April 23, 2002
Is it over yet? ...
In the 1980's, the famous and notable began making appearances at public events with massive media coverage and intimate dinners with powerful business leaders.
There was great debate as to the appropriateness of Reagan, post-presidency, being paid to go to Japan, and the head-scratching selection of Jay Leno emceeing the debut of Microsoft's Windows. And there was also another puzzlement: How did these people come to be at these events in the first place?
Remember, these were the days before the Internet gave up everyone's email, telephone number and mailing address in a matter of seconds. And that's where the speaker's bureaus came in.
They would send out high gloss catalogs, a sort of combination People magazine, Newsweek and Life, and you would find yourself saying, "Could we really get this person to come to our event?"
Miraculously, the answer was "Yes. For a price."
--
Having learned the price, many would frequently ask for other options in a more affordable range, and that is how I came to learn about speaker's bureaus.
Out of the blue, I was asked if I had ever given a speech, did I have one on tape and did I know that I could earn what sounded to me like an astronomical sum? I made an appointment for an initial interview and sent my tape on ahead.
In short order, of course, I learned my actual place in the firmament. I even remember chuckling when I realized that any personage I had actually heard of wouldn't get out of bed for the fee I was offered.
Still, I got a great overview of the speaker's circuit, the salespeople expressed great enthusiasm, and they hoped I would return some day when the owner of the agency was back in town.
I got my chance before the week was out. A high-tech corporation was willing to pay a very high fee, and they were especially interested in hiring a woman. On her staff's recommendation, the owner excitedly made an appointment with me for that very afternoon, saying she would review my tape right away.
--
When I arrived, I was politely escorted into her office, and to my surprise, she looked up at me with fury in her eyes. She could barely put her hand out to shake mine, and then she began to spit out a long list of what she perceived to be my failings. It was as if I had intentionally meant to upset her.
She finally settled on her most scathing criticism. Through clenched teeth, she declared, "You must understand that a speech has a beginning, a middle and an end. If you can some day raise yourself to that level, we will book you."
I remember being very puzzled. Doesn't every speech have a beginning, a middle and an end? She went even more ballistic.
There's much that's obvious about this conversation and much that is not. But there's no denying the basic truth: The world is not as we wish it to be; the world is what it is - complex, changing, adaptive and sometimes, mercurial.
And in case you're a dullard like me, I must tell you that you've already experienced the beginning and the middle. Now this is the end.
I'm Moira Gunn. This is Five Minutes.
