117 - Tip Tuesday - Start Getting Paid to Speak with Joleene Moody
Speaking can be an incredible way to build your name, brand, and business, and you can also get paid. Joleene really defines it at three levels, entry, in the middle, and high paid keynotes.
There are three levels (by Joleene's definition). Entry level is where you begin speaking, and you do rotary meetings, lunch and learns, etc to get your name out there. You know you're not going to get paid. Joleene advices not to keep doing them for free for a long time. The next level is mid levels is where you're making between $1000 and $9000 for a keynote. Then there is high-level speaking where you can get $10,000 to $60,000 for one speech. To get that to that realm of high paid, you have to have clout, be well known, and be a celebrity.
Let's start at tier 1, where do you begin asking for $200, etc? First, there's a keynote between a presentation and a keynote. What you want to do is look for local associations in your area. The lines definitely blur. What you want to do is look for local associations in your area. You can begin looking for the National Trade and Professional Associations directory. If you go to the Columbia books and information services. This is a wealth of information for speakers. This is a whole list of places throughout the US. There is a state and regional one too. The two books cost approximately $800. An online subscription is about $1200. If you don't want to invest, start googling for some of these associations.
These books show when they have their conference, along with the budget line. When they're trying to tell you they don't have money to pay, you have leverage. There's nothing wrong with negotiating, but you have to be firm with them. It's hard to determine what you should charge, but you have to stand firm behind what you decide.
What do I need to have in place for people to take me seriously? First, you really need to decide that you're worth this. You have to stand behind your decision to do this. Then get together a one-sheet, and get some testimonials. Then create on that one sheet with talks and titles with blurbs about what they're about. What Joleene does, is sends an email to a place to ask them what their speaker protocol is. Everyone is different, and everybody expects something different.
For example if you want to reach out to a college, find the Student Activities Coordinator. They're always looking for people to come in, and they will pay. You can also look for the Director of Greek Life, etc. It's just about diving into those, finding the names, getting the emails, and being willing to send out and follow-up.
How do I know what a fair price to ask? There is no solid graph of numbers. Outside of colleges, when Joleene is going for a keynote at an association. If it's local, and she has to drive less than an hour, she charges $1000 - $1500. Regionally, is she has to drive more than 2 hours, she charges $3000 - $3500. If she speaks outside of that and has to get on a plane, she charges $5000 - $7000. When you decide you're ready to charge, when they ask that question at the top, Joleene advices to say that you need to determine what the atmosphere is like.
When you get to the point of what do you charge, don't fumble. Just say what your fee is, and then don't say a word. Let it sink in. You'll get a variable of answers because what they are trained to do is go down in price. When you know you're the expert, and when you feel you deserve that money, you can ask it confidently. Watch your intonation, and talk slower when you're wrapping up that conversation. Let them experience you and feel them.
Do you have any right to ask for travel too? You have the right to ask for anything you want. If they can't come to your terms on the price, you can ask for other things like hotel, food, etc. Also don't make any assumptions on what is included.
What makes a great keynote? There are two types of talks when we step on stage, we're thinking of approval. The content isn't as authentic because we're so focused on getting approval from the audience. The keynote is really about a moving speech. You have to really feel, and it has to come from your heart. The best keynotes you can possibly deliver is well thought out and well rehearsed. Don't ever think you can go on stage with a few bullet points and wow them.
How do you know when you reach the next level? It's when you can command high dollars, when you have almost a celebrity type status, even as an entrepreneur. This isn't about running training sessions because you can command those much more easily. We're talking about a keynote and generally those are recognized. So when you can bring people into a room, that's a time when can start asking for the bigger money.
You can find Joleene at JoleeneMoody.com. Joleene also has two e-books that she wrote on how to find and create paid keynotes.
More About Joleene: Joleene Moody is a former central New York television reporter and anchor turned professional keynote speaker, speaker trainer and author/playwright. After struggling for years in a place that didn’t satisfy her true dreams and desires to write and speak and play on stage, Joleene bravely left the security of her job to embark on a journey that allowed her to unearth her greatest dreams and desires – while profiting generously at the same time.
Today she is a powerful mentor and coach to those who want to uncover and discover who and what they are truly meant to be and do, while generating handsomely as professional speakers/teachers. Talents aren’t meant to sit idle. They are the key to your absolute abundance. Always.