Speaker - May 2008

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums
Save the Day for Free or Charge a Fee?
You just finished speaking at a conference and overhear the meeting planner complaining to
another staff member that a speaker just called to cancel his breakout session the following day.
It’s a topic you can easily handle. Should you volunteer? Negotiate? What would you do?

^I ^think ^it ^is ^appropriate ^to ^quote ^{your standard} ^fee. ^If ^the ^client ^says ^{the other} ^speaker’s ^fee ^is ^lower ^and ^{that it’s} ^not ⁱⁿ ^the ^budget, ^you ^{should make} ^a ^goodwill ^gesture ^and ^agree ^{to do} ^it ^for ^the ^lesser ^fee. ^I ^would ^{offer to} ^do ^it ^for ^free ^only ^if ^the ^client ^{was giving} ^me ^a ^lot ^of ^work ^and ^I ^{could expect} ^more ⁱⁿ ^the ^future.I would volunt _I’d _also _{inquire are} _volunteers,“eer to speak if the client paid the change fee for my airline ticket. _about _the _other _speaker’s _fee. _Note: _Often, _speakers _who _{cancel not} _paid _speakers.

I would ask if I could help and then over-deliver. Don’t expect payment for every good thing you do.

Volunteer . . . the good will is worth far more than the negotiated fee.

Tell the meeting planner, “I understand you need a speaker. It’s a topic I can handle easily and I can stay if you need me.”

I’d wait for the client to approach me. Speakers are the client’s guests while onsite at the event. The client should be comfortable talking about the event without feeling that contractors are hovering to seize new business opportunities.

As a conference speaker, you are
obligated to help out as part of the
team charged with putting on a suc-
cessful meeting. (If you were a doc-
tor and someone in the audience was
having chest pains, what would you
do?) You should volunteer to cover
the breakout session and negotiate
to have incremental expenses reim-
bursed, such as an extra hotel night
and itinerary change fees. If the
client offers to compensate you,
ask for only incremental differences
in fees (“My fee schedule includes
a ‘keynote + breakout’ option”),
regardless of the other speaker’s fee.
If the client doesn’t offer to compen-
sate you, do it anyway. You’ll be a
hero and the client will give you
lots of work and referrals.