I was recently asked to be on a panel that was focused on sharing the results of a salary survey sponsored by a legal recruitment firm and a law magazine.
I was seriously considering saying “yes” until I found out they weren’t going to pay me for sharing my expertise and time.
I am sure I would have enjoyed the experience, but I didn’t believe I would get a client from the audience. I have spoken to legal groups in the past and knew the likelihood of converting my 4 – 5 hours into revenue was small.
When I asked how many panelists there would be, they said 4 – 5 and I would be the only person who wasn’t attorney. They described the event as having one main speaker with opportunities for rebuttal by the other panelists.
Nope. That’s not going to work for me. I immediately saw that as a red flag. And with that as the set up and the lack of a speaker fee, I responded with, “I’m going to pass on being a panelist given the lack of compensation.”
I don’t think the person asking me to speak realized that having me speak about how to get paid what your worth, how to use salary survey data in your pay discussions AND not paying me were in conflict.
I wish more conferences, companies, and groups would budget for their speakers. And it should be more than a $50 gift card to Starbucks.
If you are asking an expert to share their knowledge and thought leadership, it was probably attained from decades of experience. And great speakers spend time researching and preparing before they are on stage. They tailor their perspective to the audience and practice to ensure that their delivery is influential and powerful.
So, here is my advice. Rarely speak for free. If you do, make sure the audience is filled with your ideal clients and that you can convert at least a few into paying clients. Or consider whether the speaking event it will grow your network in such a way that you will get a return for your investment.
If you are asked to speak for free in a less than an ideal situation, say “no” if they aren’t paying you. If all speakers do this, then the organizations that hire speakers would find the budget to pay us.
Another example - Employers asking candidates to do work for free during the interview process. I wish candidates would say, “I can do that for you but my hourly rate is $X. Given what you described, I estimate it will take me # hours and my total fee will be about $X. Should I send my invoice to you or someone else?”
Asking a speaker, a candidate, or anyone to work for free isn’t okay. It reflects poorly on you and on your organization. Just. Don’t. Do. It.
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