by Bryan Caplovitz

A quick way to increase your bookings and give you an edge on out-of-state competition is to offer a discount for local speaking events.

For example, let's say your base speaking fee is $500. All else being the same, in today's economy, a planner is much more likely to hire a speaker who costs less. So, if it would cost a planner $475 in travel, housing, and fees to get another speaker who would also fit their needs, what reason would they have to choose you?

However, if you decrease your fee for local speaking engagements to $475 or less, you gain an edge over your competition. Either the planner doesn't have to deal with the hassle of travel and hotel expenses or you'd cost them less, thus making you the better option.