VERDICT: Is Talkadot Worth It… Or Should You Walk Away?

Talkadot has some pretty appealing features…

But what glitters isn’t always pure gold. 

Turns out with Talkadot, there are a few downsides you should consider before going all in.  If you set realistic expectations, you’ll be much better off.

Let’s explore a few more perspectives around the use of this tech – including more from one of our subscribers, an opinion from another very high-level speaker, and even some thoughts directly from a well-respected event organizer.

Ready for my soapbox?  Let’s do this!

Why One Top Speaker Ditched Talkadot for a DIY Alternative

Let’s start with the high-level speaker… who shall remain anonymous...

(Yes, you’ve heard of this speaker.  Yes, they are a very big name, but I won’t share it here.)

When this person first discovered Talkadot, they really liked the overall idea behind the tech – but they were frustrated by the inflexibility of the platform.  They didn't like the wording of some of the questions, and they felt the survey was too long.

But what it came down to was branding…

“I don’t love their graphics. I couldn't customize the questions as much as I wanted to, per event. And I’m allergic to having something tied to my personal brand that looks like something other people also have.”

Totally fair. No one wants their sleek personal brand showing up to the party wearing the same outfit as 9,000 other speakers.  Honestly, I think the more professional you are, the more professional of a platform you want to give your attendees.  Top speakers want to stand out.

Because of these issues, this speaker chose to build their own version of Talkadot, creating a much more streamlined process.  Their survey took much less time to complete than the 30-90 seconds used up by others.

This points to a few issues you may want to consider…

First, their version (built on Zapier) only costs around $20 per month to operate.  Compare this to a Talkadot membership that will cost you either $49 or $99 per month for a paid version, depending on whether you choose the Pro or Elite plan.  

(Paid annually, don’t forget.)

Second, this speaker has full control over their own tool.  They can control exactly how questions are written and how follow-up is integrated with their CRM.

Does every speaker need to go out and build their own tool?  Of course not! That’s not what I’m saying. But if this high-level speaker is building their own tool to appear more professional and create a better experience, I think it’s worth noting.

Why Talkadot Leads Sound Great… But Rarely Convert

The next thing you may want to consider is the quality of the leads that you can actually earn from Talkadot. 

In the survey, there is a question that says something like, “Do you hire paid speakers?”  Responses options are: ‘Yes,’ ‘No,’ or ‘I know someone who does.’

Pretty appealing, right?  You probably see this and think...

“Oh my gosh! I’m going to get immediate leads from this!!”

…but then, crickets.

Here’s the thing… I’ve talked to several speakers who’ve asked me the following:

“I get all these leads from Talkadot who claim to hire speakers.  But they never convert, and I never even get any response from them, no matter how many times I follow up.  What gives?”

I think there’s a very clear reason for this.