Free or Premium: Should You Be Paid to Speak?

I have to admit...when I first started speaking, I felt very uncomfortable.  My first chance actually was a complete disaster.  I have shared that mortifying experience elsewhere so I'm not going to force you - or me - to relive it again.  But it certainly cemented one thing in my mind.  I had no business being paid to speak!

Fortunately, things are different now. I've learned a lot since that first event. And now even though I get paid to speak, there are still times when I agree to speak for free. 

Speaking for Free Gets You Experience

There are always event coordinators and conference hosts in need of speakers. Sometimes, these leaders don’t have much of a budget, so most of the cash goes to feeding attendees and providing paper goods (like tissue). That doesn’t leave much to pay speaking fees.

However, this can be an advantage if you’re a new speaker. There’s less competition to get free speaking gigs and event hosts will be more forgiving if you mess something up. After all, they understand that you’re still finding your way.

Another advantage of speaking for free is that it builds up your confidence while marketing your business. Most people don’t become confident speaking until they’ve done it a few dozen times. You can speed up this growth process by speaking at multiple events in the span of a few weeks or few months.

Speaking for Pay Can Be Exciting

For some, speaking isn’t just a hobby or something done to grow their business. It’s how they keep food on the table and afford to clothe their families. Fees can range anywhere from $100-10,000+ depending on many things—the conference budget, your experience level, the topic you’re presenting on, and the complexity of your talk.

Professional speakers often have multiple income streams like additional products or services. They may sell these items at conferences and events to off-set some of their costs and to grow their bottom line.

Speaking for Perks Is Good, Too

Keep in mind that you don’t have to choose between speaking just for free or profit. Some speakers do it for the perks. These perks are typically paid for by the event host.

For example, you’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and a conference coordinator contacts you. They don’t have the budget to pay for your speech but they are willing to pay for your hotel costs for three nights. You get to travel to a dream destination, speak at a big event, and be a tourist for two days.

Of course, the perks an event host can offer will differ. Some may be willing to pay for your meals, your flight, or your hotel stay. It all depends on what their budget is and what you’re willing to negotiate for.
 

When you first start speaking, it’s smart to get your feet wet with free or perks-based events. Then if you find you enjoy speaking and you’d like to do it more often, consider turning pro and charging a fee in exchange for your time.

Define the Message You’ll Share

I have always loved the idea of speaking. I wanted to use speaking as a way to build my business as well as a possible additional income stream.  But I wasn’t sure how to get started with speaking. So when I started working with a coach, the first thing she told me was to focus on defining my message...to craft a Signature Speech.

Every speaker needs a keystone message. But building this message can be tricky. Where do you start? What do you say? How much should you talk about yourself? These are important questions and here are a few answers for you.

Determine Your Audience

Before you can begin crafting a message that connects with your listeners, you need to get clear on who you serve. Who is it that you’re passionate about reaching? Who is your product or service for?

I know my audience is mainly women in their thirties to sixties. But I narrowed it down even more by choosing to focus on the "older" part of that range - the baby boomers or retirees.. That means when I started looking for events where I could speak, I focused on ones that catered to my community (retirees or soon-to-be retirees).

Focus on the Problems

The next step in defining your message is focusing on the problems your audience faces. Try to make a list of the top 10-20 problems that your community regularly brings up to you. This may be a mix of big and small issues.

My list includes issues my audience complained about like: not enough savings to retire comfortably, not wanting to "retire" but not wanting to stay at their job, and wanting to start a business but challenged by technology.

Offer the Solutions

Now that you’ve had a chance to consider what problems plague your community, think about how you can offer them the solution. Chances are, you’re already offering the solution even if you don’t realize it.

Maybe your audience complains about the lack of information about writing copy for Facebook ads (which mine does). But you have a free opt-in report on this topic (which I do!). You can mention this solution in your presentation.

Show Off Your Results

As you offer solutions, be sure to share proof that what you’re teaching really works. Using the above example, you’d want to share the story of a woman who earned an extra $10K thanks to following your copywriting tips.

But keep in mind that results don’t have to be monetary. I recently shared a message from a client who found she was more confident and felt more in charge of her life now that was taking control of her retirement savings.

Share What Makes You Different

At this point, you’ve got the audience excited. They know there’s a solution out there for the problem they have. But how you handle this next part of the process is important. You want to make sure your listeners see that you’re the solution to their problems. If not, they may go and do business with one of your competitors.

I point out my coaching is different because I AM a boomer and therefore I can relate to them in ways younger coaches might not be able to. I know how scary it can be to embrace some of this new technology. This makes me stand out in the audience’s mind and gives them an extra reason to try my program over someone else’s.

As you work through the steps above, you’ll get many ideas about what you can speak on. Be sure to keep a notebook handy so you can write down your thoughts and use them as you craft your speech.