Know-How Exchange : Other

Dear Hmuir,

B2B is a pretty wide reaching group. Could you be more specific?

Speaking fees often depend on the value you're giving, and on the additional things you could be making money on.

You don't want to overcharge? Very wise. But don't give a way the farm either.

Do your people sell stuff from the back of the room? Information products or continuity programs that connect with your speaker's subject (and your audience's needs) can often be used to offset a larger fee (and it's often the larger fees that put smaller venues or cash-strapped groups off), or supplement a large fee. More so if the perceived value of the presentation's content and its relevance to the goods being offered (at a discount) makes a solid connection in the minds of your audience.

I've seen figures that are all over the map: from a few hundred bucks to multiple tens of thousands, plus expenses.

Your best bet might be to track down speakers from companies in your niche and to either employ stealth tactics (get people you know and trust to call these companies, ala secret shopper), or to brazenly ask them what they charge, NOT so you can underprice them, but so that you can match or even beat their fees.

Again, it depends on the number of engagements you're talking about per year; the preparation involved (can you put together three different presentations and charge accordingly? "You want to hear Mr Miggins speak? He does three presentations, for X dollars you get A. B. and C, for just X dollars more, you get A. B. and C, AND 1,2 and 3 ..." and so on); the traveling involved; what the groups your people will be talking to expect in terms of content and performance, and finally, what's in it for your company in the long term.

All things you've probably thought through already I'm sure, but you'd be stunned how often companies with staff that go out to give talks like this DON'T think about these things.

Sorry I can't be more specific, but you might find the following links helpful:

https://www.fripp.com/art.charge.html
https://www.thespeakersgroup.com/faqs.htm
https://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2008/db2008069_0463...

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA