Free or Fee? 5 Scenarios Where Speaking for Free Can Pay Off

Let's get the burning question out of the way; should you be paid to speak? Yes.?

The better question, however, and the basis of this article, is; should you ALWAYS be paid to speak? It depends.?

Generally speaking, as a professional speaker, you are providing a service, and naturally, you should be compensated. There are, however, certain situations where speaking for free may be just as valuable as being paid. Adopting a rigid stance of only speaking when paid directly is your choice, but it could cost you more in the long run.?

Here are five scenarios where it might make sense to consider speaking for free:

1) Create Future Opportunities. If you're starting as a public speaker, speaking for free can be a great way to get your name out there and build your reputation. Even if you don't get paid, the opportunity to speak in front of a large audience can be invaluable for your career. Most speakers get referred and booked to speak from past speaking engagements. If you don't believe me, ask the top speakers how they got booked for their last three speaking engagements. You might be surprised to learn that most of their current PAID opportunities came from past speeches. It does not matter if those opportunities are paid or free. What matters is that you are remembered and recommended by the right people.?

2) To Gain Experience. If you're new to public speaking or positioning yourself in a unique niche, speaking for free can be a low-risk way to get some practice and build your confidence. Also, remember that many organizations may allow you to capture leads or even sell products or services directly to the audience via back-of-the-room sales. Make sure you fully understand all your options and the event format before you accept or turn down an opportunity.?

3) To Build Your Network. You never know whom you might meet or what opportunities may come your way. Speaking for free can be an excellent opportunity to meet new people and make connections in your industry. If you're looking to break into a new niche or industry, speaking for free can be a way to demonstrate your expertise and add to your portfolio of work. In this scenario, any costs you incur to speak are considered marketing expenses for your business. This marketing channel has a price just like any other platform so build it into your budget as a speaker.?

4) To Test New Content. If you have a new talk or workshop you want to try, speaking for free can be an excellent way to get feedback and see how your message is received before committing to charging for it. Once you have refined your message and have actional testimonials, it will allow you to increase your speaker fee because you can prove your results.

5) To Give Back. If you're passionate about a particular cause or organization, speaking for free can be a great way to raise awareness. If you've been fortunate in your career and have a platform to speak from, speaking for free can be a way to give back to your community and share your knowledge with others. Sometimes just the reason "I want to do this" is good enough.?

*As a bonus tip on fees: What you should NOT do is go from gig to gig, changing your speaker fee based on their budget. You need to set your fees firmly and be able to state your fees to your client confidently. If their budget does not match your fee, then you can respectfully decline. Regardless, you want to demonstrate fee integrity at all times in this business. Create a written fee schedule to price your programs and update it accordingly as your fees increase.

TLDR: It's essential to be careful and not overextend yourself when speaking for free. If you feel you are being taken advantage of or the opportunity isn't aligned with your goals or values, turn it down. It's okay to say no. However, speaking for free can be a valuable way to grow your business and make a difference in the right situations. After all, you will never know who was in the audience at the gig that you turned down.

Question: How do you evaluate unpaid speaking opportunities?