a phone call!
Yes! Here's where that scary cold call comes in. Whether leaving a voice mail or if you're lucky and get a live person, deliver your five second intro. Then ask if their organization accepts guest speakers.
If you're leaving a voicemail, reference the letter you sent, repeat the primary benefit of your talk in less than 10 seconds. Close by repeating your name, company name, url and telephone number, and say you'll follow up again in a week.
If they don't accept speakers, ask for a suggestion on groups that do, thank them for their time, and move on to your next call.
Now, if you get a live person on the call and they do accept guest speakers, here's your opportunity to a) make a connection, b) do some relationship building, c) research your target market, and d) get on their speaking calendar. Take full advantage of this opportunity!
Remember: Have a conversation with the person on the other end. Do NOT dive into a monologue. Ever. First, ask if they have a few minutes to speak to you. If they're in the middle of a busy day and don't have time to speak, ask for a convenient time to call again, and call again at that time.

Get them talking about the problems you solve.
When you find someone who has the time to speak with you, get them talking about their or their members' problems your solution solves with questions. Wait and listen to their responses. Even if the topic gets a little off subject, that's ok because you're connecting and building rapport. Here's a little extra challenge for you- can you get them to laugh over something? Or laugh together over something?

Circle back to the speaking engagement.
Some local programmers want to meet you first before they commit. They want to get a feel for how good of a speaker you are. Go to one of their meetings and give a killer elevator pitch. A video of you giving a talk in front of an audience on your website would also be very useful.

Invite them to get better acquainted with you by joining your mailing list.
If the person on the other end can't commit to scheduling you right away, invite them to join your list to get better acquainted with you and your work. They almost always say yes. If they don't want to receive more subscriptions, that's perfectly understandable.
Hint to success: Never, ever act like you're personally hurt or disappointed by their response. Don't be attached to their "yes."
Most of the time, people that don't know you at all won't book you right away.

Follow up.
After the live conversation, send a personal email thanking them and giving instructions on how to subscribe to your list if they wish. For example, forewarn them to look out for the confirmation link email. If they decline the ezine subscription invitation, invite them to be your friend on Facebook.

Keep in touch.
Last but not least, keep a log of everyone you've called, when, and the response you received. If it's someone that has remained connected with you, try them again six months or a year into the future. Initial apprehension toward you as an unknown entity may have changed drastically for the better within a few months if you're good at marketing.
I've gotten some great clients and loyal followers that way! You can too. After all, you're in your business for the long haul, aren't you?


Lily Iatridis of Fearless Delivery, has a proven track record and knows the key elements in effective and engaging presentation. Her expertise is in supporting professionals to get their message expressed clearly to deliver the biggest results in their live and online presentations. Secrets and strategies such as "how-to" shortcuts, personalized instruction and even packaging the presentation are just some of the skill sets that Lily brings to her audience to create a fearless and effective delivery.

If you've ever been nervous in front of an audience, please visit http://www.FearlessDelivery.com and download Lily's free ebook, "5 Steps to Neutralize Difficult Audience Members- Without A Power Struggle!" In this ebook, Lily shares simple strategies that will put your mind at ease, arm you with useful strategies, and entertain you with some stories of her own bumps along the path to public speaking success.

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So, What Good Is All This Advice, Anyway?

Well, it's official:  this blog is now more than a year old.  It's hard to believe that I have spent nearly 13 months writing this blog, dispensing book marketing and promotion advice.  I am actually a bit surprised by the number of readers I have gained, as well as the reaction I have received to many of the posts.  This blog has a diverse readership, ranging from new authors who have just published their first book to best-selling authors from major "name" publishers.  It has readers not only in the U.S., but also in France, Africa, Canada and Singapore.  It has been rewarding knowing that I have helped authors in their quest to promote their books.

But, have I?

The advice here sounds good, and it is based upon my experience marketing books.  The experience I have gained from the past five years of working for a publisher has been invaluable, and I pass this information along to help authors save a lot of time, money and frustration.  I have really enjoyed it. 

To put the advice I give into perspective, I thought I would include portions of actual emails that I and other members of the staff have received from our authors, along with the blog posts that reflect the advice apparently followed by the authors.  After all, seeing is believing.  I have omitted the names of the authors, but have not altered the content of the emails.

How To Schedule Speaking Engagements

"I have started calling area churches. I did stop at a few but they are closed during the week so I have come up with a new strategy. I am calling churches and then following up with a letter a week later if I haven’t heard from them.  The second church I called was an amazing experience, to say the least. I was able to speak with the senior pastor who also pastors 2 additional churches. He said that my call was an answer to his prayer!! He had been praying for something new and fresh to come along as his sermons were getting stale and he was tired of talking about the rich and the war; whatever that means. I met with him the following day and we spent an hour together talking. I was able to meet his wife. He wants me to come and do a 6 to 8 week ministry on surviving abuse on Tuesday evenings from 7 pm – 9 pm. He also took my book cover flyer and my info sheet and said he was taking it down to a District conference he was attending this past week. He thought my book was so timely that he wants me to share my testimony with all churches in the state! "

 How To Get the Media to Notice You

"A BIG HUGE THANK YOU for however you got me into Dallas Child Magazine!!!   i saw it on-line last night and was soooooooooo excited!  but today i received copies in the mail and you cannot even imagine how thrilled i am!!!!    as i told you before -- it has always been a dream of mine to have a book published -- but when i have looked through countless magazines i always thought "how cool would it be to have your book picked to be in one of these lists!"   and both dreams have come true!!!"

Book Sales Opportunities You May Have Overlooked

"Just returned from a fantastic event at Prairie Grove Battlefield.  Sold lots of books! Averaged $1,000 per day sales in the 3 day event.  Had so many returning customers who are now avid fans (that was fun!)"

Do you have any success stories based upon the information you have learned from this blog?  I'd love to hear them!  

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How to Schedule Speaking Engagements

One of the most effective ways for authors to directly reach out to readers (and sell books to them) is through speaking engagements.  For some authors, this is their main means of moving significant quantities of their books.  For others, it is a way of not only generating book sales, but it is also a means of generating additional income through speaking fees.  Whether you are looking for speaking engagements as a way of promoting your book and selling books through back-of-the-room sales afterward, or you are striving to become a paid-for-play speaker, one of the most difficult questions for the beginning speaker is:  how do I get started?

For folks like Sarah Palin and Bill Clinton, it's easy.  They are already household names, and they demand (and get) hundreds of thousands of dollars for their speaking events.  For those who are not famous, at least not yet, they have to start somewhere.  That usually means speaking to local civic groups like Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Chambers of Commerce, VFW, American Legion, book clubs, writing groups, etc. 

To start with, you might consider forgoing a speaking fee and making a book signing after the speaking engagement part of your agreement.  Once you become more well-known and you are in demand, then you can start charging for your speaking engagements, AND holding a book signing during back-of-the-room sales at the end of the event.  Here are a few tips to get you started on the path to public speaking events:

1.  Work your contacts.  Are you a member of any groups or organizations?  Does your college have an alumni association?  Start working your own contacts.  These are the people who already know you.  Even if they don't have an immediate need for a speaker, they may be able to give you some leads.

2.  Work the phones.  Call your local Chamber of Commerce.  Call your local convention and visitors bureau.  Call your local Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs.  They are almost always looking for guest speakers.  Even if you have a publicist, make these calls yourself.  The decision-makers who schedule guest speakers want to hear directly from the author, not a go-between.  Nobody can speak more passionately about your book or your speech topics than you. 

3.  Work on your flyer.  Try designing a decent one-sheet flyer that you can mail out to any organization that might have a need for a guest speaker.  Include a good author photo, a picture of your book cover, and a bullet-point list of your topics and why you would make a good guest speaker.  Don't make it read like a resume.  Concentrate on how you can help the organizations, not your past experiences (although you should have a very brief author bio).  Include some testimonials from anyone who has booked you as a speaker in the past.  You can see some examples of one-sheets here.

4.  Ask for referrals.  When you do a speaking engagement, always make sure you mention at the end of your talk that you are available for other speaking engagements.  You never know who is sitting in the audience.  Make some one-sheets available at your book signing table.  One speaking engagement could lead to others. 

5.  Create your own speaking event.  Book a room at a local community center or local public library and schedule your own speaking event/book signing.  It will give you a chance to practice and showcase your speaking skills, and could lead to other events.  An event of this type will require a lot of pre-promotion to get people in the door, so make sure you have something to offer that would attract people to your event.  If the first event is successful, you may be able to branch out to other venues around the area.  Before you know it, people have heard of you and they will seek out out as a guest speaker (always have business cards and contact info available at your speaking engagements).

6.  Join a Speakers Bureau.  You may have a local speakers bureau at the convention and visitors bureau or chamber.  Try to get listed on them, and you'll have prospects come to you.  This is most effective after you have already developed a reputation as a speaker.  Speakers bureaus usually take a percentage of your speaking fee for sending speaking engagements your way.  There are also online speakers bureaus (such as Speaker Leads, which is FREE for Tate Publishing authors) where you can be listed.

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