Maybe it’s just because it is summer, but I’m getting lots of crazy offers from telesales people recently.

Typically the spiel is along the lines of:

“We’re running this fantastic event about sustainable [procurement/strategy etc]. We’ve been given your name as you are a leading [reads something verbatim off the front page of our website – dead giveaway]. Would you be interested?”

The killer punchline, if I let the call run its course, is they usually want me to pay to give a seminar to a room full of people who are desperate to open their fat wallets, but who haven’t a clue where to get help.

I now stop them in their tracks. “If you want me to deliver a seminar it will cost you £X 000”.

My seminars are of value to attendees, therefore I charge. That’s what I do for a living – exchange value for money. These people are looking for speakers whose sessions have negative value, otherwise they wouldn’t have to pay to deliver them. You get what you pay for…