Every now and then, a recurring tweet shows up in my timeline.
I dont agree at all.
But first, why is my perspective worth sharing?
Does that sound like a contradiction?
Let me explain why it isnt.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Lets begin answering a fundamental question: how much does hiring a speaker actually cost?
Frustratingly, theres no single answer except: it depends.
The fee I charge for my speaking gigs is plus or minus 100 thousand euros.
Thatsnot100K, but between -100K and +100K.
And for an audience that would rather be somewhere else?
Yeah, Ill probably ask to be paid at least 100K.
So my speaker fee ranges from -100K to +100K depending on the circumstances.
The same goes for pretty much every paid speaker in the world including you.
What about a professional speaker whose profile clearly states, My speaker fee is 100K?
Shes aware of my preferences and knows which events I like and which ones Id rather avoid.
So did I decline?
At our next conference (TNW2021, September 30 to October 1 in Amsterdam, be there!)
What would be a fair fee for us to pay the speakers we end up inviting?
The answer is still: it depends.
Weve had speakers at our events who charge hundreds of thousands of dollars per speaking gig.
But at our event… they speak for the exposure.
Because we have representatives and decision-makers of all the Fortune 500 companies you could think of in our audience.
In this system, everybody makes money, and everybody wins.
Its the market at work, and it really works.
So should you get paid to speak at an event?
Dont get me wrong, my answer to that question is an unequivocal YES!
But I respect their position, and everybody elses.
People approach speaking in a myriad of different ways.
Lets take book authors as an example.
Then there are other authors who love meeting their audience and promoting their book and only charge travel costs.
Those are the ones we know we can work with because we can help each other.
So you could see fees and the reasons behind them can swing wildly in any direction.
Sometimes you could speak for free, and sometimes you shouldnt.
So saying you should never speak for free is too simplistic to help anyone.
This more layered approach also doesnt mean youll end up doing a ton of speaking gigs for free.
I once compared notes with a very well-known author.
I asked him about his highest-paying speaking gig ever, and he mentioned a number that blew me away.
And thats sometimes how speaker fees are established.
Cant get enough of Boris?
Boris is very active on Twitter as@Borisand Instagram:@Boris.
