Let’s talk about that moment when a client says, “We love you… but our budget’s tight.” (By the way, we’ve all heard it.)
Sound familiar? It happens to every speaker. And it can rattle even the most experienced among us. Many times, your first instinct is to drop your fee and get the booking. Resist this temptation. Here’s the thing, fee pressure usually isn’t about your actual worth. It’s about perceived value.
If buyers see your program as simply “nice to have,” they’ll want to lowball you. If they see it as essential to solving their biggest problem, a challenge, a change they need to make, many times they’ll find budget. But, you’ll never get there if you fold too soon.
So how do you shift perception? Start by leading with outcomes, not activities. One of the things you hear me say the most is “Sell by outcome of working with you!’ Always start with your positioning statement, your concept and outcome statement. Then lead the discussion to outcome statements you have on your marketing material. keynote.” Say, “I help sales teams increase revenue by building stronger relationships. Outcome statements are solution statements.
Second, offer options instead of discounts. You can create a tiered menu, such as program only, keynote plus breakout, keynote plus coaching follow-up. This gives them choice without devaluing you. I always say try to add something in to your offer before agreeing to a discount.
And third, hold your ground. If you cave the second they push back, they assume your original fee wasn’t really your fee. That erodes trust.
Fee confidence comes from clarity: clarity about the results you deliver and the market you serve. When you know the ROI you bring, you stop defending your price and start owning it.
You don’t need to be the cheapest. You need to be the smartest investment in the room.
Copyright 2025, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money, and monetize their message.
Work with me 24/7! Check out https://bmbwithai.com/
Check out the newest edition of her book, Book More Business: Make MORE Money Speaking available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ci7yWxz
Reach her in the following ways: Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
314-374-4007. Web: https://www.BookMoreBusiness.com
