HOW PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS ASSESS THEIR FEES?

I ONLY NEED THE SPEAKER FOR  30 MINUTES…IS IT CHEAPER?

Whether you book a speaker for 20 minutes to 60 minutes keynote/virtual session or a 90/120-minute workshop session, the fee generally will stay the same. If you book a speaker for sessions that extend past the 90–120-minute (depending on session format) time frame, the speaker’s rates will slightly increase as they consider this to be an additional presentation or a half-day/full-day session, depending on your session requirements. Although booking a speaker for multiple sessions on the same day or extending the presentation time has a slight increase in the rate, it is a great way to add more value to your event and get the most out of the speaker.

ARE SHORTER PRESENTATIONS HARDER OR EASIER FOR THE SPEAKER?

In general, our professional speakers have prepared researched and rehearsed their presentation to be within the 45-60 minutes time frame often with one or two options to be removed if the content must be shortened. The more selective the speaker must be, the more amount of work it will be for them to align their presentation to be effective with the audience. If they are removing important learning points from the presentation it will be harder for them to please each audience member and satisfy the organization. Our Canadian speakers & experts can always adapt their presentation to each timetable, but if the speaker is having to do more work, you are already making the investment to educate and inspire the audience it is recommended to have the speaker deliver a 45 to 60-minute presentation.

WHY DO SPEAKERS CHARGE SO MUCH FOR A ONE-HOUR PRESENTATION?

Professional speaker bureau talent will in general have a higher fee than most speakers. That is because the speaker has accomplished a level of speaking and popularity, due to their commitment to advancing themselves as a speaker. Professional motivational speakers will meet all criteria a speakers bureau looks for in a speaker such as marketing materials, credibility, popularity, uniqueness, and many other things. Speakers Canada knows how to measure the difference between a speaker who will be successful with each audience and how to value and assess their abilities with their fees.

DOES THE SPEAKERS CANADA AGENCY SET THE RATES ON BEHALF OF THE SPEAKER?

Speakers Bureau Canada does not set the fees with each speaker as speakers have provided the fees to us to advance to clients on their behalf. Each speaker has a unique approach to each organization, event, fee schedule etc… Some speakers may reduce their rates depending on the audience size, the event location, if the organization is a non-profit, the potential of exposure to new clients, and their availability to research and prepare their presentation. SBC simply follows and aligns with each speaker for their fee schedules for each type of event. Due to our long relationship with our speakers, there are different negotiation points we can use with each speaker in special cases.

WHY DO SOME SPEAKERS CHARGE MORE?

Celebrity, well known or an accomplished athlete speaker will usually have a larger fee due to their higher demand. The more popular the motivational speaker, the higher they will charge for their services.

RESEARCHING THE AUDIENCE, ORGANIZATION & CUSTOMIZING THE CONTENT COSTS.

Professional speakers base their rates based on the time they spend researching, drafting, rehearsing, and preparing their presentations for each event. SBC does not hire a speaker unless they possess a professional approach to each event and can customize their presentation for each audience, their industry, and the desired learning outcomes of the session. The more time they have to research the outcomes of the topic themes, the higher the fee will be. The less time they spend researching, the less they will charge.

DO I HAVE TO PAY THE SPEAKER FOR MEETINGS, PROMOTION OR ANY OTHER HIDDENT COSTS?

Included in your investment, our speakers will commit to content discovery and content overview calls, audience/industry/topic/organization research, included messaging for desired outcomes and test runs of the software, etc. All meetings, overviews and pre-event meetings are included in the fee. Speakers will also try to add value to your event such as creating a video to welcome participants or sharing your event on their social media. We only work with speakers who have a high level of education, unique personal stories, and are award-winning for their work, backgrounds, and career experience for a high level of expertise in their speaking. They also possess the ability to research/prepare unique tailored experiences, have a strong speaking ability to research outcomes, have a professional approach to make themselves available to you and your team leading up to the event, and then of course deliver a powerful impacting presentation. Remember that the speaker is an investment, and the more experience they have in working with similar organizations and delivering presentations, the higher success the event will be.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE SPEAKER TO PREPARE THE PRESENTATION?

In general, speakers usually spend between 12-25 hours researching the content, rehearsing, and preparing the presentation. Our speakers are busy, and they are often working on preparing multiple presentations for different audiences, consulting or coaching when they are not working on your event. Each speaker will set their rates on the time they must block off in their schedules to research, prepare and then deliver the session. If the speaker is travelling, remember that is usually two days of their time they cannot attend other commitments. Each speaker has a different approach to their fees, but it is important that all our speakers are very busy working, consulting, coaching, and speaking.

ARE THERE DISCOUNTS FOR VIRTUAL KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS?

Virtual speaker fees are usually discounted 25%-40% depending on the speaker. They are discounted for a variety of reasons and each speaker usually uses their non-profit or in person local event fee to offer clients for virtual keynote presentations.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT SPEAKER FEES?

The duration of the session and presentation time on the event date is the “cherry on top” of the session, not the base of the fee. Like most industries, the higher you pay, the higher level of professionalism, expertise, knowledge, and presentation ability the speaker will have. The speaker is invested in you and your organizations since you are invested in them. Travel is also usually outside of the speaker fee, and it is important to budget for the speaker to appear on site.