A speaker can deliver a good talk and still leave the client unwilling to book them again.
Claire Young knows how that happens. The former UK Apprentice runner-up founded School Speakers and now works with both the people buying talks and the speakers delivering them.
In this conversation with John Ball, Claire shares the story of a speaker whose missed calls and wrong-venue arrival led her bureau to refund the client. She explains why clear replies, reliable preparation and feedback matter to a speaking business.
We also explore speaking in UK schools: the audiences, the budgets and how a new speaker can start building relevant experience. Claire describes how a booking can develop into sessions for students, staff and parents, and why she asks speakers for evidence before considering them for her bureau.
You'll hear about:
- How a school visit after The Apprentice led towards School Speakers.
- What Claire says speakers typically earn for an hour with students.
- Building a day around different audiences within a school.
- Why a bureau needs experience and references.
- The communication habits that make speakers easier to book.
- Learning from feedback and handling public visibility.
Claire quotes a typical £300–£500 fee for an hour-long student talk. This reflects her market rate at the time of recording. The conversation does not establish whether that figure includes commission, expenses or VAT. It is not a general rate card.
Connect with Claire:
https://www.claireyoung.co.uk/speaker
Explore School Speakers:
https://www.schoolspeakers.co.uk/
Join me for the Get Heard. Get Known. Podcast guesting for speakers workshop: https://present-influence.kit.com/products/get-heard-get-known-podcast-guesting
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Speaker Booking Nightmare
00:39 Meet Claire Young
01:05 Apprentice Changed Everything
03:15 First School Talk Breakthrough
06:01 Building School Speakers Bureau
09:11 What Schools Need Now
10:23 Format Fees, And Reality
16:08 Impact And Highlights
20:31 Getting Started In Schools
23:00 Professionalism And Feedback
29:08 Public Eye And Resilience
32:41 Wrap Up And Next Steps
FAQs:
How do you start speaking in UK schools?
Claire recommends approaching local schools with a concise explanation of who you help and what the session achieves. Use relevant opportunities to develop the talk and collect feedback. In the interview, she says her bureau asks for a minimum of three references from previous speaking engagements.
How much do speakers get paid to speak in schools?
Claire describes £300–£500 as a typical fee for an hour-long student talk in her market. She says staff sessions command higher fees and discusses half-day or full-day bookings. These are examples from her experience. The interview does not clarify commission, VAT, or expenses.
Can school speakers deliver sessions to staff and parents
Yes. Claire describes programmes that address students, parents and staff on the same subject, with each session adapted to its audience. She uses anti-bullying as an example.
Do speaker bureaus work with beginners?
Claire says her bureau wants speakers with relevant experience and references. She describes School Speakers as saturated at the time of recording and says new additions need to contribute something beyond the existing roster. Other bureaus may use different criteria.
Why might a good speaker fail to get booked again?
Claire describes clients being dissatisfied with missed calls, poor communication and inadequate preparation even when the talk itself was acceptable. Her example shows how the wider booking experience can affect the relationship.
How long should a school talk be?
Claire recommends having a polished session suited to a lesson, describing around 45–50 minutes and emphasising interaction with teenagers. Confirm the length, age group and purpose with the school before designing the session.
Connect with John:
Discover the bottlenecks in your speaking business with the Applause Vs Invoice Quiz
For speaking/podcast enquiries or to connect with me directly, you can email john@presentinfluence.com or find me on LinkedIn
You can find all our clips, episodes and more on the Present Influence YouTube channel
If you know a speaker who would enjoy this show, let them know. Thanks for listening.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Get Heard, Get Known Live Event
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