Is the Web Turning Middlemen into Dinosaurs? Your Article Input

A good intermediary in the world of professional speaking is invaluable. They find opportunities, manage all the peliminary communications between client and speaker, and handle the discussion about money, expense reimbursement, and whittle down topics. This allows the speaker to do what they do best: give a great presentation, focus on their slides or materials, and research the topic and subject matter to meet the clients' objectives. Unfortunately, so many speaker bureaus take up a speaker's time with requests for materials, press kits, and topic lists and then never really produce speaking gigs. I'd gladly pay double the going rate if they would find me gigs on a regular basis and enhance the experience for both client and speaker with ways to make things easier for both and more valuable for both with things like arranged book signings, and really selling the speaker as a valuable asset to an event instead of an expense. Without supplying booked gigs on a regular basis, I fill my calendar on my own using these direct to the market channels and then it puts me in the situation of competing with the speaker bureau head on. That is counter-productive but necessary if the agency or bureau doesn't produce.