In July of 2023, I sat in the back of the ballroom in Orlando, Florida, watching a parade of brilliant speakers walk across the stage to receive their CSP, CPAE, and respective awards. Moved to tears by the remarks from Dr. Willie Jolley, CSP, CPAE, Cavett Award Recipient, I scurried back to my room, pulled out my journal, and scribbled a late-night entry at 10:20 p.m. sharp.

“I will be the youngest CSP and CPAE in the history of the National Speakers Association. It has already happened. Time just hasn’t caught up yet.”

I didn’t know it then, but that journal entry would become the seed of a journey marked by perseverance, personal development, and gratitude.

The Seed of a Dream

I was 19 when I gave my first paid speech. It wasn’t glamorous—no stage lights or standing ovations. But there was a fire in my chest, a knowing that this work—speaking life into others—was what I was meant to do.

When I learned about the CSP® designation, it became a North Star. Not for the sake of the title. But for what it represented: excellence, consistency, and significance in the speaking profession. It was a signal to myself that I could build something real.

Something sustainable.

Something meaningful.

The Early Days: Cold Emails and Empty Chairs

My path to the CSP® didn’t start with bureaus or bestselling books. It started with cold emails and high school gymnasiums.

One day in rural Alberta, I stood behind the curtain at a college event where no one had shown up yet. I was told 200 would be there. At 5:00 p.m.—empty. By 5:20 p.m.—still empty. And by 5:25 p.m.—I was outside, holding back tears, rehearsing my apology to the organizer.

But at 5:40 p.m., twelve people walked in.

I delivered that presentation like I was on the TEDx stage. They left with full hearts—and full plates of untouched food. The organizer declined my refund offer and rebooked me on the spot.

That was a defining moment. I realized: You don’t earn your CSP® by speaking to full rooms. You earn it by pouring your heart into every room. Every performance matters.

Lessons From the Climb (so far…)

Achieving the CSP required 250+ paid presentations. That’s a lot of contracts, travel, invoices, setbacks, and soul. Here’s what I learned along the way:

1. Success Leaves Clues—And Clue-Givers

I wouldn’t be here today without my mentors and coaches’ support over the past six years. They were right—it was possible. One of the most valuable decisions you’ll make is hiring a coach who has already walked your desired path. They will speed up the process and help you avoid several minor errors. For three years, one coach and I talked over the phone every Tuesday, and those phone calls laid the foundation for the business I operate today. The encouragement became a bridge I could walk across when impostor syndrome told me to turn around.

2. Track Everything

Not only for your CSP® application but also because you can’t improve what you don’t measure or scale what you don’t understand. Numbers are nothing to be afraid of; in fact, spreadsheets will be your best friend. From revenue tracking to sales analytics to client feedback, clarity comes from documentation. Start monitoring what matters now. A simple way to begin this process is to create a spreadsheet with every month of the year, and each time you book a speech, input the date, investment amount, and client. Once this becomes second nature, start adding more key metrics. Here is a templated spreadsheet you can download.

3. Start Building a Team Just Before You’re Ready

Once you earn the right to hire help, hire help! Dan Martell provides a fantastic formula in his book, Buy Back Your Time, to calculate how much you can afford to pay your staff at any level of your business. He calls it your buy-back rate, and it’s a simple calculation. Effective delegation was a lever I had to pull to grow and ensure I continued operating in my zone of genius–speaking and sales.

4. Keep the Heart in the Hustle

In chasing numbers, I never wanted to lose the why. Every school, company, and conference I served reminded me: this isn’t just about any random career or another dollar sign on a spreadsheet. It’s about impact. It’s about planting seeds in the lives of others who may never forget what you helped them believe about themselves. Consistently reminding myself of why I started the work in the first place was central to maintaining my passion and energy. Always make sure you’re doing this work for the right reasons.

5. Practice!!

It blows my mind how many speakers do not spend time practicing and writing new material unless paid to do so. There are no other professionals on this planet who do not engage in their craft every day. Could you imagine a professional athlete who told you they only engage in their craft when it’s game day? It doesn’t exist! It took reading Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield to realize I was making this same error in judgment. Don’t wait until you’re paid to start writing and practicing; more importantly, do not stop once you start getting paid! Your product is your performance, and it deserves your attention daily.

Why CSP® Matters (and What Comes Next)

CSP® doesn’t make you a better speaker. But pursuing it will. It will sharpen your systems, stretch your courage, and deepen your resilience. It will force you to grow beyond talent. It will challenge you to become someone worth trusting. Again and again.

I hope earning this designation signals something to those who’ve followed my journey: no dream is too bold, no age too young, and no start too humble. I wrote in my journal that night in 2023:

“Demma stands for something. It stands for perseverance, determination, integrity, honesty, high standards, and hard work.”

Two years later, I am writing to you with a CSP® designation beside my name and a deeper belief in all those values.

A Note to Aspiring CSP®s

If you’re on the journey right now, I see you.

In the late nights, building slides.

In the early flights to small towns.

In the keynote that didn’t go as planned.

In the standing ovation that reminded you why you started.

Keep going.

Keep tracking.

Keep growing.

Keep serving with heart and humility.

And when you get that medal placed around your neck, look for me in the crowd.

I’ll be the one standing, clapping with tears in my eyes.

Because I know what it took to get there.

And I’ll know exactly what it means to you.

*At just 25 years old, Sam Demma, CSP, is the youngest speaker in NSA History to earn his CSP® designation. Sam has delivered close to 700 paid performances, authored the bestseller Empty Your Backpack, and shared his messages with audiences across the United States, Canada, and Kenya. 

Tune in to Sam’s episode of Speakernomics here to learn more about how he became the youngest CSP in NSA history, and how he secured 750+ speaking gigs!

The first NSA meeting I ever attended—22 years ago—featured a brilliant, well-known keynote speaker who emphatically proclaimed, “Do not EVER speak for free.”

Oddly, I had just seen that same speaker a few days earlier… speaking for free at a charity event. That’s why I came to NSA in the first place.

Here’s the truth: much of what is preached on stage and online about “how this business works” often isn’t the full picture. The ones who’ve made it long-term know better. These five secrets are what have kept me consistently booked for 25 years, and they still hold true no matter how successful I get.

Speak for Free

Yes, I said it. (NSA just fainted).

I live by a simple rule: for every paid event, I do one for free. It’s the Law of the Harvest. You plant seeds where you might not profit immediately, but the return always comes.

Should you speak for free to a corporation with a budget? Probably not. But for charities, youth groups, fundraisers, prisons, churches, at-risk organizations—absolutely. Pick your cause. Giving back not only creates personal joy, it always leads to unexpected referrals and future bookings.

Free gigs sharpen your message, build your confidence, give you great footage, and sometimes even get you in front of the very people who book paid events. It’s the ultimate hack for getting paid work.

Seed Your Speech

Whether you’re speaking for a fee or for free, strategically seed your speech.

Mention other places you’ve spoken. Share where this message has taken you. You’re not bragging—you’re planting mental “what-ifs” in your audience’s mind.

Say something like,

“I’d just returned from speaking to 7,000 financial planners in Malaysia…”

That one line tells them you’re international, in-demand, and capable. It sparks ideas like, “Hey, we could bring him in for our event.”

No one’s thinking about your next gig unless you nudge them there.

Follow Up

This one’s a biggie. The most ignored goldmine in the speaking business.

You crushed the speech? Great. Now what?

Here’s what most don’t do:

• Send a handwritten thank-you note.
• Post a recap on social media, tagging the event.
• Set a post-event debrief call.
• Ask for referrals.
• Offer to help them find future speakers.
• Let them know they’re a hero in your career story.

You’re not just building a client list—you’re building friendships and trust. That’s how you become their go-to for the next decade.

This is how you create a cyclical referral system, where you never have to cold-call again.

Serve First: Refer Your Friends

Most calls I get? I’m either the wrong fit or out of budget.

Here’s the secret: I still serve the client like I’ve got an always full calendar of bookings, not worried about landing their event. Instead, I listen. I help. And then I say,

“You know, I’m probably not the right speaker for this—but I know who is.”

I pull up speaker friends’ websites. I explain their strengths. I even tell them which bureau to work with if needed. Why? Because service is The Promise.

You might wonder—how does this help you get more gigs?

Simple. Refer others, and they’ll refer you. Speakers don’t forget when you help them land a job. Clients don’t forget when you help them look good. It’s not about the gig—it’s about the relationship.

Social Media is Social First

I post nearly every day. I don’t love doing it. But I’ve learned something crucial: when my bookings lag, it’s usually because I forgot the “social” in social media.

Posting is only half the job.

The other half?

• Commenting.
• Sharing other people’s wins.
• Encouraging.
• Tagging.
• Collaborating.

Social media is a long-term relationship tool, not just a promo megaphone. If you’re not getting traction, shift your mindset. Go give before you ask.

Pro Tip: Want more visibility? Start commenting—with real personality—on viral posts. It draws people back to you without you shouting about yourself.

Final Thought

These five secrets aren’t theories—they’re my lived reality. They’ve opened every door in my career. They’re simple, generous, and long-game minded. They work because they’re rooted in service, not just strategy.

Speak for free.
Seed your speech.
Follow up like crazy.
Serve and refer.
Be social on social.

They might not sound glamorous, but they are powerful. These are why I’ve been booked consistently for 25 years—and it is my Promise they will work for you, too.

Jason Hewlett, CSP, CPAE

Author of “The Promise To The One,” President of Cardio Miracle, Award-Winning Entertainer & Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker

jasonhewlett.com

The Smart Speaker’s Advantage

Sitting in a Tokyo McDonald’s, craving something familiar after weeks of home-cooked meals from my various Rotary host families, I bit into a “Big Mac.” It tasted exactly like the Big Mac back home in Columbus, Ohio. That was the moment I understood the power of systems. McDonald’s didn’t just make burgers; they delivered consistent, repeatable results worldwide.

That realization, and later, reading The E-Myth by Michael Gerber, transformed how I approached my speaking business. If McDonald’s could deliver excellence at scale, why couldn’t we as speakers? Here’s how you can use systems to grow a more profitable, sustainable, and fulfilling speaking business.

Start with a Clear, Written Intention: Most of us preach goal setting from the stage. But how often do we revisit our own? One of the biggest shifts I made was treating my speaking business like a real business, with defined revenue targets, growth strategies, and lifestyle goals.

The greatest pull is the pull of the future. What does your next level look like? More income? Less travel? Higher quality clients? More time with family?  Define it clearly, then reverse-engineer your goals using systems.

Practical Tip: Set weekly prompts to stay aligned with your vision.

Recreate What Works – Use a Repeatable Process Checklist: 

 Some of your best systems are already hiding in plain sight, just like my grandmother’s Italian family recipes. She never wrote anything down, yet it was perfect every time. Can you reverse-engineer your business success into a repeatable process?

Start by looking at your best clients over the past few years and use my B.D.A. model:

• Before: How did the client find you? What marketing tools worked?
• During: What made the engagement successful?
• After: What created referrals or repeat business?

Create a checklist for each phase to standardize your sales and client service processes.

Practical Tip: Create a dynamic B.D.A. process checklist you can duplicate and tailor for each client.

Build a Sales & Marketing System: 

Want more speaking engagements? Don’t chase them—systemize your way to them. Refine your B.D.A. system by adding automation:

• Before– Craft templated outreach emails and sequences, social proof materials, and set CRM reminders.
• During– Use frameworks to consistently deliver value and subtly plant seeds for future work.
• After– Send thank-you, gather feedback, and offer follow-up services/resources to keep you top of mind.

Practical Tip: Use your CRM to automate tasks and manage follow-ups without losing the personal touch.

Leverage Technology for Efficiency: 

Technology lets you scale without sacrificing personalization.

• Your CRM becomes the hub for managing your systems.
• Email templates (prospecting, contracts, thank-yous), invoice reminders, and survey automation save time.
• Use AI tools like Grammarly to quickly polish communication.

Practical Tip: Use AI tools to fine-tune your messages, analyze your audience, draft follow-up emails or session summaries – all in your voice. Even a few small automations can save hours and increase your consistency, both essential for scaling

Monetize Your Downtime: 

If you’re only earning while on stage, you’re leaving money on the table. Use your expertise to diversify your offerings and turn travel days or off-season lulls into revenue opportunities. When I added coaching to my business, it started as 5% of my income. Within a few years, it was 35%, and I was traveling less, not more.

What you’re already doing may be ready to become:

• A structured coaching or consulting program.
• A digital course or webinar series.
• A toolkit or template bundle.

Practical Tip: Turn your signature program into a scalable offer that can live online on demand, or in a hybrid format. Use downtime strategically, not passively.

Think “Deep and Narrow,” Not “Next”: 

 Instead of constantly chasing new clients, go deeper with existing ones. Ask yourself:

• What additional value could I offer this client?
• Who else in their organization could benefit from my expertise?
• How can I position myself as a long-term strategic partner, not just a one-time speaker?

Practical Tip: Build these questions into your pre-event interviews and post-event surveys. It’s much easier to grow within a warm relationship than to start fresh every time.

Systemize Your Finances: 

You can’t grow what you don’t measure. Categorize your income and expenses to make smart, data-informed decisions. Break your revenue down into categories like:

• Keynotes (Direct and Bureau)
• Training programs
• Coaching or Consulting
• Products (Books, audio, courses)

Practical Tip: Use tools like QuickBooks or FreshBooks to auto-categorize income and track goals against your revenue plan. A solid budget isn’t just a spreadsheet—it’s your business GPS.

Continuously Improve Your Systems:

During a visit to a Japanese auto factory, I saw the word Kaizen, meaning continuous improvement, on a wall banner. That philosophy became my system’s mantra.

After each engagement or campaign, use my W/D method:

1. What worked well?
2. What could I do differently or better?

Practical Tip: Set up a recurring reflection prompt in your CRM calendar. Your system doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to evolve. Keep refining.

Final Thoughts

If you want to grow a thriving speaking business, don’t just hustle, systemize. Get clear on what your next level looks like. Build the systems that will get you there and keep refining as you go. That’s how smart speakers create Big IMPACT.

Systems transformed my business, and they can transform yours, too.

I owe you an apology. As the person who introduced using “pineapples” in place of quoting actual numbers when I hosted the NSA podcast—I know you’re groaning—I think it’s time we have a candid discussion about speaker fees in 2025. First, I must share that I’m writing from the perspective of a full-time, paid keynote speaker who sells nothing in the back of the room. I also want to stress that I am sharing MY way and not THE way. In other words, there are numerous ways to achieve success in this business, and various business models exist. If your model differs from mine, please keep the information that serves you in this article and discard the rest. I also ask that you extend grace, as it’s necessary to create some generalizations in this article to provide actionable takeaways.

Why Now? Why Should I Listen to You?

Both are great questions! We must get serious about fees right now because:

1. Some speakers have still not recovered since the pandemic.
2. Some speakers are having to retool, rebrand, and reorganize due to the current federal administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the implementation of deep budget cuts.
3. We’ve been witnessing a Dickensian split in the speaking business. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” However, it seems like many speakers are only seeing one side, leaving them unaware of the possibilities.

Next is the uncomfortable (for me) answer as to why you should consider my offering. Since the COVID pandemic, I’ve more than doubled my already respectable fee. I’m not the only one; in fact, I know many keynote speakers, both within and outside of NSA, who have consistently increased their earnings per engagement since 2020, with some of their businesses more than doubling in revenue. We don’t often hear these stories because our peers are caring humans. Who in their right mind is going to run through a crowd of their friends who are experiencing challenges waving a flag that says, “I’m crushing it right now!?” But maybe we’re doing a disservice to the industry by not discussing those who are “winning” and specifically the strategies they’re using to attract increase.

Fee Levels

I categorize non-celebrity keynote speaker fees into four levels: emerging, business builder, strong salesperson, and consistently sought-after.

Emerging – This speaker has anywhere from zero to ten small-fee (think less than a mortgage payment) engagements per year. These speakers often speak locally, at small conferences, or for exposure. They may receive honorariums or a travel stipend. They regularly respond to calls for speaker proposals.

Business Builder – This speaker books, on average, 10 to 20 speaking engagements per year at a steady four-figure fee, mainly due to prospecting and some spin-off opportunities. They engage in extensive fee negotiation to keep their calendars full and attempt to speak at any venue where decision-makers are present, thereby increasing the chances of attracting additional business.

Strong Salesperson – This speaker is busy! They have 30+ five-figure speaking engagements per year. They typically have a strong sales process, sleek marketing, and generate spin-offs to keep their pipelines full. They may utilize an assistant, a team, or an external agency to assist in managing logistics.

Consistently Sought-After – This speaker rarely, if ever, negotiates the fee and has requests for more five-figure engagements than they have the time or energy to take on. They don’t prospect, and their business is almost always driven by word-of-mouth, spin-offs, and bureau business. They typically have longer booking windows and work with Fortune 500 companies and other large organizations that have sizeable budgets. This level is a “lifestyle business” where the speaker can craft the business around how they want to live.

To avoid stepping afoul of anti-trust laws, I will not post fee ranges. However, you can easily fill in the ranges for yourself with a bit of internet sleuthing or, honestly, by plugging the descriptions into ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Yes, I’m giving you permission to paste my intellectual property into generative AI… this time.

Factors Influencing Fee Levels

First, let’s start with what does not correlate with fee level: talent, domain expertise, and years in the business do not guarantee higher fee levels. TEDx Talks and books do not necessarily correlate with fee level. Gimmicks are not the same as strong branding and also do not correlate with fee level.

Whenever speakers at the beginning of their journey ask me about how they should set their fees, I always share that they should ask themselves the following questions.

1. Who is your target market? Are you primarily targeting corporate, association, nonprofit, government, education, empowerment conferences, or another type of market?
2. What is the range of what that market typically pays for speakers?
3. Is your topic already in demand in that market, and if so, how much will that market typically pay for your topic?
4. How much will the market pay YOU as the messenger of the topic, based on your reputation and brand?

The questions above are not a part of an amorphous esoteric exercise. Each of these questions can be answered with real number ranges. We may need to spend a little time looking online, asking our trusted bureau partners and other industry professionals, and comparing our profiles with those of our competitors’ eSpeakers profiles.

In the end, the following items influence fee:

• Chosen market
• Market conditions
• Demand for topic (you really don’t want to have to convince people that they need your topic)
• Speaker’s reputation (or lack thereof)
• Marketing materials
• Ability to generate spin-offs as a result of stage excellence
• Sales processes
• Ability to negotiate
• Operations processes
• Ability to SAY NO

How to Determine Your Fee

Imagine a mountain of a man drives up to your home in a sleek, black Chevy truck. He then proceeds to exit his vehicle, grab a package from his passenger seat, and walk up to your door, holding an unopened box with a 14″ MacBook Pro. He offers you a brand-new computer for $50! Do you buy it? Of course not! What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with him? That’s precisely what clients think when we price ourselves too low, a common challenge when we first start our speaking businesses.

On the other end of the spectrum, some speakers boast that they are thirty, forty, or fifty thousand dollar speakers, yet they only secure one to two pieces of business a year at that fee. Call me nutty, but I think it would be better to be a super busy fifteen-thousand-dollar speaker, no? A thirty-thousand-dollar speaker with no business is not a thirty-thousand-dollar speaker; they are a zero-dollar speaker.

Our effective speaking fee is the sum of our speaking engagement fees for the last 12 months divided by the number of speaking events we had or our goal number, whichever is greater.

Example:
Speaker A’s fee is $7,500. He negotiates often, taking as little as $ 2,500. He booked 13 events last year, but his stated goal was 17 events. His revenue for the last 12 months was $73,000. His average fee per event is $5,615.38. However, if his goal is 17 events and he doesn’t reach it, his effective fee is $4,294.11. I would argue that he may want to consider lowering his fee to closer to his effective rate, allowing him to negotiate less and secure more engagements, which increases the opportunity for spin-offs. On the other hand, since he’s clearly on the Business Builder level, he may want to examine what he’s missing that can be found on the Strong Salesperson level: improved performance to generate spin, better marketing materials, and a more systematized sales process.

Essentially, our fee is the amount of money we can charge consistently, without much negotiation, while meeting our intended annual sales target.

How to Cross Levels

Now we’re getting to the good stuff! Do you want to increase your average or effective fee? It takes more than simply logging into eSpeakers and typing a different number in the fee space! Again, a speaker’s listed fee has nothing to do with what they actually get paid.

Below are actions that you can take to move between levels. Please note that our chosen target market and market conditions can impact our fee level. For instance, an education speaker is likely to encounter a budget wall with their market much sooner than a corporate speaker. That doesn’t make education undesirable, but we do need to be aware of the limitations of our choices. I’d also like to point out that while some clients are reducing their speaker budgets, others are increasing them, as they feel it’s more important than ever to have talented voices on stage. We need to be cognizant of overall economic and market trends, but those trends may not be reflected in our businesses. In other words, it is sometimes possible to buck negative trends.

Cross from Emerging to Business Builder

If a speaker wants to move between the Emerging fee level and Business Builder level, I suggest they do the following:

• Ensure your topic is currently in demand and that you are reflecting the market’s needs rather than just building a business around what you really want to say.
• Create a strong prospecting strategy.
• Strengthen negotiation skills and develop non-monetary concessions that add value to your business and make up for any gaps between client budgets and stated speaker fees.
• Ensure you have a polished website (five pages or less is fine), one sheet (no more than one page front and back), and a demo video (where you are on the kind of stage you want to be hired for—rent one if you have to or do a TEDx for footage).
• Look for opportunities to speak in front of groups where audience members are decision-makers who have the power to hire you. Local and state chapters of Meeting Professionals International, the American Society of Association Professionals, and the Society for Human Resource Management are just three examples of organizations that provide an opportunity to speak in front of people who can hire you.
• Get honest feedback from existing clients and strengthen your presentations (visuals, stage presence, etc.) to start seeing more spin business.
• Consider whether you need to tweak your personal style or brand.

Move from Business Builder to Strong Salesperson

The primary differences between a Business Builder and a Strong Salesperson are systems and reputation. To move from one area to another:

• Invest in and use speaker systems to manage your calendar and your contacts. I use eSpeakers and SpeakerFlow.
• Consider investing in and utilizing email marketing and referral systems, such as Constant Contact and Talkadot.
• Once the systems are in place, consider hiring an assistant or a firm that can manage non-revenue-generating activities within your business, allowing you to focus on sales and creating intellectual property.
• Upgrade your website, one sheet, and demo reel to reflect the feel of a brand at a higher fee level.
• Tweak your topic descriptions and content to reflect your target audience’s most pressing current needs based on popular Google Searches and industry news headlines.
• Become impeccable with after-event follow-up; ask clients if you’re a good fit for another of their events or another organization; immediately follow-up with any attendees who expressed interest in bringing you into their event. This follow-up should never be automated!

Cross from Strong Salesperson to Consistently Sought-After

Do you know what I’ve found to be the biggest differentiator between the Strong Salesperson and Consistently Sought-After fee level? The ability to say no.

I once heard the actor/singer Tyrese share a story on a podcast where he asked Vin Diesel how he made it into the twenty-million dollar club (as his per-movie rate). Vin looked at Tyrese and said, “It’s simple; I say no way more than I say yes.”

You may be thinking, “That’s ridiculous, Crystal.” Or is it? After I heard that podcast, I started thinking of the most successful speakers I knew and how firm they were in their pricing and travel requirements. My team and I decided to do a little experiment. The next time we received a request where the budget was under my fee, we’d say no (not offering to negotiate), state my fee again, and offer to connect them to another speaker. The first opportunity to practice this approach was easy, as the client only had half of my fee. We put our plan into action and declined. Much to our utter astonishment, the client “found” the other 50%!

These days, it’s pretty commonplace in my business for clients to find the money. Corporate clients with tight budgets, associations, and even nonprofits find the money. If they don’t, we happily refer them to a peer. We have an email template response already prepared for clients with wonderful futurist and technology speaker friends who charge a little less.

My second favorite Shakespeare quote is when Lady Macbeth tells her husband to “Screw your courage to the sticking place.” My first is from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where Hermia says, “Though she be but little she is fierce.” If you’ve seen me, you can guess why that one is my favorite. But I digress. My point is it takes a great deal of courage to play fee chicken with potential clients. You have to be willing to walk away if they don’t meet your number. In fact, at the Consistently Sought-After, you have to be willing to turn down hundreds of thousands of dollars of business that falls under your fee to achieve the target number of events at your listed fee. 

Indicators That it May Be Time to Up Your Fee

Increasing one’s fee should not be a decision based on ego. If a speaker is struggling to meet their goal number of events at one level, it would be completely illogical for them to increase their fee. The only exception to this would be if they’re offering their services at such a low price point that it repels paying clients.

Here’s when you should consider raising your fee:

1. You’re consistently receiving more event requests than your goal number of annual events at your fee level.
2. Your paying clients tell you that you are undercharging.
3. A bureau partner that you have already booked multiple events with tells you that they are confident that they can sell you at a higher fee.

Raising your fee does not automatically switch you to a higher fee level. You may move up within a level. As you seek to master each level, you’ll find yourself moving closer to the next!

Closing Thoughts

While this article focuses on speaker fees, I would like to conclude with the recognition that we are all in service to other humans. Andre 3000, in the song “Elevators,” says to a fan who told Andre that his life seemed glamorous:

True, I’ve got more fans than the average man

But not enough loot to last me

To the end of the week

I live by the beat

Like you live check-to-check

If you don’t move your feet

Then, I don’t eat

So we’re like neck-to-neck

That’s the speaking business, folks! Our ability to adjust our fees is mainly dependent on how well we serve our clients and audiences. All the action items shared ultimately result in our building more robust speaking businesses that serve from the moment someone types in an inquiry on Google or ChatGPT to the second we step off the stage.

Crystal Washington, CSP, CPAE, is a technology futurist who equips organizations with the knowledge they need to become “future-proof.” She’s a past board member of NSA and prior host of NSA’s podcast. These days, you can find Crystal at an airport near you, trying to get to a client, expertly navigating travel craziness with grace and humor.

]]>https://nsaspeaker.org/lets-get-candid-about-keynote-speaking-fees/feed/55https://nsaspeaker.org/the-business-behind-the-curtain/https://nsaspeaker.org/the-business-behind-the-curtain/#commentsWed, 16 Jul 2025 09:00:09 +0000https://nsaspeaker.org/?p=11709Read more]]>By Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE

One of the highest compliments a speaker can receive is being invited back to present for the same client. It validates that you weren’t just good, but good enough—or should I say amazing enough—to be invited back.

Who doesn’t love that? But there’s another compliment that’s almost just as good, and it can come before you even set foot on the stage. That’s when your client says, “You are amazing. You are so easy to work with.”

The point is that being amazing on stage is great, but being amazing throughout the entire experience—from the time the client finds your website until well after the speech—is just as amazing. It’s because you’re a professional. You made it easy for the client. You removed any friction. And leading up to the amazing speech you presented for their audience, you created confidence that the client made the right decision to do business with you every step of the way.

The result of this type of experience will pay dividends, and the payoff is enormous. This level of professionalism will get you more speeches and referrals.

Some History

In 1978, during my freshman year in college, one of the greatest entertainers/speakers of our time, Gil Eagles, CPAE, performed at the University of Missouri. I was in the front row and remember the show “like it was yesterday.” Little did I know, 10 years later, I would be attending my first National Speakers Association conference, and the first workshop I attended at the event was titled, How to Create the Optimum Speaking Experience, presented by Gil Eagles. Could that be the same Gil Eagles – the entertainer I saw at my alma mater? Did Gil Eagles become a professional speaker? (The answer is yes.) That year he was also honored as an inductee into NSA’s Speaker Hall of Fame.

In that workshop, I thought Gil would be teaching stage techniques to enhance the presentation. I was 100% wrong. Gil taught everything he did to ensure that when he walked on stage, he could deliver his best presentation. It all started with a pre-program questionnaire. This is the document that the client completes with questions related to logistics, audience information, executives in attendance, what is happening right before and after the speech, room setup, and much more. (You’ll see I touch on this in point number 13 of the 25 ideas I’ll share in just a moment).

Why do I share this story? Once I started using my version of the questionnaire, I realized this document was more important than I thought. Not only did it give me important information to help me deliver a better performance, but it also gave the client a sense of comfort and confidence in their choice to hire me. And that’s what started me thinking, “What else can I do before and after my presentation that would make my time on stage even more amazing?”

What follows are many of those ideas, some of which (maybe even all) you already do. You will find a list of common-sense ideas (that unfortunately aren’t always so common) that will make your clients say, “You’re amazing—before, during, and after your speech!”

Before the Client Ever Contacts You

1. How easy and clear is the website to navigate and get information? Clients will start their decision-making process before they ever reach out to you. Your website will be your first opportunity to get them interested in you. Make sure it does the job, which includes credibility in the content and an easy experience as the client navigates the different pages of your site. The experience, look, and design must meet a level of quality that represents the fee you’re quoting. My goal is to create a website experience that is in alignment with my fee, ideally eliminating “sticker shock” when the client learns how much I charge.

2. Social proof creates confidence. Do you have client testimonials—and are they the right type of testimonials? It’s nice to have people say you’re great, but it’s better for them to share why they thought you were great. Proof of takeaways and ROI are powerful confidence-builders.

3. Is it clear what you do? What’s your expertise? Don’t confuse your potential client with multiple topics you can speak on. Promote what you want to be known for. If you want to be known as a leadership speaker, don’t confuse the client with information on sales, finance, or any other topic that doesn’t align with your leadership message. In other words, don’t dilute the speech or topic you want to be known for.

4. Why you (and not them)? Why should a client choose you over another entertainer? What makes you unique or different from others? A page explaining the reasons for hiring you could help create confidence. This isn’t about saying, “I’m better than ____.” It’s just the reason(s) you are unique. I created a “Top Ten Reasons” list, which includes the benefits and reasons I may be the right speaker.

5. Establish yourself as more than just the topic expert. Whether you know it or not, you’re probably an expert on how to book a speaker (since that’s what you do). Consider an article on your website, a downloadable checklist or guide on How to Book a Speaker to help potential clients. This is another way to position you as the expert and a reason to hire you over someone else.

6. Easy-to-find contact information. Don’t make finding your contact info into a game akin to Word Search. Your contact information should be on every page of your website (either the actual information or a link to a page with your information). Make it easy to reach out to you.

They Called… Now what?

7. Speed counts. How fast do you respond to voice mail, an email inquiry, or a form on your website? Unless the client calls and you or someone else answers, any message left (via any form of communication) should be responded to quickly. Fast response helps create confidence.

8. Having a pre-booking call. Be willing to discuss the speech before it is booked. This is a chance to listen to the clients’ wants, needs, goals, etc. Respond appropriately, making them comfortable that you know what they want and can deliver. It’s like a content call before the content call (or Pre-Event Call – see number 14). The more the client is willing to share with you prior to booking you, the more likely you are to be at the top of their list – if not their number one choice. After the call, consider sending a bullet-point summary to show you understand what the client wants and expects.

9. Share your backup plan. You want to establish credibility, trust, and confidence during the pre-booking call. Reassure clients that you are always prepared for the unexpected, whether it’s a backup microphone, extra props, different effects to lengthen (or shorten) the speech, etc. Your goal is to show flexibility and reliability. If traveling, emphasize how you come in early and always have backup flights in mind. Again, the goal is to create confidence.

10. Personalize the experience. When you’re on the pre-booking call, discuss how you might personalize your speech. Don’t wait until after the client books you to bring this up. This is a selling point as well as a feature of your presentation.

11. The agreement should be simple. How friendly is your agreement? Easy is easy – and can still be legal and binding.

12. When sending the contract, what else do you include? Beyond what’s expected in a contract, consider an extra document that includes arrival time, A/V requirements, bio, promotional photos, etc. I include these as part of what we send the client, and they are also available as downloads on my website.

13. A pre-program questionnaire will help you create the optimal speech. (This is the Gil Eagles information I referred to in the introduction.) The pre-program questionnaire helps you learn who’s in the audience, the theme or special occasion, how the room is set up, and much more. I often use this as part of my proposal. Clients have commented that giving this much attention to the details of their event makes them feel more confident about their decision to hire me.

14. The Pre-Event Call. This happens after the client has booked. I do this about four to six weeks in advance of the event. It’s an opportunity to discuss everything you discussed in your pre-booking call and what the client filled out in the pre-program questionnaire. This is where I finalize what I will do in the presentation. I have learned that the more time I spend listening to the client’s wants, needs, and goals, the better my presentation.

15. The final check-in call (one week out). This could be a short email or voicemail to let the client know you’re alive and well – and ready for the speech. Once again, you’re trying to create confidence. These small touchpoints add up.

At the Venue

16. Elvis is in the building (or on the ground). Call or text when you land or are at the venue. And if there are any delays in the expected arrival time, let the client know. The arrival time is not the performance time. I always let my clients know when I arrive, usually the day before. Information, even if it’s negative, can still create trust and confidence. So, if I’m delayed, even though it’s the day before, I still let them know. The goal is to be the speaker your client never has to worry about.

17. Be early. Whatever time the client expects you to show up, be there early. The famous football coach Vince Lombardi gave great advice to everyone, not just football players. He said, “If you’re 15 minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.” This became known as Lombardi Time. You don’t have to be 15 minutes early, but don’t be 15 seconds late. Ask yourself this question: At what point will my client start to worry if I will be on time? This can be for a tech check, rehearsal, meeting, etc.

18. Be easy. This is a theme… being easy to work with. Once onsite, be the EASIEST speaker they have ever worked with. That doesn’t mean you say, “Yes,” to every request. It means you are in control, don’t ask for any special requests, don’t be high-maintenance or a prima donna. In short, be easy to work with.

19. Be invisible. Until it’s your turn to talk, meet, or speak, blend in and be as invisible as possible. If you have special requests, coordinate ahead of time to avoid creating stress for your client. Keep in mind that the client may have other speakers to work with, not to mention the executives in the program. Being invisible is an extension of being easy.

20. Do an AMAZING speech! This is “table stakes.” As excellent as the experience surrounding the speech may be, the speech must be what the client expects (or better). The first step to getting booked for additional work is to do an amazing job on stage. Everything else related to the experience adds to the likelihood that it will happen. Conversely, if you’re difficult to work with leading up to the speech, this will taint the decision to rebook you. (I realize this tactic/strategy is about being on stage, but it is part of the entire experience).   

After the Speech

21. Stick around. Don’t be the parachuting speaker, the speaker who disappears the moment they land (finish the speech). After the speech, stick around, even for just a few minutes, to thank the client and the crew, and to shake hands with a few executives and VIPs.

22. Say thank you! When it’s over, send a thank-you note (handwritten, typed, or emailed). Make it personal. Sometimes, I’ll record a short thank you video while I’m in a cab/Uber, driving away from the venue. I use BombBomb video, which allows me to track how often the video is played. Sometimes the client plays it dozens of times, showing others my somewhat unique way of saying thank you.

23. Have a debrief call. Plan a follow-up call to debrief the speech and get feedback. You can include this as part of your agreement. This is another opportunity to express appreciation and ask about future events. Important: Don’t make this a sales call disguised as a debrief.

24. Think about the next time, every time. This is my customer service/CX background coming to life. Manage every interaction for a positive experience. One way to check yourself is to ask yourself what I refer to as The Loyalty Question: Is what I’m doing right now going to get the client to hire me the next time they need what I sell (your speech, workshop, training, etc.)?

25. Ongoing follow-up/promotion. In addition to typical promotion, such as a newsletter or any other way you keep your name in front of your client, consider specific follow-up that ties to the speech you just completed. For example, I have created cartoons that align with my speech content and will occasionally send these as follow-up for the client to share with audience members. I also send my notes (cleaned up and in bullet-point format) to share with the audience. These are part of my “after experience,” which creates a positive experience after the speech.

Conclusion

I want to go back to a word I’ve used several times throughout this list: easy. I can’t emphasize enough that you must be easy to work with. Even if your speech is one of the best your client has ever seen, your future opportunities are at risk if you’re not practicing a good client experience before and after the speech. If you are serious about client experience, map out every interaction your clients have throughout the entire experience of booking you. Where is there friction? What can be improved?

Let’s wrap this up with an assumption: Your speech is good. With that in mind, surround the speech with the experience that sets the bar high for other speakers. Being easy is not always easy, but the effort is worth it. The success formula looks like this:

An AMAZING Speech + An Easy Client Experience =

A Reputation that Gets You Invited Back and Referred to By Others

Who Is Shep?

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE, is a customer service and experience expert, an award-winning keynote speaker, researcher, and a New York Times bestselling author. Almost right out of college, he started his speaking business focusing on the power of creating an amazing customer experience. That has always been “his lane,” and he continues to travel the world working with some of the world’s largest and most recognized brands, helping his clients create experiences that get his customers to say, “I’ll be back!”

© MMXXV Shep Hyken – www.Hyken.com – Used with Permission

Nearly two decades ago, I had the pleasure of hearing a dynamic speaker, Jim Tunney, CPAE, Cavett Award Recipient. Jim was a former NFL referee and spoke on the topic of reinvention and change – it was spectacular. During his presentation he uttered this statement which has become the central theme for how I continue to stay relevant. He said, [paraphrase] “There is a saying that goes like this, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t mess with it,’ but I say, if it ain’t broke, break it and make it better!”  My takeaway was not to dismantle everything you’ve built, but to constantly look at ways to improve what you have created; the Japanese have a term for this, Kaizen, translating to: ‘continuous improvement’ or ‘change for the better.’

In my business as a speaker, coach, and trainer, I am always reading, researching, revising, and reworking my content. Recently, I have collaborated with a team of programmers and have built my own AI platform that answers any question related to sales, marketing, innovation, and creativity utilizing my content – it has been a game changer. It has made a significant difference!

Embracing a constant state of reinvention/change is essential for businesses to thrive in today’s dynamic and competitive landscape.

Here is a detailed list of reasons why reinvention is imperative for business growth; I ask you to be open to the possibilities.

• Adaptability to Change: As markets, technologies, and consumer preferences evolve, by embracing reinvention, businesses can stay ahead of these changes and adapt their strategies, products, and services to better serve their clientele.
• Competitive Advantage: Competition is fierce, and by continuously reinventing yourselves, you become better positioned to maintain a competitive edge. Having this forward-thinking mindset will help you innovate faster, respond to market trends more effectively, and differentiate yourself from competitors.
• Futureproofing: Being initiative-taking for future challenges and opportunities by reinventing, this process allows businesses to future-proof themselves against unforeseen disruptions that will certainly arise – think about the current situations in our industry. By being agile and adaptable, you can navigate uncertain environments with greater resilience.
  
• Customer Satisfaction: Consumer needs and expectations are always changing. Complacency in this area can lead to devastating consequences. By reinventing, your business can better align with customer preferences, enhance the customer experience, and drive satisfaction and loyalty.
• Innovation: Having reinvention as a core pillar in your business will foster a culture of innovation within your company. It encourages creativity, experimentation, and the exploration of new ideas, leading to breakthroughs in products, services, and updated processes.
• Risk Mitigation: Stagnation poses risks for businesses, such as becoming irrelevant or being overtaken by competitors. Reinvention helps mitigate these risks by continuously exploring new opportunities and diversifying revenue streams.
• Employee Engagement: When employees are encouraged to learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful changes, working environments thrive. Embracing reinvention fosters a culture of empowerment, creativity, and continuous improvement, leading to higher levels of employee engagement, attraction, and retention.
• Strategic Flexibility: Markets and business landscapes shift rapidly due to factors such as technological advancements, regulatory changes, and economic fluctuations. By embracing reinvention, this enables businesses to pivot quickly in response to new opportunities or threats, maintaining strategic flexibility and tactical advantages over the competition.
  
• Value Creation: When you are looking to attract new and maintain existing customers, reinvention allows businesses to generate new value. Whether through innovative products, improved processes, or expanded markets, reinvention drives growth and enhances overall business performance.
• Long-term Sustainability: Businesses that fail to reinvent themselves risk becoming mediocre, stagnant, and eventually fall into decline. Embracing a constant state of reinvention is key to ensuring long-term sustainability and relevance in an ever-changing world.

Now is the time to start the process; it may be a significant mind shift for some, but in the end, it is necessary for all businesses. Embracing reinvention is not just a strategy for survival—it is a pathway to growth, innovation, and long-term success in today’s dynamic business environment. Now is the time!

What is new in your future?

Until next time – speak on!  CQ.

“Hello, and thanks, Bob, for that great introduction. Really, I appreciate it. You read it just like I wrote it..ha ha! And good to be here with you tonight. Dinner was really good. Did you enjoy it? If you did, let’s give a round of applause to the chef and servers! (pause, wait for anemic applause). I’m not really sure what I’m going to say tonight, but I want to talk a little bit about…”

That is a composite of many opening lines I’ve heard speakers use to start their presentation.

Boring. Forgettable. And a terrible way to start.

Whenever you stand in front of an audience, you can count on one thing: they want to quickly determine if you are worth listening to.

And to prove that you have something to say, you must break their preoccupation and immediately demonstrate the value of what you’re going to say.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t appreciate your introducer or the food that was served (although often the menu isn’t the highlight of the event). Those just aren’t the best way to begin.

Your opening lines are critical to engaging people to listen and keep listening.

Here are some fast starts:

1. Promise a benefit: “In the next 60 minutes I’ll share four powerful ideas you can use…” Show your audience that your message is relevant and practical.
2. Pique interest: “What is the one thing all great leaders have in common?” The best questions stimulate thoughtful consideration.
3. Relate a personal experience: “I overcame a life-threatening illness, and I’ll share what I learned that can help keep you healthy and safe.” Share with your audience what they can learn from what you learned from experience.
4. Be a contrarian: “Prevailing wisdom is that social media is essential for successful sales and marketing. I disagree, and I’ll prove why I’m right.” Audience members are interested in whether or not a speaker can prove an opposite point of view.
5. Make a challenging statement: “You might think you’re a great multitasker but you’re not, and here’s why…” You can engage people quickly by challenging their thinking.
6. Use humor: When a meeting room is hard to find, I sometimes begin by saying, “Congratulations on being here. I don’t mean this meeting; I mean congratulations on finding this room.” Saying something funny, especially if it is true, isn’t the same as telling a joke. Generally, jokes aren’t a good way to begin, especially if people don’t laugh. But humor relevant to the event can be a great way to start. Good humor doesn’t always produce big laughs but sometimes just small chuckles.

Once you start fast, you can make some acknowledgements about the event and your happiness to be a part but keep those comments concise.

And then make sure you have ideas and delivery skills that will reward audience members for listening to everything you have to say after you start.

You’re not just a speaker.

You’re not just a storyteller.

You’re not just a subject-matter expert with a killer keynote.

You’re also—whether you like it or not—a salesperson.

That sentence might make you cringe. For many of us in the speaking profession, “sell” can feel like a four-letter word. Maybe it brings up images of used car lots or relentless cold calls. But here’s the truth: If you’re a professional speaker, you are in the business of solving problems for your clients. And the way you position, price, and promote that solution? That’s sales.

Why “Salesperson” Should Come Before “Speaker” on Your Business Card

Courtney:

In my early days of speaking, I thought if I just worked hard enough on my content—if I delivered transformational moments onstage—then the business would take care of itself. If I built it, they would come, right? Spoiler alert: they didn’t. Not until I learned how to sell myself effectively did my speaking calendar fill the way I wanted it to.

Andy:

I’ve coached and trained thousands of salespeople over the years. The best ones don’t push products—they connect deeply, listen actively, and position value clearly. Sound familiar? That’s what we do on stage and in conference rooms. So why not bring that same excellence into our pre-sale conversations?

Whether you’re just launching your speaking business or you’re 20 years in and hitting a plateau, there’s no getting around it: mastering sales is the engine that drives a sustainable speaking business.

Three Reasons You Must Embrace Your Inner Salesperson

     1. No One Sells You Better Than You

You might have a bureau partner or a marketing team behind you—but in the end, no one will advocate for your message, your mission, or your value like you will. And if you aren’t selling yourself because you’re not sure how to? Don’t bet on someone ELSE being able to identify and market your uniqueness better than you can.

     2. Your Presentation Doesn’t Speak for Itself

Great content is essential, but it doesn’t leap off your website and into someone’s annual meeting agenda. You must learn to articulate not just what you do, but why it matters to that audience at that moment. That’s a sales skill.

     3. Consistency Beats Charisma

The most successful speakers aren’t always the most charismatic—they’re the most consistent. They follow up. They ask good questions. They show up prepared and early. Sales isn’t about being slick—it’s about being strategic.

How to Become a Sales-Savvy Speaker

Now that we’ve convinced you to put on your sales hat, let’s talk about how to wear it well.

1. Practice Pre-Call Planning

Andy:

Before every sales conversation, I coach clients to answer three questions:

• What do I already know about this prospect?
• What do I still need to learn?
• How can I position myself as a solution to their pain?

Speakers often wing sales calls. But professionals plan. The more strategic you are before you pick up the phone, the more likely you are to get booked.

2. Use Curiosity as Your Superpower

Courtney:

Sales isn’t about talking someone into something. It’s about being curious enough to understand what your buyer actually needs—and then showing how you uniquely meet that need. Ask better questions. Listen for the words beneath the words. That’s where the real opportunities lie.

3. Sell Outcomes, Not Talks

You’re not selling a 60-minute keynote. You’re selling increased engagement, culture change, or reduced burnout. Shift your language from “I speak about X” to “I help organizations achieve Y by doing X.” The more clearly you can connect your content to your client’s outcomes, the more easily you’ll close the sale.

4. Create a Follow-up System (and use it relentlessly)

The sale is rarely made on the first call. Or the second. Or sometimes even the third. A simple CRM or spreadsheet, coupled with a disciplined follow-up process, is often the difference between being “considered” and being “contracted.” Andy: for instance, I’ve used the Speakerflow Zoho system for five years, and it has turned my passion around leadership development into a consistent 6-figure+ annual business.

5. Handle Objections with Confidence and Curiosity

Courtney:

When a client says, “You’re out of our budget,” that’s not the end of the conversation—it’s the beginning of a deeper one. What is the budget? What are they comparing you to? What else is competing for their dollars? Objections aren’t rejections—they’re opportunities for clarity. If I can show a client how bringing me in to work with their team affects the bottom line, my value shoots up and they often find more budget.

Resilient Speakers Know Sales Is a Skillset

Courtney:

Adaptability and resilience aren’t just about handling disruption—they’re also about being willing to develop new competencies. If “sales” has been your sticking point, maybe it’s time to shift the story you tell yourself. You’re not “bad at sales.” You’re learning how to do it better. And when you do, everything about your business will change.

Final Thoughts from Andy

We love the stage and the conference room. We love the moments of impact. But let’s not forget what gets us to the stage in the first place. Your business only grows when your ability to connect with prospects grows. Embrace your role as a salesperson—not just out of necessity, but as a point of professional pride.

Because in the end, selling well isn’t separate from speaking well. It’s part of the same calling: helping people move from where they are to where they want to be.

People often come up to me after a keynote and say, “I want to do what you do.”

Sometimes they’ve done a little public speaking themselves, and they’ll tell me how good they are.

That’s usually when I ask, “Tell me about the last time you bombed.”

They almost always smile and shake their heads and say with a chuckle: “Oh no, you don’t understand, Bruce. I’m really good. I’ve never bombed.”

And that’s usually when I tell them I don’t think I can help them. Because, in my opinion, if they haven’t bombed yet, it simply means they haven’t been on enough stages.

But first, a story:

A few weeks ago, I gave a keynote at a large industry event. I worked closely with the agent and the bureau, read the prep notes carefully, crafted the talk, flew out, and delivered what I thought was a thoughtful, high-energy presentation.

The audience laughed, nodded, and stuck around afterward to talk. One attendee said, “I can’t wait to see you speak again. You’ve got a new fan.” I took that as a small but meaningful win.

Then the letter arrived from the client.

It was critical. Blunt. One of those you-read-it-twice-to-make-sure-you’re-not-imagining-it kind of letters. They said my talk didn’t meet expectations, that it wasn’t focused on the subject they wanted, that my examples were outdated, and my personal favorite, that they were concerned about a social media post I had made (one that made no mention of their company or event, by the way).

When I could breathe again, I re-read the letter. Then I re-read it again. Then I called the agent to learn more and to apologize.

But I waited a few days to formally respond, because as my former business partner Roberto used to say, “You should write that kind of letter with your heart, not your liver.”

So, after the shock wore off, I wrote a thoughtful reply. I addressed each critique point by point. I explained why I opened the talk the way I did, why I used examples from outside their industry, why I referenced “All About Them,” and how I covered their subject.

I even backed up my viewpoint with empirical evidence, a third-party audience survey that showed 96% found the talk valuable, 95% wanted to hear me speak again, and more than 90% called it engaging, relevant, and inspiring. Plus, three glowing testimonial videos I had recorded minutes after I got off the stage.

Of course, none of that changed the outcome. They’d made up their minds.

But here’s the thing, they didn’t just cancel the next series of events I was booked for. They also asked for the fee to be refunded. Not reduced. Refunded.

Feedback, Failure, and the Fear of Not Being Good Enough

That’s when the self-doubt kicked in.

I’ve been speaking professionally for a long time. I’ve stood on stages around the world, in front of thousands of people. I’ve opened conferences, closed conferences, and sat on panels in places with names I still can’t pronounce correctly. I know how to connect with an audience. I know how to deliver value. And yet, after just one harsh email, I found myself wondering, “Was I not good enough? Did I miss something obvious?”

That’s when I remembered something my father used to say: “Almost everyone suffers from imposter syndrome. In fact, the only people who don’t have it are the imposters. Because they don’t know what they don’t know.”

As my friend Caroline de Posada reminded me, self-doubt isn’t the problem. It’s a reminder that you care. That you’re pushing yourself. That you’re taking risks and trying to deliver real value. Unfortunately, when you do that, sometimes outcomes happen you didn’t expect.

As a branding guy, I know the importance of a consistent message. But as a speaker and a human being, I’ve learned that often times resonance matters more than consistency. Sometimes you’re the right voice for the room, and sometimes you’re not. It doesn’t mean you didn’t prepare. It doesn’t mean you weren’t good. It just means there was a disconnect.

So, if you’re trying to do something great, let me say this:

Don’t judge your ability by the times you crushed it. Instead, look at what you did after the times you didn’t.

No matter what you’re doing, if you’ve never bombed, you just haven’t done it enough or you haven’t tried hard enough. Because, as my friend and great speaker Dan Thurmon, CSP, CPAE, says, “If you want to juggle, you’d better be willing to drop a lot of balls.”