You're a new speaker and want me to find you speaking engagements on commission?

Why do I charge a hefty retainer for public relations and marketing and NOT A COMMISSION?

Let's do the math:

1. What's the largest fee you have obtained so far? Let's say you once earned $1500. Let's use that number.

2. What's the rate of commission you are prepared to pay me? Let's use the industry standard which is 30%.

3. 30% of $1500 is $________. Yes, $450. Sounds like a hefty amount for very little work, doesn't it? Well.....

4. How many hours of work a month do you think it would take me to generate one speaking engagement for you? Would it surprise you to know that it might take 160 hours? In other words 40 hours a week, every week. (Now do you understand why I charge a $15,000 a month retainer per client?)

5. Before I go on to the next step, let's stop and consider why it might take me 160 hours to generate one paying speaking engagement for you:

  1. You're the best one to sell yourself and your talent. If you can't generate speaking engagements for yourself, how can someone else who doesn't know you do better?
  2. If you're the most dynamic speaker you have ever seen, shouldn't you be generating more paid engagements than you are? Why aren't you?
  3. If I'm having difficulty procuring work for you, it's not necessarily a reflection of my marketing skills but the quality of the Product (that would be you and your material). Maybe you and your subject aren't what organizations are looking for. You may need to do some upgrading of your material and/or your presentation.
  4. Have you been teaching groups that you're not worth paying a fee - maybe just expenses or book selling opportunities - because you don't charge for your speaking? That can't be working FOR you, but only against you.

6. Ok, so let's go back to the math and divide that $450 commission by the 160 hours I might have to work for you. How much per hour would I be making if I generate just the one engagement for you for a month's full-time work? Yes, $450 ÷ 160 = $________. Oh look, I receive $2.81 an hour. Not even 1/3 of minimum wage in my state (PA).

7. So would you feel comfortable paying me only $2.81 an hour? Let's flip that around. Would you be OK with receiving an income of only $450 a month? I can tell you I'd have no trouble turning down your offer.

8. And if you aren't receiving any fees for your speaking and you still want me to work on a commission, have you considered what my commission would be on a free speech? I hope you learned in school that 25% of nothing is..... nothing! Yes, you're asking me to work for nothing. Now, really. Tell me why you think I would want to jump at the chance to invest all my time and energy into your career with no compensation?

9. I wouldn't feel good about exploiting someone I hardly know, and I'd like to think you wouldn't either. When I negotiate speaking contracts for speakers who bring or refer their speaking invitations to me, I consider the feelings of both parties so neither one feels exploited. It just doesn't pay and only causes ill feelings.

10. Also, I've observed that many speakers who choose to accept free speeches simply do the booking themselves without telling their agent/advocate. This means that I, and people like me, are cheated of the opportunity to UP your fees for you and earn some compensation; but the real problem is you have not been honest in your dealings with a person whose livelihood depends on your integrity.

11. And one more thing... some day down the road when you have been in practice for 30 years as an expert on your subject, how much money in dollars per hour do you think you should charge your clients for your experience and expertise gained over those decades? How would you feel being offered $450 (or nothing) for a month of your hard work when you are worth thirty times that?

So... rather than ask me to work full-time for you for very little (or no) compensation, here are some options for you that also work for me, and I'm sure you can think of others....

  1. Hire me or (someone else like me) for a fee to bring you to the attention of the press and media so that speaking engagements come to you effortlessly.
  2. Use your marketing skills to make yourself a household word so that speaking engagements come to you effortlessly.
  3. If you don't have marketing skills, book a few tutorials with me to teach you how to do it on your own.
  4. Read my trilogy of report-manual-booklet (all digital) that I wrote for speakers based on my own success as a speaker.
  5. Bring me your speaking requests (not inquiries, but requests) and ask me to negotiate your fees and contracts so that your fees increase in increments over time, your contracts contain all kinds of amenities you deserve, and you feel the prestige of reaching the point in your career where your interests are represented without the accompanying stress.