Creative Ways to Get Your Fee (Even When “There’s No Budget”)

By Kristin Arnold, CSP, CPAE

Every professional speaker hears it eventually: “We love you… we just don’t have the budget.”

It’s tempting to either walk away or cave in to a lower fee. Neither is a great long-term strategy.

Discounting your fee without intention erodes your market positioning and creates inequity with clients who do pay full price. But walking away from every constrained opportunity can limit your reach, relationships, and revenue pipeline.  And frankly, it doesn’t feed your family, either.

The answer isn’t to lower your fee. It’s to expand the definition of value.

Start with a Simple Philosophy

When faced with budget resistance, anchor the conversation with this principle:

“I want to be fair to the clients who have paid my full fee. What could you offer that goes beyond what those clients receive?”

This framing does two important things:

• It protects your fee integrity.
• It invites a collaborative, creative negotiation.

Now you’re not discounting; you are redesigning the agreement.

Before You Negotiate: Define Your Fee

Creative compensation only works if you’re grounded in a clear sense of what your fee should be in the first place. Think of your fee not as a fixed number but as the output of a consistent set of considerations.  At minimum, those considerations should include:

• The strategic value of the client (Is this a one-off or a long-term relationship?)
• The level of effort and customization required
• The production complexity (virtual, hybrid, full production)
• Travel time and impact
• How your intellectual property will be used (and reused)
• Additional expectations (VIP sessions, coaching, book sales)
• The visibility or business development potential of the opportunity

There are also times when the decision is more categorical:

• Pro bono: You’re clear on why you’re doing it for free.
• Flexible one-off: You adjust within reason.
• Standard offering: Your full fee applies.

The key is consistency.  When you have a clear framework, you can make intentional decisions rather than reactive concessions.

Here are five strategies to rethink your compensation without compromising your positioning:

1. Negotiate the Terms, Not the Worth

Sometimes the fee can stay intact; it’s the structure that needs flexibility.  For example, you might:

• Tie full payment to outcomes (attendance levels or evaluation scores)
• Offer a discount for payment in full up front
• Split the fee across budget years
• Charge different client cost centers e.g. education and supplies
• Create installment plans for the portion above their current budget
• Bundle multiple engagements for a preferred rate

These approaches preserve your value while helping the client solve internal constraints.  Even small adjustments like shifting timing or packaging can unlock budget that initially “wasn’t there.”

2. Expand the Scope (Strategically)

If they can’t increase the fee, increase the impact.  Consider adding:

• A pre-event strategy session or post-event follow-up
• A second session on the same day
• Coaching or consulting tied to implementation
• A 30–60 day60-day reinforcement touchpoint
• A digital resource, video, or report to extend learning

This positions you not just as a speaker but as a partner in providing results.  It also gives you leverage: if more value is being delivered, more value should be exchanged.

3. Think in Terms of Total Value Exchange

Cash is only one form of compensation.  There is a wide range of alternatives many speakers overlook:

Exposure & Marketing

• Featured articles or interviews in their publications
• Email promotions or website visibility
• Conference sponsorship positioning
• Inclusion in attendee materials

Product & Revenue Opportunities

• Back-of-room sales (with or without staff support)
• Bulk book purchases applied toward your fee
• A percentage of proceeds tied to your content

Referrals & Relationships

• Warm introductions to decision-makers
• Endorsements from respected leaders
• Curated referral meetings during the event

Media & Platform Building

• Local or industry media exposure
• Podcast, radio, or TV opportunities
• Press coverage tied to your appearance

Sponsorship Leverage

• Having a sponsor underwrite part (or all) of your fee
• Sponsor-paid travel or production costs

Tangible Perks (That Actually Matter)

• Attendee lists (when appropriate and compliant)
• Professional video/audio recordings
• High-quality photography with full usage rights
• Event access and networking opportunities

Individually, these may seem secondary. Collectively, they can exceed the value of your standard fee, especially if they drive future business.

4. Capture the “Why” in the Contract

If you do create a customized agreement, document it clearly:  “Special consideration was given in the negotiation of the speaker’s fee for the following reasons…”

This protects your brand and provides context for:

• Bureaus
• Future negotiations
• Internal consistency in your pricing

It also reinforces that this was a strategic decision and not a discount.

5. Know When to Hold the Line (or Raise It)

Not every “no budget” situation is real.  Sometimes:

• Budget exists, but priorities are unclear
• Decision-makers are testing your flexibility
• The organization undervalues external expertise

In these cases, creative concessions may send the wrong signal.

In fact, there are moments when the right move is to increase the fee, especially when:

• The scope has expanded significantly
• The stakes are high (executive audiences, critical initiatives)
• Customization demands substantial time or IP

Your pricing should reflect not just time, but transformation.

The best speakers don’t just ask, “What’s your budget?”  They ask, “What’s possible here?”

Creative compensation isn’t about lowering your fee.  It’s about aligning your fee with the full picture of value, effort, and opportunity.

Kristin Arnold, CSP, CPAE, helps executives and teams think things through, make better decisions and achieve greater results.  She’s a professional meeting facilitator, speaker and panel moderator and loves talking about strategy.

Want to read more from Kristin Arnold, check out “Why Not Insert a Panel Discussion in Your Presentation?” on the VOE blog now!