Speaking Requests
I don't like to travel. I do like to speak. This has not changed since 1958.
I usually accept in-person speaking engagements that involve drive time of under three hours. This limits my in-person speaking. I do speak by means of Skype when the sponsoring organization is set up for Skype. Few are.
There are certain kinds of non-Skype requests that I turn down automatically. These are:
1. Recruiting. The sponsor has been unable to persuade under two hundred people of his position, which he says is the same as my position. He wants me to come in and change their minds with one speech -- three at the most. This is futile: for him, for me, and probably for 98% of his targeted audience.2. Eat, Meet, and Retreat. Every year, there is a gathering of isolated, frustrated members of a movement. They get together in order to share war stories and also get rejuvenated for another grim year in the trenches. They use the meeting as their main social event of the year.
3. Fund-Raiser. The meeting is a way to get people to give to an organization. The meeting demonstrates that the organization is doing something important.
4. Outside Affirmation. The organization has little influence. In order to persuade members that the organization has influence, it brings in a few speakers who are known to members by reputation. I have written in detail about this motivation here: //www.garynorth.com/public/14194.cfm.
I am willing to consider speaking for organizations that are attempting to accomplish something specific and measurable.
1. Major Project Launch. The organization is planning to launch a major project. It has a specific project in mind. My speech is related to this project. The necessary feature of such a meeting is a specific action step that the attendees will be asked to do within 72 hours after the meeting. It will also have follow-up action steps over the next 12 months. The organization keeps records of participants' responses to these steps.2. Project Follow-Up. There was a project launch in the past. This meeting is designed to gain another level commitment from attendees who committed previously to the project.
3. Leadership Training. The organization has an ongoing program. It has been operating for several years. The organization's leadership is training future leaders. These targeted members have been involved in grunt-work for the organization. They need to commit to an advanced level of participation. They are on the inside track for leadership. They need motivation and vision. The meeting is designed to provide this.
4. State of the World. Leaders of various activist and research organizations come together to get insights on the state of the world. Specialists present information on what is happening, and how this provides opportunities for long-term change. These are strategy meetings. Such meetings are exceedingly rare in the world of Christian social activism. Christian leaders see themselves as too busy to get involved in long-term planning of a large, diverse movement. If there are no fund-raising reasons to attend, they do not attend. In contrast, the humanist establishments hold such meetings regularly.
The main criterion I use to judge whether I should speak is this: Is there an institutional reason why Skype will not do the job? I judge the importance of the meeting by the strength of the main reason why Skype will not suffice.