The benefits of a good business speaker.

The world is full of business and motivational speakers, but how can you ensure that you receive value for money?

“One of the most respected and admired world leaders in the last 50 years, Tony Blair offers an unparalled analysis of the world' most difficult and complex issues.” is how his representative Washington Speakers Bureau describes Blair.

Tony Blair has emerged as the world’s highest-paid public speaker, earning almost £400,000 for two half-hour speeches in his latest appearance on the international lecture circuit.
Blair’s speech earnt him more than £6,000 a minute and he stated “politics really matters, but a lot of what goes on is not great”

The former prime minister, who has earned more than £15m since leaving Downing Street two years ago Blair was flown into Manila by private jet on March 23 and conveyed by helicopter to the venue for his first speech. He found time during his brief visit to have lunch with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at Malacanang Palace, once the residence of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

While many public speakers have had to cut their rates since the onset of the recession, Blair’s fees have remained buoyant.

Mark Mills has experienced similar robustness and commented “Tony Blair’s speeches are clearly insightful and with his experience, it is intriguing to learn how he handled high pressure situations, whilst keeping his cabinet and the country motivated. My own addresses have been more popular as the recession has deepened as there seems to be a yearning for an upbeat speech, relating positive stories and anecdotes.”

Mark also added “So far, 2009 has been more profitable for me than the whole of 2008 which was a very benign year, so as far as I am concerned, the recession isn’t deepening and whilst we seem to be bumping along the bottom, it isn’t getting any worse”

Other popular and highly paid speakers include Bill Clinton, the former US president, who was regularly netting about $150,000 (£103,000) per speech until he cut back on his public speaking last year when his wife Hillary became the US secretary of state.

Al Gore, the former US vice-president who has reinvented himself as a climate change campaigner, charges about $100,000 for an hour-long speech. Mark Mills has formed his new venture, Genwat plc, which aims to produce clean electricity and Mark will be a speaker on energy from waste from mid-2009.

The benefits of a good business speaker include the imparting of information, motivation and useful hints.