(5/5) How do I present the solution so that they see the value and are willing to pay?

Present the solution the same way you present your proposals and quotations. This is, after all, a proposal that you visit the organization and speak for an hour.

(1) : Establish that there is a need.

(2) : Establish your credentials.

(3) : Specify your service.

(4) : Calculate the value to the organization.

(5) : Propose the Paid Speaking Engagement.

Remember, the organization already feels that it will benefit from your time that you spend to disseminate your knowledge to them.

The only question is “What is the value to them of your time and knowledge?”.

The answer is a well-established $110 per hour.

For some organizations (e.g. Royal Bank) they won’t blink. For other organizations (e.g. the AIC) they will go into a huddle at the next board meeting.

(Actually, The Royal Bank will probably turn you down; they will reason that anyone who charges $110 to address senior management can’t be all that good. And let’s face it, you may not be in that league, yet, so a contract with them might well be an embarrassment if your resources are stretched).

You already have a boilerplate proposal on your hard drive. Save it with a new name, convert it to a Paid Speaking Engagements proposal, and then all you need to do in future is plug in the organization name and address, the proposed date and time, and you are done.

No sense in spending more than ten minutes on something that MIGHT net you $110 over 3 hours.

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