A whole bunch of reasons I might turn down your speaking invitation
“I’d like you to speak at our event,” you ask, and I might agree. But there are ways to do this and appear professional, and ways that mark you as unserious and a questionable partner.
A little context. There was a time, when I was a Forrester analyst, when people were paying $15,000 a speech for my time. (One company paid tens of thousands of dollars to fly me business class to China and speak for 20 minutes.) But these days I am known much more for writing than speaking, and am rarely paid to speak.
That said, I’m open to it. But a lot depends on how you approach things. When you approach me — or anybody else — to speak, you should be prepared to answer these questions:
- What kind of an event is this? If it’s a large event with paid attendance, folks like me often speak for free. If it’s mostly for the benefit of your company, though, you can forget that — nobody is going to speak to benefit your company for no compensation.
- Do you have budget? If so, how much? Don’t be coy about this; doing so will backfire. If it’s unpaid, say so upfront. If it’s paid, you need a clear budget. In a recent conversation, the person trying to hire me responded to this question with “$800?” Putting aside the laughably low amount, the question mark clearly communicated that he hadn’t thought this through — and that the number was arbitrary and negotiable.
- Who is the audience? Sixty of your customers on Zoom is very different from 500 thought leaders in a conference audience. Anyone who can’t answer this should never extend a speaking invitation.
- How customized is the presentation? If it’s not a talk the speaker has given before, the price must include the preparation time and the value of the speaker’s unique materials.
- Are you recording this? If so, how will you use the recording? The recording has value, and you’re going to have to pay for it. “Speak to my group and I own your IP forever” is not just an unrealistic thing to ask for, it’s offensive.
These are just the basics. If travel or other logistics are required, we’ll have to negotiate the cost of those as well.
Who you are matters
One more thing.
I am not a hired gun. I won’t speak to your group unless I’m aligned with your mission (or at the very least, I don’t find it offensive).
You cannot use my appearance to add legitimacy to your organization, no matter how much you pay.
My reputation matters a lot more to me than any amount of money or exposure. And it’s not just me. Most speakers I know feel the same.
This is what I like about you, Josh – you cut to the chase. Get it all out, up front, to avoid misunderstanding, to establish a reality-check for those asking for your services. Some people don’t like that kind of directness, but that’s their problem – at least one knows where you stand. Trying to work with those who waffle is fruitless.
For 35 years, my husband performed as a high-profile American historical character, including three times at the White House. A client, who hired him to speak at a town fair, handed him a schedule of activities for the day and pointed out to him what time he was to give a speech about the history of the town. My husband had no clue about the history of the town – he had never been there before, and this expectation had never been mentioned in the contract paperwork. So instead he entertained the audience, in first-person character, about the character’s journey to greatness, including amusing anecdotes from the character’s life. The audience didn’t mind – they probably enjoyed that more than they would have a droned recitation of the town’s history.