You're in charge of your organization's quarterly or annual meeting. It's going to be a big affair. You've decided to get an outside speaker or two, and you want to make sure you get the right speakers for your meeting, at the right price.

From experience, you know that some speakers will lower their price at the drop of a hat. Others are reluctant to do so; yet they may be among those you've earmarked for your meeting. Are there perks you can offer to attract a top-notch speaker for a little less than he or she currently receives? Yes. First it's important to understand why a speaker may not seem accommodating.

All Those Years

In my own speaking career, for example, I've presented to more than 730 groups. I am in the middle range of what speakers charge, and proud of it. It took me a long time to achieve my skill and information level. I raise my fees carefully and rarely, always making sure that the value and skills I offer make me an excellent "buy" in my price range. Some of my mentors charge double or more what I charge and advise never negotiating on a fee. That's fine when you're a household name. When you're in such demand you can turn away dates.

In practical terms, many speakers have at least a few dates each month on their calendars that they'd like to fill. Many would be open to negotiation, provided that the outcome is a true win-win situation--you retain them at slightly less than their published fee, and they gain some other prerequisite that is of value to them. Let's see what might constitute such perks.

Multiple Dates, Consecutive Days

Engaging a speaker for multiple dates -- perhaps in June, August, and October of next year -- may yield savings for you. Most speakers would be willing to offer a discount when booking the three dates at once. Jim Hennig, Ph.D., past president of the National Speakers Association, and an expert on negotiation, believes that this is an excellent way for both meeting professionals and speakers to achieve a meeting of the minds.

Similarly, if you need a speaker on two or more consecutive days, you may find that many speakers will drop their fee by, say, ten percent for each consecutive day they are booked. This has happened to me in the case of large conventions, where I might be presenting a keynote on one day and conducting a breakout or general session on another.

Non-Profit and Charitable Groups

Many speakers will offer a reduced fee when speaking to non-profit or charitable organizations. Some speakers go as far as offering pro bono services to such organizations -- that is, they don't charge a fee at all. Thomas Winninger, who speaks on marketing, suggests that speakers go ahead and offer a presentation when they're approached by a group who can't possibly meet their fee but can pay something. He suggests that the speaker ask the hosting organization to donate to a charity of the speaker's choice the sum they have earmarked for a speaker. In this way, three parties benefit: the speaker, the hosting organization, and the charity.

Many speakers annually limit the number of speeches they'll do under these conditions so as to not constantly be asked to speak for no or a reduced fee. I find that four such engagements a year is appropriate. In other words, once per quarter I'll make a presentation to a charitable or non-profit group for a reduced fee. It serves as a way to give back to the profession and to the nation in which I've been able to flourish. Many speakers already have their pro bono presentations booked at least a couple of years in advance.

Sharing a Speaker

Suppose you've identified the right speaker for your organization but, based on your budget, find his/her fee to be a bit out of your range. Is there still a way to book this speaker? Most assuredly! Connie Podesta of Plano, Texas, advises that you share the speaker with another organization. What group in your local area could be included as part of your meeting, help foot the bill, and help make the entire affair more successful? If you look around, you'll undoubtedly find at least a handful.

I was once requested by the Houston Chamber of Commerce to speak to their members. In an effort to keep their costs down yet ensure that they would have a successful meeting, they invited the nearby Galleria Chamber of Commerce to co-host the event. The day went well, and members of both chambers were served. Yet the costs were half what each chamber would have incurred otherwise.

Sharing a speaker works as well for professional groups as for community and civic groups. The bar associations of neighboring towns, the real estate commissions of adjoining counties, or CPA societies of nearby cities can easily share the cost of a speaker and, concurrently, give their members opportunities for greater networking. Branches, departments, or divisions of affiliated organizations or government agencies can do the same.

Roll Those Cameras

Professional speakers are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to be videotaped. Videotaping provides advantages for a speaker. First, a speaker may be able to produce a saleable product, either in coordination with you or separately. Second, a speaker may be able to extract small segments that highlight his or her capabilities or accent audience responsiveness. Such segments can become part of a video brochure or demonstration tape. Third, many speakers simply desire the opportunity to critique themselves.

If you're able to offer a two- or three-camera shoot, especially if you have a seasoned crew on-site with professional lighting and sound, you'll find that many speakers are amenable to reducing their fee by some 10 to 20 percent.

Allowing Product Sales

It's my belief that a speaker hired to address a group should give that speech and not offer commercials about his or her products. There are times, however, when it makes sense to allow the speaker to pitch products from the platform. One of those times is when you can get the speaker at a negotiated rate.

Why would a speaker offer such a deal? Many speakers have six- to twelve-cassette albums, videotapes, books, CD-ROMs, software, and all manner of support and learning materials. Particularly when the audience is large, a speaker who receives a discounted or modest speaking fee may well earn double, triple, or more if he or she is allowed to briefly present his or her products to your audience.

The product presentation can be done in an entirely tasteful manner. You might allow the speaker to pass out product order forms or include such forms as part of the speaker's handout. Many meeting professionals simply prefer that the speaker make fliers available at the back of the room or put one on or under each chair. Some meeting professionals allow the speaker to offer a 60-second pitch before scheduled breaks so that audience members interested in ordering can do so then, thereby taking nothing away from the meeting itself.

While getting a speaker for a little less than his or her stated fee may be to your benefit, be wary of situations in which the speaker isn't seeking a fee at all. If he or she will gladly speak to your organization in exchange for the opportunity to offer products, it's a good bet that the product offering will be substantial. Thus, you'll want to know the breadth and cost of the products to ensure that they're appropriate for your group, and you'll want to determine at the outset precisely how much time will be allotted to product commercials during the presentation.

Combining Business with Pleasure

If your organization will be meeting at a fabulous resort location, you may be able to entice a speaker to speak for less in exchange for several days extra at the location. I know speakers who have taken their spouses -- and in some cases, children -- and spent an extra three or four days, while reducing their fee. The discount more than offsets the added travel and room expense you might incur.

It seems as if this is a deal too good to be true. After all, if you're going to pay the speaker's full fee, he or she could then turn around, bring his or her spouse or children, and end up further ahead cost-wise than taking the travel and hotel perks. Why do speakers do it? Because, in many cases, the perk itself becomes the deal-maker. The speaker gets to book that date, and his or her family gets to have a vacation. You get to book the speaker within budget, even considering the extra expense. Such an arrangement is all the more to your benefit if you already have a block of rooms and some have gone unused, or if you have transferable travel vouchers ready to dispense.

Give Them What You Manufacture

I heard of a speaker once who wanted to speak to an organization that was highly desirous of booking the speaker but simply lacked the funds. The speaker thought of a novel way to bridge the gap. As it turned out, this particular organization manufactured office equipment and, as part of the deal in securing the speaker, was able to give the speaker a new multifunction fax/phone/copier system. The speaker was elated, and the combination of the speaker's reduced fee and the actual cost to the organization of the equipment was far less than the speaker's regular fee.

Even if you don't have a durable good to offer, perhaps you have club memberships, travel vouchers, vacation plans, discount coupons, or other items of value to the speaker.

Handling Multiple Roles

Suppose you run into a speaker like me who is reticent to lower his fee. You've decided that I'm the right person to get, though, and you intend to book me. Is there a way to go ahead and pay my fee, even though it's a little high for you, and still get a great value? Most assuredly! Ask me what else I can do for you.

Find out if your desired speaker will stay on and do an extra session on the same day, perhaps by serving as moderator for a panel, an emcee for an evening program, or anything else that doesn't require extra travel, staying an extra day, or making any other type of elaborate preparation. I gave a keynote presentation to a group in Illinois, and as part of the additional services while on-site, I also visited their exhibit hall and autographed copies of one of my books for two hours. The organization had lined up a local bookseller to deliver several dozen copies. This type of situation is a win-win-win-win!:

1. The organization benefits because they get both the keynote presentation and the speaker staying on longer to personally greet and chat with members of the audience while autographing his book.

2. The speaker benefits, of course, by giving the presentation and by having his books sold for him to motivated professionals.

3. The bookstore benefits by selling books, having higher visibility within the organization, and generating community good will.

4. The audience members benefit by having heard the keynote, having an opportunity to buy the book, and having the opportunity to chat with the speaker/author. All this, and not a dime more out of the budget of the meeting professional!

Jeff Davidson, MBA, CMC, helps organizations and individuals overcome the relentless burden of information and communication overload. Visit www.BreathingSpace.com or call 800-735-1994 for more on Jeff's keynote speeches and seminars including "Managing Information and Communication Overload" and "Prospering in a World of Rapid Change," and his books Breathing Space: Living & Working at a Comfortable Pace in a Sped-Up Society and The Sixty Second Organizer.