Decoding Fee Integrity: The Truth Behind the Buzzwords

I bet you’ve heard it before…

“Stick to your fee. Don’t negotiate. You have to maintain fee integrity.”

Oh man… “integrity!”

That’s a heavy word to throw around – especially if you’re accused of not having it. Today’s topic comes to us from subscriber Greg Offner, who wrote:

I heard I should always quote my gross fee so that I maintain my fee integrity. For example, a bureau could mark up a net fee ($10K, let's say) to a gross fee (i.e., $25K) for a client if they think they can get it. But if that same client were to come to me directly (without knowing, of course), I would quote $15K. Doesn't that hurt the relationship?

Thanks for your question, Greg! (BTW, Greg has a new book coming out!)

Honestly, I think speakers' bureaus have hijacked the concept of fee integrity. So today, let’s break down fee integrity and how it works… or how we think it might work.

What is Fee Integrity, Really?

Simply put, fee integrity is all about maintaining transparency, consistency, and fairness in the pricing of your keynote speeches.

However, somewhere along the way, it became synonymous with “sticking to your fee no matter what.”

How did that happen?

Well, I have a theory. Speakers bureaus have promoted and propagated the notion of fee integrity for decades.

Why? Because it benefits their businesses the most!

The Bureau's Perspective

Speakers bureaus have their reasons for advocating the "set your fee and stick to it" approach.