What am I worth?

Every year we hold a limited attendance conference called The Summit. This very personalized conference is designed to give speakers, comedians, and other gifted artists information that will help them develop a career using their gifts or enable them to take an existing career to a new level. Two frequently asked questions are what should I charge and what am I worth? Those are two different questions. Let me answer them one at a time.

What should I charge? It often comes as a shock to discover that the value of a presentation or talent is not determined by the performer and it is not determined by a booking agency. It is not even determined by how talented the performer is or how good their show is.

The buying market determines the value. It is the market that dictates what you can charge. If the buying audience knows about you and wants to see the show, the value they place on that show will be reflected in a higher honorarium or ticket price. If the market doesn’t know you exist or has no desire to see what you have to offer, no matter how good the show is, they will place little or no value on the ticket. The Summit helps talented young people learn how to build a program that appeals to the market, and build a market that wants what they have to offer.

BUT HERE’S THE PROBLEM.

Many artists confuse the market value of their talent with their personal value. It is true that a sometimes brutal and picky market determines what a particular talent package is worth, but the artists personal worth is determined by a different source altogether. The creator of the universe determined your personal value a long time ago when he sent His son to die on a crudely assembled cross. So whether no one is interested in seeing your performance or the tickets to your show are being scalped on the streets the most important truth remains unchanged.

A 30 minute presentation by a talented young speaker with a growing market might be worth $700
A 2 hour show by a well known television comedian could bring $20,000 or more.
A successful show business career is often worth millions.
A sinner saved by God’s Amazing Grace is PRICELESS.