I love speaking. I am grateful that I am frequently asked to give presentations on marketing, technology, and other topics. It’s very fulfilling to be able to share my knowledge and experience with others and continue to develop my own skills through speaking.
I’ve noticed, however, that speaking is one of those activities that seems to sometimes come with an expectation of unpaid service. Many organizations invite speakers to present at their events but frequently do not pay for their time and expertise. I wonder why this is?
To put things in perspective, here is what goes into a presentation when I am asked to speak.
1. Creating the presentation. Whether I’m giving a presentation that I’ve already prepared or creating a new one, I spend many hours putting together my slide decks and outlines. Building a presentation is a process that takes time, inspiration, and focus. It also draws on years of experience that I have gained through my work, research, and other sources.
2. Preparation time. Before each presentation, I review my slide decks, update them as needed, and review the outlines to prepare for the upcoming presentation.
3. Promotion time. Typically when I’m speaking I will promote the event via my own means. This includes using social media and networking, all of which takes time.
4. Presentation and travel time. When I’m speaking somewhere, I need to make time to travel and present. Though I very much enjoy speaking, it also does take time that I am not able to do other things.
As you can see, quite a bit of time, effort, and experience goes into every presentation I do and I feel that it helps me makes a good case for being fairly compensated for speaking.
Now of course there are always exceptions. Often I will waive part or all of my fees if there is a strong strategic benefit to the event. Perhaps I am able to collect leads or network in a way that creates strong strategic connections. These are great reasons to waive speaking fees.
However, I do encourage organizations to consider how much hard work goes into a presentation and how valuable a speaker’s time is. Creating a proper budget for speakers will usually increase the quality of your speakers and therefore improve your attendance.
What about you? Do you think speakers should be paid?
