“We love you… But our budget’s tight.”
Sound familiar? Every speaker’s heard it. In today’s uncertain marketplace, you’re likely to hear it more. And in that moment, your instinct might be to drop your fee just to land the gig. Don’t.

Here’s what I remind my clients (and myself): Fee pressure is rarely about your worth. It’s about perceived value. If buyers see your program as a “nice to have,” they’ll push for a lower price. But if they view it as essential to solving a major challenge, they’ll often find the money. This is why I always say, when selling, consider the ROI of your program. Your buyer is.

The shift starts with how you position yourself. Lead every conversation with a positioning statement, the concept, and the outcome of working with you. One of my favorite lines from Book More Business: Make MORE Money Speaking is “Sell by the outcome of working with you.” Instead of saying what you do, tell them what they’ll get.

Say: “I work with sales teams to increase revenue by building stronger relationships.”

Not: “I deliver a keynote on communication.”

Outcome statements are solution statements. They elevate your value immediately and allow decision makers to clearly see what they’re getting for their money. In other words, the ROI of you.

Next, don’t negotiate against yourself. If you sense hesitation, don’t rush to fill the silence with, “I can be flexible.” Instead, pause. Ask questions. Clarify needs. Then, offer options instead of discounts. I describe silence as a “shared intimacy”. Get comfortable with it.

Create a menu:

• Option 1: Keynote only
• Option 2: Keynote + breakout session
• Option 3: Keynote + follow-up coaching or virtual Q&A, books, courses

These options give them flexibility without diminishing your worth. I always say: Add before you subtract. If you must adjust, add value before you take away dollars.

Finally, remember one of my golden rules: Quote your fee with confidence, then zip it. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Bottom line? When you communicate clear outcomes and stand tall in your value, clients stop seeing you as a “nice to have” and start seeing you as a “need to have.” That’s when the fee conversation changes forever.

Copyright 2025, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money, and monetize their message.

Check out the newest edition of her book, Book More Business: Make MORE Money Speaking available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ci7yWxz

Take a look at my new AI program for speakers: https://bmbwithai.com/

Reach her in the following ways: Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com

314-374-4007. Web: https://bookmorebusiness.com/