I often get asked about how to decide whether to give a presentation or talk for free. There's usually a vague idea that it may come with "exposure" or be good practice, accompanied in some cases by feelings of being undervalued or disrespected.
I'm not opposed to doing free talks and presentations. In fact, I do them fairly often. If you're weighing the pros and cons, here are some thoughts to consider.
I recently listened to an episode of the Sequence over Strategy podcast where the host, Michelle Warner, recommended thinking about talks and presentations as fitting into one of three categories:
- Market research: if you want to get real feedback on an idea, thought, concept, etc. doing a free presentation is a great way to gauge interest, hear what questions come up, and get feedback.
- Part of your marketing/promotion plan: when you're confident that people who you'd like to work with will be there, you have a chance to build your community and invite people to work with you.
- Paid products: If neither of the above apply, you need to be paid.
Beth Pickens has a slightly different perspective in her book, Make your Art, No Matter What:
An invitation must do at least one (preferably more than one) of the following: it pays (actual money, not just exposure), it boosts your career (not a lateral move), [or] it nourishes you (you love the other people, the place, the cause, etc.)
I hope this gives you a bit of food for thought the next time you're asked to do a presentation.
Take care,
Camille
P.S. If you didn't see this last week, it's not too late to vote on the ideas I've proposed for next year's Deep Dive theme.
