Value-Based Fees: How to Charge—and Get—What You're Worth: A Guide for Consultants, Second Edition

9.1. KEYNOTE SPEAKING: DON'T CHARGE FOR YOUR SPOKEN WORDS

The intent of this discussion is to provide help in how to set fees for speaking activities. If you're interested in how to begin a professional speaking career, or how to craft a speech and get onto the lucrative speaking circuit, see my book Money Talks.

NOTE

No one is worth very much for an hour of his or her time. As in consulting, it's the value that you provide during that one hour that will support your speaking fee.

A keynote speech is usually forty-five to ninety minutes in length. It is ordinarily a general session speech, delivered to the full assembly and not to concurrent sessions or breakout groups. Technically, only the opening speech is the keynote speech (sounding the "key note" for the conference); the others are plenary speeches delivered during the course of the conference.

The least expensive speakers delivering keynote speeches are paid about $3,500 by major trade associations and large organizations, and the most expensive are paid from $75,000 to $200,000. These latter people have included Colin Powell, Norman Schwarzkopf, Bill Clinton, and certain athletes.^[] The typical highly regarded noncelebrity keynote speaker is paid between $7,500 and $15,000 at this writing.

^[] I believe that the unofficial record was set by former President George H. W. Bush, who in exchange for delivering a speech in Tokyo accepted stock options that subsequently generated several million dollars for about an hour's work. ...