So many speakers are subject matter experts …  and of course, we have to be.

But if you tell people you speak about , , corporate culture, or some other topic, you've missed the point.

What problem do you solve?

If you want people to pay you—to do pretty much anything, not just speak—you have to solve a problem that's more expensive than your fee.

If it costs 15-thousand dollars to on-board a new employee, they don't care whether you're a corporate culture expert or a voodoo priest. Employees are leaving and they're expensive to replace. Can you solve the problem?

You may be an expert on meditation and breathing Great. Stress costs American businesses a half-a-TRILLION dollars every year! How you help employees manage stress doesn't matter as long as your tactics work.

Clients are shopping for solutions. Be clear about what problems you solve and know the costs of not solving them.

Your processes are beside the point!