"Never Speak for Free" Is Keeping You Off Stages

Somebody told you never to speak for free. Know your worth, exposure doesn't pay the mortgage - and it sounds like respect. But that rule is written for people who already have a fee. In 2019, Karen spoke at a conference for free - a breakout room, about 40 women - and that one free session turned into four paid speaking gigs. Seven years later, a woman from one of those audiences just messaged her on LinkedIn asking her to speak again. In this episode, Karen breaks down the plan that makes a free stage pay: who actually books you next (it's not the organizer), the one-sentence test that gets you recommended, and exactly what to say when someone asks your fee. In this episode: Why "never speak for free" is incomplete advice, and who it actually protects Row six: the person who books you next is almost never the person who booked you The one-sentence test - could a stranger repeat what you do to someone with a budget? What to say when they ask your fee: ask your questions, say a number, stop talking "We don't have a budget" is the start of a negotiation - recordings, introductions, attendee access Your homework: write your sentence - under 15 words, with a verb, repeatable by a stranger to someone with a budget. Post it on LinkedIn, tag Karen or DM her the link. Want help with it? Bring it into the LinkedIn for Women community Resources Mentioned In The Episode: Ready for the whole system - how to find stages, get on them, and turn one room into the next four? Grab Karen's free Borrow the Stage masterclass (about an hour) >> Borrow the Stage Masterclass Visibility Salon: Karen's membership community, home of the Borrow of the Stage initiative LinkedIn for Women Community: Karen's free Facebook group where listeners post their weekly 20-minute windows for accountability. Work with Karen: Book a call to talk through your own visibility strategy. Magical Quotes From The Episode: "Free isn't the problem. Free with no plan is the problem." "Stop speaking to the front of the room. Speak to row six." "When somebody says we don't have a budget, that's the start of a negotiation, not the end of negotiation." Help Us Spread The Word! It would be awesome if you shared the Good Girls Get Rich Podcast with your fellow entrepreneurs on Twitter. Click here to tweet some love! If this episode has taught you just one thing, I would love if you could head on over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW! And if you're moved to, kindly leave us a rating and review. Maybe you'll get a shout out on the show! Ways to Subscribe to Good Girls Get Rich: Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via PlayerFM Good Girls Get Rich is also on Spotify Take a listen on Podcast Addict