Instead of only negotiating your speaking fee, offer to bundle access to your digital course for all attendees. This tactic increases the total value for the event planner by providing long-term engagement and can be used to justify a higher overall price or help close a deal.
Public speaking anxiety is often a 'spotlight' mindset focused on self-judgment ('What do they think of me?'). Jess Ekstrom suggests shifting to a 'lighthouse' mindset by asking 'What does everyone need of me?' This reframes the act from a performance to an act of service, reducing pressure and fear.
When pitching for a speaking gig, don't lead with your personal history. Event planners care more about the value for their audience. Lead your pitch with the tangible takeaway or transformation the audience will experience. Use your personal story as the supporting evidence of why you're credible.
Don't shy away from personal stories in a corporate setting. The key is to ensure the story, however personal, connects to a professional takeaway for the audience. A story about a divorce, for example, can effectively illustrate lessons on navigating change or self-advocacy, making a talk more human and memorable.
Professional speaker Jess Ekstrom notes that audience size does not correlate with speaking fees. Some of her most lucrative engagements have been for intimate groups of 12, while massive arena talks have paid nothing. The value delivered to the specific audience, not the crowd size, determines the fee.
If an event can't meet your full fee, build lead generation into the contract. Jess Ekstrom suggests adding a clause that requires the client to introduce you to four other relevant events if they are satisfied with your talk. This transforms a lower-paying gig into a powerful referral engine.
Charging too little for speaking can backfire. A fee below a professional threshold, like $3,500 for a new speaker, can make you appear inexperienced to event planners, causing them to pass on you for someone perceived as more valuable—even if that person charges significantly more.
When you're paid to speak, aggressive selling from the stage is often inappropriate. Instead, offer a valuable freebie like your presentation slides via a QR code to capture emails. This allows you to follow up later in their inbox, where you can make your offer in a more suitable context.