When Should You Speak for Free?

An audience member recently asked me an interesting question: What do I hope to get when I agree to do a presentation for free?

Recently I spoke to the meeting of a local professional group. We had a small turnout (it’s spring break), but I had a lot of fun talking with the people who were there.

One of them asked me an interesting question: What makes a talk like this one successful for me? What do I hope to get when I agree to do such a presentation (usually without pay)?

The answer to that is, “It depends.” Sometimes it is about product sales. I expect to sell a lot of books and other products. Other times I want to get my name and expertise in front of new people.

Sometimes, though, the goal is different. If the group is very targeted to my market, just making a couple of good contacts is all I hope for. I may even speak as a favor to someone.

And, like stand-up comedians, I am always testing new material. Some talks are an opportunity to try out a new topic or hone my delivery. I have even recorded a free presentation that I then turned into a product I sold.

If you do things without pay (or at a very low rate) know what benefit you want and why you are doing it. Even though you do not get a paycheck, it may have value to you.


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