So. You wanna get paid to speak. We all do! But, um…where are those paid speaking engagements? Do you find them, or do they find you?

I’ve gotten these questions a few times from audience members, clients, and social media followers. Getting paid to speak isn’t talked about very much, so it all feels very secretive and mysterious. But there isn’t a magical list of events and organizers that are looking for paid speakers.

It really comes down to two things: targeting the right events for you, and requiring a speaker fee. Let’s talk about it.

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Target events that align with your speaking goals

If you don’t get realistic about where you’re speaking and why, you’re gonna make it sooo much harder to find those paid speaking engagements that you want.

Trust me, I’ve seen it happen. Too many business owners pitch and book events that are not aligned with their speaking goals. It ends up being a waste of time — time that could have been taken up by a paid event.

But that’s not to say that unpaid events are a waste of time! Unpaid speaking opportunities can help you build your speaker credibility and increase exposure in your market. They can also help you practice if you’re totally new to speaking.

What’s important is that you find the best events for you. Whether they’re paid or unpaid, make sure you’re booking an event for good reason.

When you find an event you like, think about why you’d like to be a speaker:

Do the organizers have a big budget (meaning you’d get paid)?
Does the event involve, celebrate, or raise awareness for a topic you’re passionate about?
What value can you bring to the event?
How would this event move the needle in your business?

Look, speaking is not one-size-fits-all. Not all types of speaking opportunities are paid. Not all are unpaid. Just because you book a virtual summit doesn’t mean you won’t get paid. Just because you book a conference doesn’t mean you will get paid.

That’s why it’s so important to find events that work for you and your business. Be picky, and be realistic about your speaking journey.

Require a speaker fee

Treat the outreach and booking process like a sales process. If you don’t, how can you expect the person on the other end to do the same thing? If you pitch yourself and talk about the booking like an unpaid favor from the get-go…well, you can guess what’ll happen.

Be upfront about your speaker fees when talking to event organizers and hosts. Ask them what speaker fee they have in mind or what their budget is when your talks begin. Have your own packaging and pricing ready to share, too.

Basically, be prepared to talk numbers with event organizers. Don’t pull numbers out of thin air, and don’t change your numbers because you’re worried they’ll say no. Remember that you’re not getting paid for the minutes you spend on a stage. You’re getting paid for the impact you’re making on their audience, your stage presence, and yourself as a hard-working speaker.

And if you get a pretty firm “no” when it comes to payment? Remember why this opportunity attracted your attention in the first place. If it’s for a cause you believe in or an audience you feel compelled to speak to, you can still make the event work for you.

Package and price your speaking services with confidence

To book paid speaking engagements, you need to:

Find the speaking opportunities that are best for you and your business
Talk about your speaker fees from the get-go

That’s it. It’s really much more simple than we make it.

Always search for, pitch, and book opportunities that align with your goals for speaking and your business. Then, treat pitching and booking like a sales process. Don’t be afraid to talk about your speaker fees. You deserve to get paid.

If you need help getting clear on the right opportunities for you, and how you can present yourself as an authority figure in your space, our Prep Your Website: Speaker Page Template can help!

The Prep Your Website: Speaker Page Template will help you create a speaker webpage that gives organizers all the info they need to know about booking you for an event. You can show off your speaking skills, share positive testimonials, and mention speaker fees on your site, too.

Not confident about those speaker fees yet? Our Speaker Pricing and Packaging Calculator will help you determine what to charge and what to include in your presentation!

You want to serve your audience as a speaker, but you also deserve to get paid what you’re worth, my friend. The Speaker Pricing and Packaging Calculator will help you figure out that magic number.

And if you’re not quite at those stages of your speaking journey yet? Browse the rest of our products in the Speak to Scale Shop to find the perfect one for you.