How much does it cost to hire a professional speaker to speak at an event? Budgets drive decisions. But before you settle on a specific professional speaker – or number, think about how you want the speaker to engage your audience: as an entertainer, motivator or educator.
Even though professional speakers may cover similar topics, each has a unique delivery style and their experiences define their content. Are you looking for a professional social media marketing and PR speaker?
In the social media space, many speakers who used to speak for free now negotiate fees that reflect their accomplishments. Authors and those with solid and far-reaching platforms command much more than someone just starting out.
Isn’t like that in most businesses?
If your group will be mostly beginners and your budget is minimal, a beginning speaker with less experience and a lower fee may be a good fit.
Looking for a name to attract a crowd? Then you’ll want to find someone that has a following. Fans come out to see bloggers, authors and celebrities they follow.
While most speakers are willing to negotiate fees, the actual time they invest in developing an outstanding experience for your group is much more than the amount of actual presentation time in front of the room.
Investment levels vary depending on a variety of factors. For example, selecting an existing presentation is much less than commissioning a custom production with a more impressive impact.
For comparison purposes, professional speechwriters may earn around $7500 for a 50-minute speech, or $150 per minute. Published authors and celebrities may command $10,000 and up per appearance.
Look for ways to get added returns on your investment.
A professional speaker with an influential social network can bring visibility and attention to your group in the way of exposure through social networks, video and digital PR channels.
Think about the value this extra exposure will bring your group. It may be worth investing a little more in exchange for event promotion throughout the professional speaker’s social media networks.
First, choose the professional speaker whose personality, presentations and experience best matches the needs of your group. Then, start negotiating price.
What do think makes a great professional speaker?
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