Dottie & Picasso on Getting Paid for Your Talent

It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

—Picasso

Several times this week the subject of charging a fee for something of value floated to the top of my feed.

The subject is not new to me.

I’ve spent considerable time over the years contemplating possible business ventures (motivational speaker, freelance writer, public relations consultant, etc.) and rationalizing my worth to imaginary customers. The question of how much to charge someone for my service was always the biggest obstacle in my path.

Now, the subject remains ripe in the several online arts and entrepreneur groups for which I belong. The most popular question is:

“What should I charge?”

I want to shout it out: Way more than you think. I assure you!

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Dottie

In 2004, I attended a two-day workshop hosted by Dottie Walters, the internationally renowned speaker, author, and speaking career consultant to learn how to start a motivational speaking business.

Dottie was a big deal. She was president of Walters International Speakers Bureau, a founding member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), and founder of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB).

I couldn’t have summoned from a genie bottle a more qualified mentor.

Meeting with only nine other students—in Dottie’s home!—to learn from the legend herself was a dream. Besides cementing lifelong skills and gathering insider secrets, Dottie’s home offered a safe, intimate space for us students to share our professional and personal vulnerabilities inherent in starting a new venture.

Over two days, Dottie taught her proven Speak and Grow Rich formula. With all of us seated at her round table, we students shared our aspirations and qualifications like Wonka’s Golden Tickets, proof that we belonged at such a coveted place.

Our confidence soared until we discussed developing our fee schedules. Dottie had instructed us to charge $5,000 for a one-hour speech. In 2004, that seemed outrageous!

Sure, we had ample experience and extraordinary stories to share with the world. Public speaking was our calling. Even though we just shelled out beaucoup bucks and flew cross-country for this crucial information, not one of us felt worthy of such a fee. 

We didn’t know our worth.

Dottie’s speaking fee menu in 2004:

• $3,000 rock bottom price for a one-hour speech at our level (but preferably $5,000). The rest are “rock bottom fees”.
• $5,000 for up to 2 hours.
• $7,000 for 3 hours (1/2 day)
• $15,000 for 6 hours of speaking.

When we balked at this fee menu, 79-year-old Dottie grasped the back of her chair and said with insistence as fiery as her tousled red hair:

“You have skills! You should get paid for them. This issue holds so many of you back! If you charge too little now, how can you justify charging more later? You are entitled to make a living! Once you set your fee, people will never understand what changed for you to charge your new fee. Set it right—NOW. You are worth it!”

Why will we pay top dollar for expertise, but not accept getting paid top dollar for our expertise?

Why can’t we see our true value?

Sometimes your heart needs more time to accept something that your mind already knows.”

—Paulo Coelho

 

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Picasso

I remembered Dottie’s advice when I recently read about how Picasso handled the question of value for his talent.

He said it best:

A woman was walking down the street in Paris when she spotted Picasso doing some sketching at a sidewalk cafe. Completely thrilled and somewhat presumptuous, she asked Picasso if he would sketch her. He obliged. Within moments, there she was as an original Picasso.

“And what do I owe you?” she asked.

“$10,000 francs,” he answered.

“But, it only took you three minutes,” she gently reminded him.

“No, madam,” Picasso said. “It took me all my life.”

Love yourself and your talent.

Know your worth.

Peace and prosperity to you all.

♥

XOXO