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Apr 3, 2016 · 19m · top-founders

How to Get Event Organizers To Tell You Speaker Budget With Shari Alexander EP 223

Shari Alexander · 9m spoken Nathan Latka · 8m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

In this episode of 'The Top,' host Nathan Latka interviews persuasion coach and keynote speaker Shari Alexander to analyze her $150,000 solopreneur business model. The conversation explores value-based coaching pricing, digital course launches, and live roleplay strategies for negotiating event speaker budgets.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Nathan holds 46.4% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Nathan as informed peer 3.8 Guest teaching 3.5 Guest disagreement 1.0 Nathan pushing back 1.5
05100:0010:001:12–5:42 · Nathan as informed peer 4/10 Introducing Shari Alexander and Revenue Breakdown Nathan probes Shari on her exact revenue figures, coaching packages, and speaking fees. He challenges her proposal about speaker sponsors by asking what happens if you dislike the sponsor, and vents his frustration about large conferences that don't pay speakers.5:43–9:04 · Nathan as informed peer 4/10 Negotiation Roleplay: Extracting Event Speaker Budgets Nathan and Shari roleplay an organizer-speaker negotiation. Shari demonstrates how to extract the client's budget by asking about previous speakers and shifting to a phone discovery call, while Nathan pushes back in character trying to force her to name a price first.9:05–13:03 · Nathan as informed peer 5/10 Client Acquisition, Course Launches, and List Building Shari explains her referral-based client outreach and webinar course launch strategy. When she mentions having a small list of 3,500 subscribers, Nathan strongly agrees, sharing his own experience and critique of vanity list sizes.13:04–17:53 · Nathan as informed peer 2/10 Mid-Roll Announcement and HostGator Sponsorship The segment includes a HostGator sponsor read followed by the Famous Five lightning round. Shari candidly explains why she avoids studying other CEOs to prevent comparison traps, and Nathan seamlessly connects her recommendation to a past guest episode.1:12–5:42 · Guest teaching 3/10 Introducing Shari Alexander and Revenue Breakdown Nathan probes Shari on her exact revenue figures, coaching packages, and speaking fees. He challenges her proposal about speaker sponsors by asking what happens if you dislike the sponsor, and vents his frustration about large conferences that don't pay speakers.5:43–9:04 · Guest teaching 6/10 Negotiation Roleplay: Extracting Event Speaker Budgets Nathan and Shari roleplay an organizer-speaker negotiation. Shari demonstrates how to extract the client's budget by asking about previous speakers and shifting to a phone discovery call, while Nathan pushes back in character trying to force her to name a price first.9:05–13:03 · Guest teaching 3/10 Client Acquisition, Course Launches, and List Building Shari explains her referral-based client outreach and webinar course launch strategy. When she mentions having a small list of 3,500 subscribers, Nathan strongly agrees, sharing his own experience and critique of vanity list sizes.13:04–17:53 · Guest teaching 2/10 Mid-Roll Announcement and HostGator Sponsorship The segment includes a HostGator sponsor read followed by the Famous Five lightning round. Shari candidly explains why she avoids studying other CEOs to prevent comparison traps, and Nathan seamlessly connects her recommendation to a past guest episode.1:12–5:42 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Introducing Shari Alexander and Revenue Breakdown Nathan probes Shari on her exact revenue figures, coaching packages, and speaking fees. He challenges her proposal about speaker sponsors by asking what happens if you dislike the sponsor, and vents his frustration about large conferences that don't pay speakers.5:43–9:04 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Negotiation Roleplay: Extracting Event Speaker Budgets Nathan and Shari roleplay an organizer-speaker negotiation. Shari demonstrates how to extract the client's budget by asking about previous speakers and shifting to a phone discovery call, while Nathan pushes back in character trying to force her to name a price first.9:05–13:03 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Client Acquisition, Course Launches, and List Building Shari explains her referral-based client outreach and webinar course launch strategy. When she mentions having a small list of 3,500 subscribers, Nathan strongly agrees, sharing his own experience and critique of vanity list sizes.13:04–17:53 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Mid-Roll Announcement and HostGator Sponsorship The segment includes a HostGator sponsor read followed by the Famous Five lightning round. Shari candidly explains why she avoids studying other CEOs to prevent comparison traps, and Nathan seamlessly connects her recommendation to a past guest episode.1:12–5:42 · Nathan pushing back 2/10 Introducing Shari Alexander and Revenue Breakdown Nathan probes Shari on her exact revenue figures, coaching packages, and speaking fees. He challenges her proposal about speaker sponsors by asking what happens if you dislike the sponsor, and vents his frustration about large conferences that don't pay speakers.5:43–9:04 · Nathan pushing back 3/10 Negotiation Roleplay: Extracting Event Speaker Budgets Nathan and Shari roleplay an organizer-speaker negotiation. Shari demonstrates how to extract the client's budget by asking about previous speakers and shifting to a phone discovery call, while Nathan pushes back in character trying to force her to name a price first.9:05–13:03 · Nathan pushing back 1/10 Client Acquisition, Course Launches, and List Building Shari explains her referral-based client outreach and webinar course launch strategy. When she mentions having a small list of 3,500 subscribers, Nathan strongly agrees, sharing his own experience and critique of vanity list sizes.13:04–17:53 · Nathan pushing back 0/10 Mid-Roll Announcement and HostGator Sponsorship The segment includes a HostGator sponsor read followed by the Famous Five lightning round. Shari candidly explains why she avoids studying other CEOs to prevent comparison traps, and Nathan seamlessly connects her recommendation to a past guest episode.

speaking balance: gold is Nathan, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Nathan 77.2% · guest 22.8%0:00 · Nathan 77.2% · guest 22.8%3:00 · Nathan 41.7% · guest 58.3%3:00 · Nathan 41.7% · guest 58.3%6:00 · Nathan 22.5% · guest 77.5%6:00 · Nathan 22.5% · guest 77.5%9:00 · Nathan 26% · guest 74%9:00 · Nathan 26% · guest 74%12:00 · Nathan 55.7% · guest 44.3%12:00 · Nathan 55.7% · guest 44.3%15:00 · Nathan 39.1% · guest 60.9%15:00 · Nathan 39.1% · guest 60.9%18:00 · Nathan 100% · guest 0%18:00 · Nathan 100% · guest 0%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 4:48 Questioning speaker sponsor alignment

Nathan interrupts to challenge Shari on what she does if she hates the sponsor, leading Shari to clarify that she sources sponsors herself rather than endorsing brands she dislikes.

 Hardest push from Nathan ▶ 7:12 Organizer roleplay pressure

Nathan repeatedly attempts to corner Shari into revealing her speaking price first during the roleplay scenario, forcing her to demonstrate how she pivots back to value discovery.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 6:04 Extracting speaker budgets via past speaker history

Shari breaks down her tactical script for vetting event organizers, explaining how asking about past hits and flops allows her to determine their exact budget capacity before quoting.

 Nathan holds their own ▶ 11:33 Nathan critiques vanity list sizes

Nathan injects his industry expertise by criticizing marketers obsessed with list volume who cannot name ten actual subscribers, endorsing Shari's lean list philosophy.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicNathan as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementNathan pushing backWhy
Introducing Shari Alexander and Revenue Breakdown 4312 Nathan probes Shari on her exact revenue figures, coaching packages, and speaking fees. He challenges her proposal about speaker sponsors by asking what happens if you dislike the sponsor, and vents his frustration about large conferences that don't pay speakers.
Negotiation Roleplay: Extracting Event Speaker Budgets 4623 Nathan and Shari roleplay an organizer-speaker negotiation. Shari demonstrates how to extract the client's budget by asking about previous speakers and shifting to a phone discovery call, while Nathan pushes back in character trying to force her to name a price first.
Client Acquisition, Course Launches, and List Building 5311 Shari explains her referral-based client outreach and webinar course launch strategy. When she mentions having a small list of 3,500 subscribers, Nathan strongly agrees, sharing his own experience and critique of vanity list sizes.
Mid-Roll Announcement and HostGator Sponsorship 2200 The segment includes a HostGator sponsor read followed by the Famous Five lightning round. Shari candidly explains why she avoids studying other CEOs to prevent comparison traps, and Nathan seamlessly connects her recommendation to a past guest episode.

Statements from this episode (8)

Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alexander: Business generated $15,000 in revenue in January 2016
“So for last month total revenue, we made 15,000 dollars.”
Shari Alexander Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 2:31
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alexander: Business generated about $150,000 in revenue in 2015
“So we did about a 150,000 last year.”
Shari Alexander Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 2:41
Disclosure
Alexander: Keynotes cost $5,000 and full-day speaking is $7,500
“5000 for a keynote, 7500 for a full day.”
Shari Alexander Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 3:46
Opinion
Latka: Conferences that don't pay speakers attract ego-driven, low-quality talent
“And it drives me crazy because the only speakers you're going to get in that environment are the ones that need an ego boost in front of a big crowd, but they don't have good content. And the speaker, the event organizer uses them because it's cheaper, but the…”
Nathan Latka Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 5:28
Insight
Alexander: Asking about past speakers reveals an event organizer's budget
“The reason why I asked that is because it gives me a sense of if I'm a good fit for this organization. And also I know who gets paid and what their fee is. So if they tell me that like you know, a speaker that I know who earns 75 is coming in, then I know that…”
Shari Alexander Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 6:27
Insight
Alexander: Full speaking fees require acute organizational pain points
“Usually when I, especially when I'm earning full fee, it's because they, there has been something that has prompted my presence to be necessary. So there's been a breakdown in communication. There's been new leadership. There's been bad leadership. There's bee…”
Shari Alexander Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 7:32
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alexander: Email List Stands at Around 3,500 Subscribers
“I don't have a big list. I have only like 3500.”
Shari Alexander Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 11:30
Opinion
Latka: Marketers boast about list size but cannot name 10 subscribers
“We have a massive problem, Sherry, I think in our market where people talk about how big their list is, but they couldn't name 10 people, 10 real names of people on their list. That's a problem because people aren't numbers.”
Nathan Latka Apr 3, 2016 ▶ 11:40
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