Should You Speak For Free: Should You Be Paid to Speak?

There are so many people out there who want to get started speaking. You have a message that you want to get out to the world because you know that you can help so many people if you just can get a chance to speak about it.

You have done your due diligence on the subject of speaking and found and became so overwhelmed the more you read about the subject. So where do you begin to look for speaking gigs and should I start speaking for free or ask for a fee you wonder?

So, we are going to dive into that subject of speaking for free or premium— especially if you have a desire to speak—but you don’t know what to expect, here are a few things to keep in mind…

Speaking for Free Gets You Experience

There are always event coordinators and conference hosts in need of speakers. Sometimes, these leaders don’t have much of a budget, so most of the cash goes to feeding attendees and providing paper goods (like tissue). That doesn’t leave much to pay speaking fees.

However, this can be an advantage if you’re a new speaker. There’s less competition to get free speaking gigs and event hosts will be more forgiving if you mess something up. After all, they understand that you’re still finding your way.

Another advantage of speaking for free is that it builds up your confidence while marketing your business. But since you are speaking for free to get experience, make sure that you are getting something out of it besides experience. Ask the event coordinators if you can pass out a form to collect email addresses. You want to build up your email list so you can stay in contact with your audience. And ask the event coordinator if you can video your speech. You want to start collecting videos of you speaking to add to your website.

Most people don’t become confident speaking until they’ve done it a few dozen times. You can speed up this growth process by speaking at multiple events in the span of a few weeks or few months.

Speaking And Getting Paid For It Can Be Exciting

For some, speaking isn’t just a hobby or something done to grow their business. It’s how they keep food on the table and afford to clothe their families. It is their livelihood. Speaking fees can range anywhere from $100-10,000+ depending on many things—the conference budget, your experience level, the topic you’re presenting on, and the complexity of your talk.

Professional speakers often have multiple income streams like additional products or services. They may sell these items at conferences and events to off-set some of their costs and to grow their bottom line. Also professional speakers can and do coach other speakers via webinars as another form of income.

Speaking  And Getting Paid For It  Can Be Exciting

For some, speaking isn’t just a hobby or something done to grow their business. It’s how they keep food on the table and afford to clothe their families. Fees can range anywhere from $100-10,000+ depending on many things—the conference budget, your experience level, the topic you’re presenting on, and the complexity of your talk.

Professional speakers often have multiple income streams like additional products or services. They may sell these items at conferences and events to off-set some of their costs and to grow their bottom line. Some speakers also coach other speakers via webinars as another form of income too.

Speaking for Perks Is Good, Too

Keep in mind that you don’t have to choose between speaking just for free or profit. Some speakers do it for the perks. These perks are typically paid for by the event host.

So what is an example of a perk. Let’s say that you’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and a conference coordinator contacts you. They don’t have the budget to pay for your speech but they are willing to pay for your flight and hotel costs for three nights. You get to travel to a dream destination, speak at a big event, and be a tourist for two days. Just because you are not getting paid to speak at an event, you should always negotiate with the conference coordinator for what you want.

Of course, the perks an event host can offer will differ. Some may be willing to pay for your meals, flight,  your hotel stay, and per diem. It all depends on what their budget is and what you’re willing to negotiate for.

When you first start speaking, it’s smart to get your feet wet with free or perks-based events. Then if you find you enjoy speaking and you’d like to do it more often, consider turning pro and charging a fee in exchange for your time.

Discover how to find speaking gigs when you download your free workbook!