Article: How to Earn $10,000-Plus
in Keynote Speaker Fees
RainToday.com, May 2008
By Vickie K. Sullivan
So you want to be a big-fee keynote speaker?
Many principals of professional service firms have strong
speaking experience. They participate in panel discussions,
put on their own workshops, or present at concurrent sessions
in the industry association market. Speaking fees either are
below $5,000 or are free; qualified leads are enough payment.
But at some point, you watch the keynote speaker who's getting
the big fees for the 60-minute speech and you say to yourself,
"Hey, I can do that!" The grass is looking very
green on the other side of the pasture.
The big leagues in professional speaking can look glamorous.
But like Hollywood, there's more behind the scenes. Below
are three common "myths" about becoming a $10,000-plus
keynote speaker along with the reality. Plan accordingly.
Myth #1: I'm Motivational and I'm
Ready for My Close-Up
You've paid your dues and spoken at enough industry events.
It's your turn to be in the spotlight and all those rave reviews
drive the point home. After all, everyone says you're inspirational,
right?
The grain of truth is that evaluations do not lie. Constant
high ratings from audiences can indicate that you're good.
But, only compared to other speakers in your category.
Attendees don't expect as much from concurrent session presenters
as they do from the keynoters. They also rate speakers compared
to other speakers they've heard, not compared to all the other
speakers buyers are considering. The more exposure to high-fee
speakers, the higher the expectations from the audience. This
is a common reason why good speakers can't break into the
keynote market.
The Reality: Big-fee buyers believe that
keynote speakers and industry speakers in concurrent sessions
are two different breeds with two different speaking styles.
What works in the opening keynote won't work as a concurrent
session and vice versa.
Therefore, they don't care how many panel discussions or
concurrent presentations you've made. Big-fee keynoters have
a signature style, a magic trick of communicating that everyone
wants to see time and time again.
To Do Next: Use your great presentation
skills to develop a signature style, a unique voice that audiences
grow to expect. Look at all your previous writing and speaking.
See a theme there? That's your starting point. And it doesn't
have to be showy, obnoxious or rah-rah motivational.
(Don't believe that? Check out keynote speakers Malcolm Gladwell
and Jim Collins. Their fees are high, but the cheerleading
style is not.)
Myth #2: All I Need is a Book to
Brand Me as a Keynote Speaker
Writing books is a no-brainer strategy for gurus. And it
works. Media loves authors and the promotions around books
can be a good lead generator. The problem: too many authors
have glutted the market. In response, high-fee buyers have
raised the bar.
It's true, conference planners book authors because they
assume their book can be a draw. Two trends have diminished
this influence in high-fee markets.
First, too many authors are willing to speak for almost-free
to satisfy their publishers and justify their advances. Second,
in the keynote market, almost everyone has at least one or
two books under their belt. Authorship, itself, is no longer
a differentiator when so many contenders are authors.
The Reality: Books are a calling card for
getting speaking engagements. Best-selling books are needed
for high-fee speaking engagements. Why? If you don't have
a prominent background, your book must create the prominence
that high-fee buyers are looking for.
The publicity your book generates is what gets you bookings,
specifically the objective sources that talk about the book
thereby promoting your prominence. Substantial media coverage
has a high wow-factor with decision makers, as they consider
that validation of your work. (See the next section for more.)
But, no, a book in and of itself will not get you the $10,000-plus
keynote speeches.
To Do Next: If you already have a book,
ask yourself, "Is this book making me more prominent
beyond my industry?" (Rule of thumb in big-fee markets:
Don't limit your book's appeal to an industry, unless that
playground has all the keynote speeches you want.)
If so, you have the right to compete in this arena. If not,
ask another question: "Is this the book to bring to the
national mass market or will the next book be a better stepping
stone?" The key is to use the book to pump up your prominence.
Myth #3: My Appearance on Oprah,
CNN, Etc., Will Get Me High-Fee Keynotes
High-end media is another powerful branding tool. And getting
on these shows is not easy, so it's tempting to have high
expectations of this exposure. But don't. One-shot media appearances
are great for bragging rights, but do less than many think
for getting high-fee keynotes.
It's true; media is a key player that drives high speaking
fees. Why?
There are too many meetings fighting over the same pool of
attendees who can't go to all the meetings because of budget
cuts. The competition is fierce. Buyers expect keynote speakers
to be a draw, to create excitement for the event. Prominence
creates that excitement. Media can create that prominence.
But media is a beast that needs to be fed on a regular basis.
The Reality: The number of guests on many
shows is so high that the chance you will be remembered a
week from the air date is slim. Although media does enhance
credibility, the effect is cumulative and once in a while
is not enough.
Further, where is just as important as how often. Multiple
exposures in the op ed pages can create more big-fee keynotes
than one article on page 48D in The Wall Street Journal.
To Do Next: What does your media calendar
look like? Are your articles and appearances scattered throughout
the year, or condensed in a tight timeline?
Work on being everywhere all at once with multiple appearances
lumped together. A different option: think syndicated columnist.
They have the same impact by continuous exposure, evenly spaced.
Raise the Bar and Win
Decision-makers for $10,000-plus keynotes want more of what's
already out there. If you have good presentation skills, they
expect a signature style. If you have a book, they expect
a best seller. And if you have major media appearances, they
expect ongoing prominence. Bottom line: they want cool people
who do cool things and just happen to speak about it. Compete
on these standards, and your speaking will be ready for the
lucrative big-fee keynote market.
Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker
Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees,
book advances and ancilliary income for her clients. Sign
up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com
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