ON INVITATION AND SPEAKING FEES

The standard practice when it comes to inviting a professional is to ask him or her if he has a professional fee he/she charges especially if you are planning an event especially if you don't have any personal relationships. I can no longer understand how people have a budget for a 4star hotel venue and feeding(buffet) yet have no budget for a resource person. It is not right to be upset that a resource person is asking for your budget for coming to share from his wealth of knowledge. That is what many of these guys do for a living. The double standards stinks because these are questions you gladly ask when you bring in a foreigner yet feel insulted when a local asks the same question. Some of these resource persons don't need your hamper of Milo and Lipton tea. Let it be their choice to determine if they want to do it for free. I have a quota for CSR in my office for example and we know when, who and how to channel it. It is no longer acceptable that resource persons are promised honorarium and bit turns out to be a hamper. I know a resource person who travelled all the way to Ikorodu and was given a 30k honorarium yet had to spend 180k to fix his car because of the poor state of the roads. We must do better because in the last 5weeks I have heard a number of resource persons lament. You visit their office for therapy or counseling and you have no budget? You invite them and you have no budget? You even have a budget for guest artists but not these guys? They ain't financially free and forget their packaging some of these guys have their kids at home because they haven't paid school fees. I can understand if you have a relationship with them or if you are faith based and you have explained your policy especially if it's a church service but to come and hold a seminar or give keynote for hamper is a no no. A bank called me the other day to come speak at their anniversary and the link person said I should feel privileged to be called to deliver a keynote. Another international body invited us to a 4day event where our expertise was required yet they didn't see the need to lodge us in and pay us anything but every foreigner was lodged in a 5star and paid in dollars because they feel we should feel privileged to be invited. Of course I insisted on my terms and they had to fulfill it. I respectfully declined and told them they should go research who they were inviting. Another organization wants me to go deliver a workshop in Dubai for 3days with 3 sessions per day yet they claimed they only have honorarium that they can't disclose and feel I should be excited they are flying me to go and relax as if I can't fly myself to UAE? This is pure evil and it needs to stop. You can't be entitled and expect a specialized resource person to come speak for free. A resource person knows what platform can deliver networks in exchange for a free appearance and we can't be feeling insulted when a speaker asks a question human beings should ask. I really appreciate organizations that haven't taken resource persons for granted. We know those organizations who would even ask you and even go the extra mile to make you comfortable but we also know those whose budget is for Aso Ebi, food and guests artists but they want to reward a facilitator with hamper. I have had this burden for these 5 weeks and have a release to put it out today. If you don't have a relationship with a resource person never approach him and expect free delivery except you really can't afford him and that should be clearly explained. I am sure he knows when to waive his fees and when to insist on it. We can't quote a labourer is worthy of his wages and deliver branded throw pillows. I honour you" ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Need I add more? A labourer is worthy of his hire. The specialized knowledge we deliver was acquired with years of toiling and loads of money. Moreover, we deliver value and that is what commands wealth!

 To your resounding rise,
Olapurpose James Asu Author, KISS YOUR BLISS/IGNITE YOUR PURPOSE/UNLOCKING YOUR PURPOSE AND PASSION
@PurposeIcon

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He churns out great thoughts.