Professional speaking engagements - what to charge & do you expect to have to pay

[Anonymous]

If invited to speak for an hour or so on a specific subject matter of which the professional has advanced level understanding, how would you suggest addressing payment? Professional has typically provided sessions at no charge though given the prep & time commitment, and frequency of engagement would like to start charging.

Like a lunch and learn, or speaking at a staff enrichment meeting. Educationally & to answer questions.

When invited, should the professional be stating a cost upfront?
i.e. yes I'm available and my typical fee for educational speaking is my hourly rate of xxx ( add something like please advise if budget is a concern, that I may consider alternative arrangements ??)

Can the professional just bill after the engagement?
i.e. thank you for having me on x date, attached is my invoice for ____ in the amount of $500.00

If you're inviting a professional to come speak, generally speaking, are you expecting to pay something? Do you think comping their meal is sufficient? What price would you reasonably pay?

[Anonymous]

Be upfront. Before you engaged, decide what your bottom line is. Are you okay with no longer having these opportunities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If invited to speak for an hour or so on a specific subject matter of which the professional has advanced level understanding, how would you suggest addressing payment? Professional has typically provided sessions at no charge though given the prep & time commitment, and frequency of engagement would like to start charging.

Like a lunch and learn, or speaking at a staff enrichment meeting. Educationally & to answer questions.

When invited, should the professional be stating a cost upfront?
i.e. yes I'm available and my typical fee for educational speaking is my hourly rate of xxx ( add something like please advise if budget is a concern, that I may consider alternative arrangements ??)

Can the professional just bill after the engagement?
i.e. thank you for having me on x date, attached is my invoice for ____ in the amount of $500.00

If you're inviting a professional to come speak, generally speaking, are you expecting to pay something? Do you think comping their meal is sufficient? What price would you reasonably pay?

If your being invited by the same organizations I'd probably send a professional email and tell them due to the amount of commitments you are being asked to undertake that you're going to start charging beginning X date for X fee. As far as setting a fee, see if you can find someone in a similar position and see what they charge.

I also think the speaker's meal should be comped.

[Anonymous]

Just ask whether they are offering an honorarium before you accept the invitation. They'll get the message, and you have the opportunity to be available or not, depending on their response.

[Anonymous]

I would get an agreement from the organization in writing ahead of time regarding payment.

[Anonymous]

Do not bill after the event without talking about payment first. Also, I found your post a little confusing. Why do you start out using the third person?

If invited, say that you are happy about the opportunity and say your rates have changed and are now X. If you’re ok with not doing these anymore, then speak up!

[Anonymous]

What do you think the relevance of "professional" is in your post? Why not "person" or why not "me"?

I'm genuinely interested and confused. You used the word a million times...

[Anonymous]

DH is a business professor, and as he got more senior and established, he received more invitations to speak. He quickly learned it is good to hammer out the details/terms in the early stages of discussions, as there are wildly different (and often surprising) expectations of some groups. He found that some professional organizations were much more willing to pay for his time than, say, a Fortune 500 company.

At first he didn't charge because he saw it as a good way to meet interesting people and get ideas for future research, but as he became more in demand, he primarily did it as a way to keep his schedule reasonable. And the extra money didn't hurt. Unless it is a small organization/nonprofit (not common in his field), he typically requires travel expenses paid for, including first class airfare if it is more than a short plane ride. He also charges an honorarium, and that varies quite a bit. For just a one-hour talk it's most often around $1,000, but has been as low as nothing and as high as $20k (from a company that could very easily afford it).

[Anonymous]

Yes, you provide your rate for the type of engagement they are seeking and once agreed, both parties sign a contract for payment/terms.

[Anonymous]

I looked into having a professional speak to a group of 30 employees at my small business. I asked in my initial inquiry what their rate was and I received quotes from $500-6000.

[Anonymous]

At a private business, unless it's something that requires zero preparation or is an amazing exposure opportunity, I would expect the organizers to pay. That all should be figured out in advance.

If it's an event at a elementary school or a rec center or library, maybe donate your time.