(does a serious blogger ever travel?)

Remind me to call you next time I do some serious traveling!

I don’t do a lot of travel business. Mostly high level. Not tickets from Chicago to Akron. There are still discriminating people who travel who want to deal with someone who has been there and who know where to stay and what to do. These are not the Internet booking people. They want to talk to a person.

Part of my multiple streams of income theory.

Corinne, I forgot to ask - I thought you were no longer in the travel service business? If I remember correctly, you sold your agency long ago.

Excellent post - it’s a subject that’s on the mind of every small business owner. It’s an area of potential discomfort but I’ve learned that when you state your expectations upfront, the client will, in my experience, comply.

Up to this point, I’ve asked for 50% down with the balance paid at the speaking engagement. But twice in the past 12 months, I asked and got full payment BEFORE the engagement. It was like, “Wow.” But I should explain why I was able to do it. Both engagements were secured at the very last minute, with me booked to speak the following week. I saw no sense in having them Fed Ex me half with the balance given to me in a few short days. So I asked for the full amount and they Fed Ex’d the check!

Some professional speakers are able to get the entire amount upfront consistently but I think it’s because they are nationally known. I’m not yet at that level but I won’t hestitate to ask for full payment if I am booked at the very last minute. There’s nothing like seeing a check for the full amount arriving in your mailbox!

Great article. Everyone can use this advice.

WOW! Yoou have said it all. Make everything clear from the beginning and set up the time frame for payment.

Thanks also for reminding us that we should get money up front.

Appreciate the time you took to prepare such a detailed and intelligent commentary!

I am sure it helped many people out there who hesitate about the necessity of GETTING PAID for our work.

The client comes to the professinal with purchasing in mind for a specific or best price for those services, good, etc.; the seller wants to parlay their services or inventory at the bet price possible…..once the credentials of the sellar are provided, they then must explain how they operate the financial end of their business. I never have to ask for monies as my initial interview qualifies how the financial end works, further substanciateed by a business contract qualifiying what was discussed at the meeting and then individual contacts for all goods and service sold.

If the client wants the project to move then all they have to do is pay the amounts requested….also please know that this individual always secures an advance retained against future time expended in order for the contact sale to be generated…in other words by the client agreeing to the project contract, and paying a time retainer to start the process, they have already agreed to pay the necesary monies in order to secure their purchases.

All it is, is being secure in what you are selling and how you sell it and letting the clients know their obligation to the proiject which is paying the bill timely. One should never be intimidated when it comes to money especially when selling service and goods to potenmtial clients.