I received this message on LinkedIn about speaking opportunities where the speakers actually pay to get on stage. While not always a bad option, here are a few key things to keep in mind:
1. You will NOT be the only speaker paying for their spot on stage. Which means you not only have to sell from stage in order to get a positive return on investment, you have to sell better than all the other speakers.
2. If you choose to do this, make sure that the audience is absolutely 100% packed with your ideal clients AND that the audience is big enough to make it worth your while. I had one very unfortunate experience where the audience consisted almost entirely of all the other speakers. Ugh.
3. These opportunities are most tempting when you don’t have any other opportunities on your calendar. Here’s some insurance against making sure your speaking calendar is never empty.
Please comment with your own experiences!
