Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Hello All, I do quite a bit of speaking for my local hospital, but now am starting to get requests for speaking out of the area or outside of my work setting. Would any of you speakers be willing to share what fees you charge? Do you charge less for a non-profit group, or a support group? Does your fee take into consideration the size of audience you will be speaking to? Thanks in advance. Wanda Cullison, R.D., C.D. Winona Lake, IN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2003 Report Share Posted June 4, 2003 Hi Wanda, I can tell you from two perspectives--being a speaker and from paying speakers. The fee is generally the same regardless of whether it is a for profit or not for profit, and it accounts for prep time and time out of the office, not just time on stage. If you are a local speaker, you don't generally have to charge as much as a speaker who travels. Be sure to include prep time and ascertain if you will be responsible for handouts...or if the organization will do that for you. It can add up. My fee is dependent on several factors: 1. If I am paid the day of the presentation, I give a 50% discount. If you present for government organizations or universities, there can be a ton of delays in payment, which can really mess up cash flow. An incentive usually magically erases all that red tape. :-) 2. If it is a trade show and there is an opportunity for me to have a booth to display my products to sell, I will charge less, knowing I can network and bring in new customers. I just raised my fee to $1500 paid up front for a presentation--and I tell orgs that if they have me for an hour they might as well use me for 3 since the fee is the same! And $750 for a half day. That is after 7 years of speaking. For comparison, the physicians I am paying for my symposium asked anywhere from $1500 for a one hour presentation (most had to travel) to $2500, plus travel expenses. One of my keynotes asked me in the 5 figures, but she is very well known to the audience I am trying to attract. For all of the speakers I am working on corporate sponsorship. A good program is designed to have many ways to recover expenses, from registrations to booths to advertising. Something I recently tried that worked really well was that I offered to give back 10% of my profits on anything I sold the day I presented to the student dietetic association at the university that sponsored my talk. They recovered some of the cost of having me, I gained new customers, and it increased my sales. Bottom line, don't be afraid to ask what you are worth. Monika M. Woolsey, MS, RD http://www.afterthediet.com fees Hello All,I do quite a bit of speaking for my local hospital, but now am starting to get requests for speaking out of the area or outside of my work setting. Would any of you speakers be willing to share what fees you charge? Do you charge less for a non-profit group, or a support group? Does your fee take into consideration the size of audience you will be speaking to?Thanks in advance.Wanda Cullison, R.D., C.D.Winona Lake, IN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Thanks so much for that information, Monika! Wow! This is an area I just haven't been able to get much helpful input on, speaking fees. I KNEW my rates were much too low, so I have slowly been increasing them, but I've also kept it pretty local, so far. I HAVE stopped agreeing to speak for non-profits for free, though. However, this also has meant they find someone else. I used to look at these as opportunities to gather more business in the future, and I still feel they must have at least made people aware of RD's do, but only once have I gained a client as a result of them. I do enjoy doing them for the practice. However, my time is too precious to give it away, anymore. I had considered speaking at the last SCAN conference, but knew that to make it make sense, I would need to recoup all my lost income while gone, plus the travel expense and housing expense, AND make something on it, rather than cut even. It came out to more than I figured I could get for what I was going to speak on and that didn't include prep time, yet, either! The sponsor thing pretty much stopped me: I do think I know how to go about it, but it somehow seems different when I'm asking for myself rather an organization.. I guess it still does come down to what we think we are worth... Margie -- Marjorie Geiser, RD, NSCA-CPT MEG Fitness Registered Dietitian ACE and NSCA certified personal trainer Southern California megfit@... Neuroendolist wrote: Hi Wanda, I can tell you from two perspectives--being a speaker and from paying speakers. The fee is generally the same regardless of whether it is a for profit or not for profit, and it accounts for prep time and time out of the office, not just time on stage. If you are a local speaker, you don't generally have to charge as much as a speaker who travels. Be sure to include prep time and ascertain if you will be responsible for handouts...or if the organization will do that for you. It can add up. My fee is dependent on several factors: 1. If I am paid the day of the presentation, I give a 50% discount. If you present for government organizations or universities, there can be a ton of delays in payment, which can really mess up cash flow. An incentive usually magically erases all that red tape. :-) 2. If it is a trade show and there is an opportunity for me to have a booth to display my products to sell, I will charge less, knowing I can network and bring in new customers. I just raised my fee to $1500 paid up front for a presentation--and I tell orgs that if they have me for an hour they might as well use me for 3 since the fee is the same! And $750 for a half day. That is after 7 years of speaking. For comparison, the physicians I am paying for my symposium asked anywhere from $1500 for a one hour presentation (most had to travel) to $2500, plus travel expenses. One of my keynotes asked me in the 5 figures, but she is very well known to the audience I am trying to attract. For all of the speakers I am working on corporate sponsorship. A good program is designed to have many ways to recover expenses, from registrations to booths to advertising. Something I recently tried that worked really well was that I offered to give back 10% of my profits on anything I sold the day I presented to the student dietetic association at the university that sponsored my talk. They recovered some of the cost of having me, I gained new customers, and it increased my sales. Bottom line, don't be afraid to ask what you are worth. Monika M. Woolsey, MS, RD http://www.afterthediet.com ----- Original Message ----- From: kalequeen To: rd-usa Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 6:47 PM Subject: fees Hello All, I do quite a bit of speaking for my local hospital, but now am starting to get requests for speaking out of the area or outside of my work setting. Would any of you speakers be willing to share what fees you charge? Do you charge less for a non-profit group, or a support group? Does your fee take into consideration the size of audience you will be speaking to? Thanks in advance. Wanda Cullison, R.D., C.D. Winona Lake, IN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Margie, You bring up a point that is a bit of a sore spot with me. I am working on this PCOS symposium, and I have 9, maybe 10 speakers to pay for. I am the one sponsoring the symposium, and I have assumed responsibility for seeking sponsorship for all of their honorariums. After all, it is me who knows the target market, me who knows why a company would benefit from having presence at the meeting, and me who is responsible for making everything work right. Twice now in the past year I have been approached by dietetic associations and asked to speak, and when I accepted, I was told I had to find the sponsorship. So in addition to being out of the office, traveling, preparing, the expectation has now been added that I am to do the legwork to figure out how to be paid for something someone else has asked me to do? Does any other employer, in any other situation, do that? Speakers deserve to be treated as if they are valued and as if they are the reason you have people registering for the event in the first place. Making them do work that is yours...is not respectful of their talents. If I wasn't producing my own event, I know this would come across as egotistical, but now that I am in the other shoes...I wouldn't dream of doing that to an invited guest. Monika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Monika, Funny, but this IS exactly how I felt! Margie Neuroendolist wrote: Margie, You bring up a point that is a bit of a sore spot with me. I am working on this PCOS symposium, and I have 9, maybe 10 speakers to pay for. I am the one sponsoring the symposium, and I have assumed responsibility for seeking sponsorship for all of their honorariums. After all, it is me who knows the target market, me who knows why a company would benefit from having presence at the meeting, and me who is responsible for making everything work right. Twice now in the past year I have been approached by dietetic associations and asked to speak, and when I accepted, I was told I had to find the sponsorship. So in addition to being out of the office, traveling, preparing, the expectation has now been added that I am to do the legwork to figure out how to be paid for something someone else has asked me to do? Does any other employer, in any other situation, do that? Speakers deserve to be treated as if they are valued and as if they are the reason you have people registering for the event in the first place. Making them do work that is yours...is not respectful of their talents. If I wasn't producing my own event, I know this would come across as egotistical, but now that I am in the other shoes...I wouldn't dream of doing that to an invited guest. Monika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 I agree that asking you to find your own sponsor is rude. (Unless it is generally known that you have a partnership with a sponsor, and then they should offer.) Do they do that with all the speakers? Adrienne Ostroff Burns, MS, RD, LDN " Neuroendolist " wrote: >Margie, > >You bring up a point that is a bit of a sore spot with me. > >I am working on this PCOS symposium, and I have 9, maybe 10 speakers to pay for. Â I am the one sponsoring the symposium, and I have assumed responsibility for seeking sponsorship for all of their honorariums. Â After all, it is me who knows the target market, me who knows why a company would benefit from having presence at the meeting, and me who is responsible for making everything work right. > >Twice now in the past year I have been approached by dietetic associations and asked to speak, and when I accepted, I was told I had to find the sponsorship. Â So in addition to being out of the office, traveling, preparing, the expectation has now been added that I am to do the legwork to figure out how to be paid for something someone else has asked me to do? > >Does any other employer, in any other situation, do that? > >Speakers deserve to be treated as if they are valued and as if they are the reason you have people registering for the event in the first place. Â Making them do work that is yours...is not respectful of their talents. Â If I wasn't producing my own event, I know this would come across as egotistical, but now that I am in the other shoes...I wouldn't dream of doing that to an invited guest. > >Monika > __________________________________________________________________ McAfee VirusScan Online from the Netscape Network. Comprehensive protection for your entire computer. Get your free trial today! http://channels.netscape.com/ns/computing/mcafee/index.jsp?promo=393397 Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 free of charge. Download Now! http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promo=380455 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 Hi, Marjorie- I found your input on speaker's fees very interesting. I have a comment I would like to add- I don't remember the source, but I remember the saying that when asked for speaking engagements, you should either get your entire fee or just donate your time (and let them know that you are very busy, and your usual fee is $-----, but since you believe in supporting their cause, you will donate your time.) And don't feel bad about turning requests down- you only have so much time in a day and you do have expenses. Adrienne Ostroff Burns, MS, RD, LDN " Marjorie Geiser, RD, NSCA-CPT " wrote: >Thanks so much for that information, Monika! Wow! This is an area I just >haven't been able to get much helpful input on, speaking fees. I KNEW my >rates were much too low, so I have slowly been increasing them, but I've >also kept it pretty local, so far. > >I HAVE stopped agreeing to speak for non-profits for free, though. >However, this also has meant they find someone else. I used to look at >these as opportunities to gather more business in the future, and I >still feel they must have at least made people aware of RD's do, but >only once have I gained a client as a result of them. I do enjoy doing >them for the practice. However, my time is too precious to give it away, >anymore. > >I had considered speaking at the last SCAN conference, but knew that to >make it make sense, I would need to recoup all my lost income while >gone, plus the travel expense and housing expense, AND make something on >it, rather than cut even. It came out to more than I figured I could get >for what I was going to speak on and that didn't include prep time, yet, >either! The sponsor thing pretty much stopped me: I do think I know how >to go about it, but it somehow seems different when I'm asking for >myself rather an organization.. I guess it still does come down to what >we think we are worth... > >Margie > >-- >Marjorie Geiser, RD, NSCA-CPT >MEG Fitness >Registered Dietitian >ACE and NSCA certified personal trainer >Southern California >megfit@... > > > >Neuroendolist wrote: > >> Hi Wanda, >> Â >> I can tell you from two perspectives--being a speaker and from paying >> speakers. >> Â >> The fee is generally the same regardless of whether it is a for profit >> or not for profit, and it accounts for prep time and time out of the >> office, not just time on stage. Â If you are a local speaker, you don't >> generally have to charge as much as a speaker who travels. Â Be sure to >> include prep time and ascertain if you will be responsible for >> handouts...or if the organization will do that for you. Â It can add up. >> Â >> My fee is dependent on several factors: >> 1. Â Â If I am paid the day of the presentation, I give a 50% >> discount. Â If you present for government organizations or >> universities, there can be a ton of delays in payment, which can >> really mess up cash flow. Â An incentive usually magically erases all >> that red tape. :-) >> 2. Â Â If it is a trade show and there is an opportunity for me to have >> a booth to display my products to sell, I will charge less, knowing I >> can network and bring in new customers. >> Â >> I just raised my fee to $1500 paid up front for a presentation--and I >> tell orgs that if they have me for an hour they might as well use me >> for 3 since the fee is the same! Â And $750 for a half day. Â That is >> after 7 years of speaking. >> Â >> For comparison, the physicians I am paying for my symposium asked >> anywhere from $1500 for a one hour presentation (most had to travel) >> to $2500, plus travel expenses. Â One of my keynotes asked me in the 5 >> figures, but she is very well known to the audience I am trying to >> attract. Â For all of the speakers I am working on corporate >> sponsorship. Â A good program is designed to have many ways to recover >> expenses, from registrations to booths to advertising. >> Â >> Something I recently tried that worked really well was that I offered >> to give back 10% of my profits on anything I sold the day I presented >> to the student dietetic association at the university that sponsored >> my talk. Â They recovered some of the cost of having me, I gained new >> customers, and it increased my sales. >> Â >> Bottom line, don't be afraid to ask what you are worth. >> Â >> Monika M. Woolsey, MS, RD >> http://www.afterthediet.com >> Â >> >> Â Â fees >> >> Â Â Hello All, >> Â Â I do quite a bit of speaking for my local hospital, but now am >> Â Â starting to get requests for speaking out of the area or outside of >> Â Â my work setting. Â Would any of you speakers be willing to share what >> Â Â fees you charge? Â Do you charge less for a non-profit group, or a >> Â Â support group? Â Does your fee take into consideration the size of >> Â Â audience you will be speaking to? >> >> Â Â Thanks in advance. >> Â Â Wanda Cullison, R.D., C.D. >> Â Â Winona Lake, IN >> >> >> >> Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2003 Report Share Posted June 6, 2003 I should clarify. I ask all my speakers if they have potential sponsors to recommend, and I ask if I have their permission to contact them about the event. Some of them do, some of them don't, but all have given me ideas related to their specialty that have been helpful. I don't think that's a problem but being dependent on the speaker's own business connections outside of the proposed speaking engagement is not really cool. I used to be on the speaker's bureau for Quaker Oats. One of their marketing techniques was to put together a glitzy media packet and offer a free speaker for a state meeting. I think a lot of the big companies do that. And what has happened is that dietetic associations have gotten spoiled and used to not having to prepare financially sound business plans for their meetings. When the economy gets tight and all that money dries up, they don't know how to recover the loss. I can tell you that the expectation from Quaker was that I would present a canned presentation, not what I was capable of doing. Sure it's a free presentation but...you get what you pay for. I think it's better to go after people who aren't necessarily sponsored but who have something important to say. And then come up with ways to convince sponsors that they should be involved. I am finding that in presenting my thoughts to CEO's about why they should be concerned about infertility in Latinas, that I am pitching the importance of nutrition (and the value of dietitians) to people who otherwise may never have thought about it. Interestingly, we found when we were planning this symposium that the industry least likely to give money for something like this, is the one that is always first mentioned to me as someone to hit up for sponsorship--pharmaceutical companies. I am learning, by doing my homework and working with someone whose sales experience is outside of health care, why we have so much trouble with our profession. It's been an eye opener. Monika Re: fees I agree that asking you to find your own sponsor is rude. (Unless it is generally known that you have a partnership with a sponsor, and then they should offer.) Do they do that with all the speakers? Adrienne Ostroff Burns, MS, RD, LDN "Neuroendolist" wrote:>Margie,>>You bring up a point that is a bit of a sore spot with me.>>I am working on this PCOS symposium, and I have 9, maybe 10 speakers to pay for. I am the one sponsoring the symposium, and I have assumed responsibility for seeking sponsorship for all of their honorariums. After all, it is me who knows the target market, me who knows why a company would benefit from having presence at the meeting, and me who is responsible for making everything work right.>>Twice now in the past year I have been approached by dietetic associations and asked to speak, and when I accepted, I was told I had to find the sponsorship. So in addition to being out of the office, traveling, preparing, the expectation has now been added that I am to do the legwork to figure out how to be paid for something someone else has asked me to do?>>Does any other employer, in any other situation, do that?>>Speakers deserve to be treated as if they are valued and as if they are the reason you have people registering for the event in the first place. Making them do work that is yours...is not respectful of their talents. If I wasn't producing my own event, I know this would come across as egotistical, but now that I am in the other shoes...I wouldn't dream of doing that to an invited guest.>>Monika>__________________________________________________________________McAfee VirusScan Online from the Netscape Network.Comprehensive protection for your entire computer. Get your free trial today!http://channels.netscape.com/ns/computing/mcafee/index.jsp?promo=393397Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 free of charge. Download Now!http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promo=380455 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.