A prospect recently asked my fee for a one-hour speech. Their response to my answer was, “I thought plumbers and electricians were expensive.”
With absolutely no disrespect to those who work in the trades, my clients would freak if I ran my business like the trades.
First, the total hourly rate would be more than my keynote fee. Maybe that is a sign that I should raise my fee, but it takes a lot of time to do what I do. I deal with travel time to and from the airport; time sitting in the airport and then on airplanes; and nights in the hotel. There is also the time spent in sound checks; waiting to go on; and sticking around to answer questions after my presentation.
Second, you expect that I’ll actually show up on the date and time that I promised. Imagine the response if I called the meeting planner on the morning of the presentation with this message: “I’m sorry. Yesterday’s session was delayed and we didn’t finish. I have to return this morning to wrap some things up.”
Or what about this one: “I can confirm that I’ll be there sometime between 8:00 and 12:00. I can’t tell you exactly when, but I’ll call you when I’m 15 minutes away from the meeting room. If you can’t get to me at that time, I’ll have to move on to my next job and get back to you when I can.”
Finally, you expect me to have everything I need with me when I arrive. Can you imagine a keynote speaker arriving for their speech only to say, “I left my laptop and slides in my hotel room”?
I am privileged to work with my clients. I want your meeting or event to succeed, and I’ll work with you in every way possible to ensure that happens. But, what I do is a profession based on value added and value received. It isn’t an hourly rate.
And, I promise not to show up wearing “plumber pants.”
Randy Pennington is an award-winning author and a leading authority on helping organizations deliver positive results in a world of accelerating change. To learn more or to hire Randy for your next meeting, visit www.penningtongroup.com or call 972-980-9857.
