Whether you are just starting as a public speaker or you’ve been at it for several years, understanding keynote speaker fees and how to set your fees as a public speaker is crucial to success. In this article, I will outline exactly what you need to know and the steps you can take to set your speaking fees.
Understanding Keynote Speaker Fees
When it comes to keynote speaker fees, there are a few criteria that you need to consider when looking at the fees you will charge. This includes:
- Your level of speaking experience.
- The value placed on the problem you are helping to solve.
- How skilled you are in delivering that topic and expertise.
To help you better understand how keynote speaker fees work and what is required to charge the various levels of fees, we’ve put together a quick infographic that you can reference. In addition, we’ve broken the fees down into ranges for beginning speakers (emerging speakers), intermediate speakers, and seasoned speakers. Check it out:
How to Set Your Speaking Fees
So, where do you fit in with your current fees?
If you cannot stand tall in your fees and find yourself constantly negotiating, check out this article on how to gain the confidence you need to take charge of your fees.
Emerging Speakers and Speaking Fees
Emerging Speakers are those whose fees range from free (or compensation for travel) to $3K. These are people who are new to public speaking and just adding it as a product they offer.
To start getting paid consistent speaking fees at this level, there are several fundamental pieces you need to have in place, including:
- Picking a lane
- A strong and clear promise statement
- An understanding of your audience and their needs
- Marketing assets (website, social media, etc.) that strongly promote you as the expert on your topic
Without these fundamental pieces, you will struggle to explain to your audience exactly who you are and how you can help. This leads to targeting the wrong audience and not establishing enough value in yourself – both of which will affect how much you can get paid.
For those who are just starting, I highly recommend you make the small investment in the Wealthy Speaker Online Course and $100K Club. We designed the course to be the perfect starting point for anyone looking to build a public speaking business, and we walk you through every step you need to take to build your business to $100K and beyond! With our course and community, you will:
- Shave time and money off your road to a successful speaking business.
- Get your website and marketing materials aligned so you can get booked at higher fees.
- Understand the right way to spend your time and money so you get results and boost your revenue.
This program has been instrumental in helping many speakers perfect their marketing and skills to gain the confidence to raise their fees and move to the next level of speaking.
Intermediate Speakers and Speaking Fees
For those of you who relate to the Intermediate or Rising Superstar Speaker and are earning $3K to $10K per speech, you’ve most likely put in a lot of hard work to get where you are.
Doesn’t it feel good – you have a legitimate speaking business!
If you fall into this group, you will constantly want to build up more experience and credibility to continue to raise your fees. But before you do raise your fees, check out this article, so you understand four things you need to consider before raising your speaking fees.
Moving from $3K to $10K in this level won’t happen overnight, but it can happen quickly, depending on how you’ve set up your business. If you are an intermediate speaker and want some help moving through the stages to get to the top of this bracket and beyond, you may benefit from our Inner Circle Mastermind program. This program provides the tools and the accountability you need to blow the ceiling off your speaking business, but its doors only open once per year for registration during September. If you are interested, click HERE to learn more and submit your application.
Seasoned Speakers and Speaking Fees
For the Seasoned Speakers who are consistently getting between $10K and $30K+ per gig, congratulations!
Now might be the time to think about developing alternate sources of income – training, consulting, etc. – that allow you to come off the road a bit but still increase your income. Coupling passive income streams with your speaking income is a great way to build a business that depends on your time. I can help you strategically think about the best next steps in my one-on-one coaching programs.
I hope this infographic helps to clarify what speaking fees you should be getting depending on your stage of business and level of speaking.
My goal, as always, is to help you build the speaking business of your dreams and knowing what your speaking fees should be is a big first step!
See you soon, Wealthy Speaker!
