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It’s the word that sends chills down the spines of professional speakers…exposure. Well, apparently it’s not just speakers who are being asked to pay for play, but now the NFL is asking their half-time artists to pay for exposure too. The multi-million dollar entity hasn’t paid half-time performers up to this point, but now they are actually even asking them to pay for the opportunity to perform, stating that the exposure the artists get is worth cold hard cash, and they want a piece of it.

It’s known that the NFL doesn’t pay performers, but now they say that they want to profit from the post Super Bowl tours the artists go on after appearing on the most watched sporting event in America. This is drawing a chilly response from Katy Perry, Coldplay, and Rihanna, the three artists who have been contacted. It isn’t known whether the NFL will go outside of those picks and find an artist willing to agree to the terms.

Professional speakers have been going through a similar situation in the past few years. I recently spoke to a meeting planner who said, not only did they not pay speakers, but the speakers had to come up with brand new material just for the conference, then they had to spend time working to customize it, pay all of their own expenses, pay for the registration for the conference, no selling from the stage, no book selling, no sponsorship, and no networking. I thought it was a joke.

Not only was I told that it wasn’t a joke, but that they have professional speakers lined up to agree to whatever terms they lay out, including sweeping the floor after their speech. Okay, so it didn’t go that far. But where does it end? It looks like as long as speakers and artists are willing to pay to play that the trend will continue.

Have you been asked to pay to speak, and what are your thoughts on the topic?

When you think of a conference, you usually think of the usual stuff, like speakers speaking on topics you want to learn about, panel discussions with experts who know what’s going on in your industry, and an agenda that’s pre-planned and written up in a conference brochure.

But what if you went to a conference that didn’t have any of that? Instead it’s a conference where you pay to share your own advice, kind of like event crowd sourcing.

Well, there is such a conference. It’s actually called the Nortech Innovation Unconference being held September 24, 2014 at the Cleveland Convention Center. It’s being marketed to inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are interested in having a community conversation about innovation in North East Ohio.

Apparently Ohio companies feel like this is a good idea. Twenty two sponsors have already signed up, such as AT&T, Medical Mutual, and Rockwell Automation. Manufacturing and technology are ripe for reinvention in North East Ohio. And the sponsors who are participating feel that an open discussion with business and innovation leaders is just the right way to start the process.

As an innovator I love the idea of doing anything unique and out of the box, especially events. I couldn’t guess whether it would work or not, since I’ve never heard of it being done. But that’s what makes innovation so great, is that it’s experimental. You never know what could happen unless you try it. Maybe the same ‘ole way works, but what if you tried it a different way? I’m betting they’ll discover some things they’ll keep and some they’ll discard. Just like innovation. Not every idea is a winner. And you always discover things you didn’t know would come out of it because it’s a new way of working.

Now, as an innovation speaker, I hate the idea because it would put me out of business. Again, this is part of the process of innovation. Everything changes. And if that change is an improvement, you keep it. Think about how blacksmiths must have felt with the invention of the automobile? They always had plenty of work, and the profession was looked at with awe. Blacksmiths were thought to be magical, and the blacksmith profession was looked at as being lucky. Until innovation changed all that.

So, are speakers going to become obsolete? Probably not. But the lesson here is that you always need to look ahead. Even as a speaker, you need to be innovating yourself, because you never know how the event industry is going to change. And when it does, will you be more like Henry Ford or a blacksmith?

What are you doing as a speaker to innovate?

Here at Speaker Sponsor we want speakers to have every opportunity possible to get out and get paid to speak, whether you’re getting a paycheck from a meeting planner or getting paid by a sponsor for a free speaking engagement. Another big part of your speaking career will be your relationship with a speakers bureau. Between the Speaker Sponsor podcast and this blog, we’re interviewing speakers bureaus from around the world. We want to learn how each one operates and how they like to work with speakers.

Here is an interview with Nick Gold, MD of Speakers Corner and Chairman of the EASB (European Association of Speaker Bureaux)

1. Can you give us some info on your background?  I have been working at Speakers Corner since my path crossed with our founder Cheryl Goldhill, just as I was looking for an opportunity to grow my own company and create something new. Coming from a corporate background, I found the challenge of serving the corporate sector exciting, and the prospect of meeting inspirational people every day was something I relished.

2. How is the speaking industry different in Europe than the U.S.?   There are many differences in the speaking industry between the US and the UK, primarily the fees paid to speakers are far higher in the US, but on a more interesting note, the really traditional motivational speakers are more popular in the States, whilst European audiences have historically been more interested in booking speakers with high profile brands behind them and tangible business experience.

3. When should a speaker start approaching speaker’s bureaus and how would you like to be approached?   We love meeting speakers at any stage of their careers, whether they are established speakers looking to branch out and meet new clients, or whether they are embarking on their speaking career and are just at the beginning of the road, and we can mentor and nurture them in the best methods of preparation, marketing etc.

4. What is the one thing you wish speakers should know about working with a speaker’s bureau? That we are their best advocates and that as a speaker bureau, we are working with their best interests at the heart of what we do, and will only place them in a job or brief that fits their area and skills – and that we know best what those jobs are!

5. Who is your perfect speaker client? Our most exciting challenges come when clients don’t know who they want and we are tasked with finding them the perfect speaker, at which time we can start selling amazing people who are not household names but have inspiring and unique stories and messages to share.

6. Is there one book you would recommend all speakers read? Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences, by Nancy Duarte

7. What do you see changing for speakers, meeting planners and speaker’s bureaus and how would you use innovation to improve the speaking industry?  At Speakers Corner we value complete honesty and transparency above all else. As soon as the industry cracks down on undercutting, and all bureaux begin to work together, the marketplace will become a venerated industry, and will move forward in a way that will benefit clients, speakers, bureaux and audiences.

Nick, thanks for your time and for your industry insight! Speakers Corner speaker’s bureau has a skilled team with over 40 years of industry experience and an expansive knowledge of the best international motivational speakers, after dinner speakers, conference facilitators, keynote speakers and awards hosts.

An inspirational speaker may motivate us to make a change or inspire us to improve our lives. But what if an inspirational speaker actually saved the life of someone in the audience? This was a question I posed to a group of cause speakers. Here are their stories:

Alexis Moore

“At a speaking engagement, a member of the audience was experiencing domestic violence in their relationship. During October Domestic Violence Awareness month, the audience member came to one of my speaking engagements and listened to me share my story. An audience member was at the point of wanting to take her own life because of how bad and miserable her situation was. After listening to me speak about my attempted suicide, and why I was so glad that I didn’t take my own life.. well it inspired her not to take her’s. She contacted me months later to thank me for speaking out about abuse, and for helping to inspire her to flee the abusive relationship she was in and restart her life.”

Alexis Moore is a risk management consultant, author of the book Cyber Self-Defense and a speaker on topics pertaining to cybercrime and abuse, including domestic violence. http://www.alexismoore.com (more…)

I recently responded to blog post about public speaking and the topic was on “should a speaker thank the audience”? The writer of the blog said absolutely not, that a speaker shouldn’t thank them before or after giving a speech. There were a couple of different responses to that. I personally thought that it would be rude and arrogant not to thank them.

I’ve since found out that that is a hotly debated topic amongst professional speakers. So I really gave it some thought and weighed out the pros and cons of each argument. My first thought was that, of course you thank your audience. But I guess it really depends on how. And each situation is different. Plus, do you thank them in the beginning or at the end or both?

I did go through Toastmasters when I first started, but apparently Toastmasters has a thing against thanking the audience. I must say, I don’t remember this ever being an issue and I’m pretty sure I did thank them with out getting “fined”.

I come from a theater background and I’ve never left a stage without thanking the audience. But this is done in a final curtain call, which most speakers don’t have. If you notice, comedians and singers always thank the audience. Why shouldn’t a speaker?

Of course there aren’t any rules for speakers that say you have to do anything. That’s the beauty of being a public speaker. You’re the writer, director, producer and star of your own productions. You can do anything you want, but the ultimate decision is with the audience. So, here’s my take on it.

Whoever you’re speaking to could have hired anyone to grace their stage. But they hired you. So I see that as an honor and a privilege. It’s even more of a privilege when you consider that a lot of speakers make more money in one hour than the average worker makes in a whole month. I’m always thankful when they pick me.

The audience could be anywhere, but they chose to listen to your speech. I get as much from the audience as they get from me. I always learn from them. For that I’m thankful.

I’m not saying you have to open by thanking them or even thanking the presenter, if that slows you down. But at least thank them at the end for showing up and participating. You can end with a dynamic ending and then just give a quick thank you as you leave. It won’t detract from your speech, but it will leave the audience with a good feeling about you.

And besides, it’s just good manners. But that’s how I was raised in the South. Well, that’s my two cents. What do you think?

Speaking on cruise ships sounds exotic and adventurous. And for many speakers it is. Cruise ships need to keep their guests happy with lots of entertainment, and lectures are a part of that. The cruise industry is a $37 billion dollar a year business and still going strong.

I looked up the statistics and found that the average age of a cruise ship passenger is 50+ with average earnings of $107,000, and 86% have a college degree. That’s probably something to keep in mind when you prepare your pitch, depending on which cruise you’ll be on.

Even though some speakers do get paid on a cruise ship, most don’t. But they do get a free cruise, and sometimes get travel paid to the port, but not always. Some speakers do quite well selling books and DVDs. Plus, like on regular free gigs, they are able to build up an email list.

There are two ways to get work as a speaker on a cruise ship. One is through an agency. There are several agencies that are known and trusted in the industry. Sixth Star, Compass Speakers, Tim Castle, and Posh Talks. Paying a standard $50-$100 a day administrative fee to them is the industry norm. Like a speakers bureau, you can work for more than one agency. (more…)

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the state of gender bias in the tech industry when it comes to women tech speakers. I was recently an innovation keynote speaker for Cognizant Technology Solutions to a group of Fortune 500 women executives and the question came up “Where are all the women in STEM?”

Bizzabo just released its top 100 list of tech speakers and not a single woman made it to the top 10. Only 2 were listed in the top 20. Most tech conferences only have a token woman speaker, if they have any at all, and an average of 10% represent minorities.

Many reasons have been thrown around, like the fact that there are fewer women in tech to begin with, the ones who do speak are in high demand, decision makers are mostly men, and that women don’t tend to respond to the invitations like men do.

But I’m glad to see that at least the topic is on the table and some people are starting to address it. Articulate, run by Caper and powered by Lanyrd, is setting out to raise awareness of the issue of having more women in the tech and creative conference arena. Their goal is to get to a 50:50 ratio and eliminate the all-male and token women speaker status quo that we currently have.

This began after a conversation that started a couple of years ago regarding the topic. They were flooded with suggestions from men and women who said they wanted to see change. But change, when it comes to women in any area of STEM, is slow.

A recent article in The Atlantic created a firestorm of comments. Whether you agree with their solutions or not (getting men to sign a pledge that they won’t speak at all-male tech conferences), at least the subject is being talked about.

One thing I discovered in doing research for the Cognizant Technology conference was the huge amount of societal bias that still goes on today as it relates to women in the STEM fields in general. As a woman inventor I hear it constantly.

So, what’s your solution to the problem? Any suggestions?

When I tell people who aren’t in the speaking business how much I make per hour they’re shocked. But per hour keynote speaking fees don’t tell the whole story. There’s way too much else that goes into that one hour speech, like years of preparation and training, weeks or months of research just for that one speech, writing time, practice time, in the trenches training, weeks, months or years of “volunteer” work, and don’t forget travel time.

One of the big questions a beginning speaker asks is “How much should I charge?” I’d love to give a simple answer, but that really depends on a lot of factors, like how long you’ve been a speaker, whether you’re famous or not, if you have a best-selling book on the market, how much value you bring to the table, and how busy you are as a speaker.

I looked up a speaker/trainer’s salary and found that on the low end speakers make $40,000 a year, and on the high end $56,000. The typical salary for a public speaker was listed as $48,000.

Let’s say you’re already making a living as a speaker. So, when should you raise your speaking fees? Again, there’s no easy answer. It also depends on many factors. Some of the best advice I was given about this topic was from a freelance graphic artist. He said if he didn’t want to do the job he would charge an insane amount that he felt they would never pay. And if they did pay it, he would be making enough so he could hold his nose and do the work and still be okay with it.

If you don’t need the money, raising your speaking fees isn’t a big deal. You can confidently spout out your higher rates and not blink an eye.

If you do need the money, you should probably tread a little more carefully. Not everyone should raise their rates. If you feel the market won’t bear it, don’t raise them. People who aren’t public speakers are complaining that they haven’t gotten a raise in years, so you’ll be in good company.

Here’s my thinking on it. If you’re booked solid you might want to think about raising your rates. Sooner or later it’ll come down to how hard you want to work. And if you’re in demand, you’ll still get work, even at a higher rate.

But a lot of raising your speaking fees is really gut instinct. You’ll know it when the time is right.

Speaker presentation handouts are a physical printout of either bullet points from their speech or a printout of the power point slides with room for notes next to it.

Speakers will often be asked if they want to give presentation handouts to the audience. Sometimes it’s a requirement from the meeting planner. I’ve seen it both ways and have done both. But now that many people are going as paperless as possible, which one should you use?

If the meeting planner requires a physical handouts they will usually do the printing themselves, which can really add up, depending on how many power point slides you have and how many people are in the audience.

Another way to handle the situation is to get everyone’s email and email them the handout. If you’re hired by a meeting planner, make sure you run it by them first to determine which way they prefer. The good thing about doing it this way is that you have everyone’s email. But only use it for that one handout unless they agree to be put on your mailing list.

Having a handout to give your audience gives you another chance to connect with them, whether you send it by email or with a physical handout. Make sure all of your information like email, website, and phone number are on it, so if they like what you do they can either contact you directly or pass your info on to someone else who can hire you.

I’ve noticed that some events will post the handouts on their website. I would personally have a problem with that, and it looks like other speakers have objected to it too.

As a speaker, what is your feeling about presentation handouts? If you’re a meeting planner, how do you handle the issue of presentation handouts?

The speakers bureau can sometimes be an enigma, especially for the beginning speaker. Just like an actor seeking out an agent, speakers bureaus can be great partners for a speaker, but only when the time is right. Speaker Sponsor will be bringing you a series of interviews with some of the best speakers bureaus in the business.

This interview is with Mike Cullingford, Managing Director of Catalyst World Class Speakers in the U.K. Mike was nice enough to give us the inside scoop on how his speakers bureau operates and how the U.S. speakers market is different from the ones in Europe.

Welcome, Mike. Can you give us some info on your background?

Sure, after getting an honours degree from the University of London, I spent a number of years gaining international experience by working overseas, especially Japan and Spain. For the last two decades I have been involved with events and speakers. I’m a keen skier and a big fan of American motorcycles having owned a string of Harley Davidsons & Buells. Today my young son is my main source of inspiration!

How is the speaking industry different in Europe than the U.S.?

It’s important to understand that the speaking industry in the States is much longer established, large and more organized. Things are chaining in Europe, particularly the UK, where the industry is seeing encouraging growth. More and more people now appreciate the tremendous power of world-class speakers and leaders to motivate, to inspire and act as catalysts for invaluable change.

When should a speaker start approaching speakers bureaus and how would you like to be approached?

Ideally after he or she has handled some significant audiences and has received some impressive testimonials. Clearly we can only recommend those in whom we have total confidence. When approaching a bureau, speakers should keep it simple. We ask that they provide a concise biography, current speaking topics, host’s comments, high quality images, and video footage of them in action.

What is the one thing you wish speakers knew about working with a speakers bureau?

It’s important that speakers are very cooperative with our clients and their event teams. There may have been months of discussions before a decision is reached and whilst a speaker may have delivered a similar message many times before, it’s essential they regard each project as unique. After all, booking a professional speaker represents a substantial investment for the client.

Who is your perfect client?

Perfect clients should expect perfection, or service very close to it. They appreciate our understanding of their objectives, our advice, experience and recommendations based on that experience. The perfect client values real return on investment, not making small savings by booking the cheapest option.

Is there one book you would recommend all speakers read?

“The Exceptional Speaker” by Alan Stevens, former President of the Global Speakers Federation.

What do you see changing for speakers, meeting planners and speakers bureaus and how would you use innovation to improve the speaking industry?

Technology is providing some wonderful opportunities for speakers. If speakers can be flexible then audio conferencing and webcasts provide budgets options, but clearly make it easier for the professional speaker to be in two places at once. Catalyst has introduced a number of innovations in recent months. I could tell you more… but then I’d have to kill you!

Thanks, Mike, for taking the time to join us on Speaker Sponsor!

General

Professional Speakers Asked to Pay For Play

Are Speakers Going to Become Obsolete?

Interview With a Speakers Bureau – Speakers Corner

When an Inspirational Speaker Saves a Life

Should a Speaker Thank The Audience?

Speaking on Cruise Ships

Where Are the Women Tech Speakers?

When Should a Speaker Raise Their Speaking Fees?

Should Speakers Use Presentation Handouts?

Interview With a Speakers Bureau – Catalyst World Class Speakers