This is the "administrative" competency. The business of professional speakers requires continuous attention to many details. Mastering this Competency will help speakers manage the business side of their speaking activities professionally.

Organizing the Speaker's Business
Speakers find themselves involved in more than developing topics, programs and products. There's staff to hire and train, files to create and maintain, equipment to purchase and operate, bills to pay, invoices to prepare and finances to track.

Selecting and Working with Staff
A qualified and committed staff is essential if a speaker chooses to have one and delegate non-speaking activities. A good staff functions best with a speaker who is also qualified, has good employee selection, motivation and leadership skills.

Scheduling Programs and Record Maintenance
Tracking scheduled programs without error requires a good scheduling system and support records.

Contracting and Arranging for Services
There is no one best contract for all speakers and their clients, and there is no one best way to negotiate fees.

Managing Money
Money management can make or break a speaker's business.

Office Equipment and Technology
New equipment and advancing technology are influencing the operations and document processing in speakers' offices. Staying on the cutting-edge is increasingly difficult.

Dealing with Suppliers
Cost control is important to the financial success of a speaking business. For some, purchases of product, equipment, supplies and services can be high.

Inventory Management
Speakers can invest heavily in product inventory. Those investments should be made wisely.

Business Travel
Professional speakers are often many miles and many nights away from office and home. Being away from normal support information, facilities, equipment and people makes their personal resourcefulness vital to their accomplishments. That resourcefulness must affect three phases of business travel - before, during and after.