I went to the speakers session at Problogger because honestly, I’d like to expand my speaking career. One of the things I’m hesitant about is negotiating a fee – I never know how much to charge, what others are charging, and whether, if I am speaking at an event for a cause, it’s fair to charge a fee? Many events don’t have a speakers fee, or have a very minimal fee. But like freelance writing, speeches take time – in writing and thinking, and I believe the event organiser should place a value on experiences and information shared by the speaker.

Experienced speakers Yvonne Adele (formerly Ms Megabyte) and Trevor Young gave some great tips for speakers that are easy to implement.

(source)

“A keynote speech is 3 main headings and 9 speaking points.”

“If you’re not confident to speak alone, get a trusted speaker friend to interview you in a conversation or panel.”

“Your bio on your blog and for speaking engagements should be in first person. It should be about the effect you have on others.”

“Your personal brand is your blog, your voice on twitter, a personal interaction. Be mindful. Your brand attracts business.”

“Create a speaking section on your blog, telling readers you’re available to speak. Upload a video of a full length speech online for future clients to see. Or create a show reel of best speaking engagements plus testimonials for future clients.”

“Take your 10 most popular blog posts, turn into a Word document, brand & PDF it. Now it’s an ebook. It is value adding to your speech.”

“Capture your audience at your speaking events by connecting with them immediately. Ask them to leave your cards on their seat and add their details to your mailing list.”

“If you’re speaking for a cause, charge no less than $500. If you are the draw card for the event, charge $7000.”

“Become an authority in your area of specialisation. People will ask you to write and speak.”

“At the point when you know you’re speaking/bureau agency ready, you’ll probably get a call from them. They charge 30% commission.”

Thanks Yvonne Adele and Trevor Young for the valuable information.

Read more of what I learnt at Problogger here.