Welcome to The Experience Maker FAQ page. Here you’ll find answers to all of your pressing questions, from why customer experience is important to how to book Dan for your next event. If your question isn’t answered here, please contact us!
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You can check Dan’s availability by clicking the “Contact Dan” button on top of every website page or the “Put A Date On Hold” sticky button on the right side of every page. You can also reach out via the Contact page. Dan’s calendar fills up quickly, especially during peak seasons, so early inquiries are highly encouraged.
Once you reach out, we’ll schedule a quick discovery call to discuss your event goals, audience, and timeline. If it’s a great fit, we’ll send a simple agreement and invoice. Dan is easy to work with, communicative, and highly collaborative throughout the entire process — from contract to curtain call.
Many clients secure Dan 6–12 months in advance, especially for spring and fall events. That said, clients often come to us just weeks before an event, and we will always do our best to accommodate shorter timelines. , so don’t hesitate to ask — if Dan’s available, he’ll do everything he can to make it happen.
Once booked, Dan will work with you hand-in-hand leading up to your event date. The exact steps may vary by event and package, but you can expect:
– A welcome email with next steps
– Links to bios, headshots, A/V requests, intro script, and intro music
– A pre-event call to align on goals, logistics, customization, and deadlines
– Dan’s travel details
– Coordination of book purchase/delivery
– Discussion of promotional video to get your audience excited for the event- Coordination of book purchase/delivery
– Additional calls as needed
– Ongoing access to Dan and his team for any questions
Dan is known for being low-maintenance, highly responsive, and proactive in ensuring your event runs smoothly.
Absolutely! Dan loves to travel, whether it’s by planes, trains, or automobiles. Dan speaks at events around the world and handles travel professionally. He will always arrive a day early and will do his best to ensure at least one flight between his own and the start of the event — just in case! He’s even been known to book an emergency flight on a different airline just to be certain he’s there on time. In most cases, he charges a flat travel fee to include flights, ground transportation, and incidentals. Typically the client will include Dan in their hotel block.
Yes. Dan is happy to participate in virtual rehearsals or tech walkthroughs as needed. He typically only needs 5 minutes with the A/V team to ensure that slides and any embedded audio or video are functioning properly.
Meeting planners consistently praise Dan’s:
✔ Prompt communication
✔ Attention to detail
✔ Respect for deadlines
✔ Professionalism on and off stage
✔ Willingness to go above and beyond
His background in corporate marketing and CX makes him especially attuned to your internal goals and external expectations.
Dan’s speaking fee can vary based on a number of factors, but generally speaking his in-person speaking fees starts at $20,000 and his virtual fee starts at $15,000. Factors that can affect pricing include:
All of Dan’s full-fee in-person engagements include:
✅ 1-hour multimedia keynote
✅ Dan on-site all day to engage with attendees
✅ Up to 100 signed books + live signing
✅ Pre-event promotional video
✅ Post-event summary e-book
✅ Exclusive WISER workbook for survey respondents
Please note that Dan’s fee is the same whether you book directly or work through a speaker’s bureau. Contact us for a specific quote. We’re happy to work with you to find the right combination of value and budget to fit your needs.
Travel is billed separately using a flat travel fee for simplicity – usually $2,000 for locations in the United States and actual business class airfare for international destinations. Dan prefers to book his own airfare and ground transportation for flexibility, while clients typically handle hotel reservations. Please note that the flat travel fee is not a profit-maker for Dan; it is meant to cover reasonable travel costs and eliminate the need to provide detailed receipts for reimbursement.
Unfortunately, as speaking is at the core of Dan’s business model, and Dan’s IP is so valuable to his clients, he is unable to participate in events that don’t pay speakers. That said, he is more than happy to discuss ways to provide mutual value while working within a budget.
Yes! Dan regularly partners with reputable speakers bureaus. Whether you’re working through a bureau or booking directly, the experience is seamless and the cost is the same. Some of Dan’s favorite speakers bureaus include (in alphabetical order):
Yes, once we sign an agreement, you’ll receive an invoice for a 50% deposit (plus full travel fee) so that we can formally hold the date on Dan’s calendar. The balance is due just prior to the event and will be invoiced separately. Payment methods include Check/e-Check, ACH/Wire Transfer, Credit Card, or bags of nickels (exact change, please).
Stuff happens. If an event needs to be rescheduled, Dan will work with you in good faith to find a new date. Full terms are outlined in the agreement, but Dan is flexible and solutions-oriented. Please note that once an agreement is signed, it is expected that all fees will be paid. Generally speaking, the following applies to all agreements:
Dan works with a wide range of organizations, including:
Corporations – Dan frequently speaks to teams in Marketing, Sales, HR, Customer Service, Customer Success, and more. He presents at all-employee meetings, client summits, and internal retreats. Learn more on his Corporate page.
Yes. No two keynotes are exactly the same. Dan has a library with dozens of stories and examples, and he carefully selects each one based on your audience. That said, his WISER framework stays the same. Keep in mind that while Dan is happy to share a couple of examples from your industry, he will intentionally select most stories from outside of your industry. Why? Because he’s found that the best inspiration and differentiation doesn’t come from copying your competitors, it comes from identifying the best of the best across industries and adapting those best practices to your business. Dan is also happy to integrate your theme, company, logo, and any internal lingo into his presentation, and he is adept at adding “callbacks” to previous presentations if, for example, your CEO spoke earlier in the day.
Dan prefers to use his own engaging and experiential slide format, which is carefully designed for storytelling and audience interaction. He’s happy to include a client-provided opening and/or closing slide. If using the official event template is a non-negotiable requirement, Dan will adapt accordingly.
Definitely. Dan will incorporate your event’s brand, logo, theme, tagline, or messaging goals where appropriate. Unless your theme is We Don’t Want More Customers.
Please visit the Meeting Professionals page for Dan’s up-to-date A/V preferences. Of course Dan will be as flexible as possible and adapt to your preferred setup.
Yes. Most of Dan’s keynotes include at least one short video clip and one or two audio-only examples to enhance engagement.
Yes! Dan has delivered dozens of engaging, high-energy virtual presentations tailored to platforms like Zoom, Teams, and other virtual environments. Any of his keynotes and workshops can be adapted for a virtual audience.
Absolutely. Dan is experienced in hybrid settings and works with your A/V team to ensure both in-person and remote audiences stay engaged.
Technical issues happen, and when you’ve been speaking as long as Dan has, you’ve seen it all. Dan brings backup slides and stores them in the cloud. He’s got cords and adaptors and his own clicker. He’s delivered entire presentations without slides, and if video or sound malfunctions, he can seamlessly move on. He once even worked with a client right before his keynote to create an evacuation plan due to a potential tornado in the area (thankfully it missed!).
Dan combines storytelling, humor, real-world examples, and audience interaction to create a memorable experience across all event formats. He likes to mix in some fun surprises as well to keep audiences on their toes!
Standing ovations and glowing reviews are common. Read more on Dan’s Testimonials page and Talkadot profile.
Yes. Dan integrates Talkadot to collect audience feedback in real-time, giving planners instant access to satisfaction data and takeaways. Each client gets a customized report after the event featuring scores and top reviews from their audience. You can view a summary of all of his talks on his Talkadot profile.
You’ll receive audience feedback through Talkadot, and when paired with follow-up work, you’ll see measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, retention, sales and referrals. Dan offers many products and services to reinforce his message throughout the year and help clients accelerate their customer experience success.
Absolutely. Dan’s keynotes are equal parts education and entertainment, filled with practical tools that attendees can apply immediately. His WISER framework is meant to be easily recalled, explained to other team members, and implemented immediately. And the ideas he shares are intentionally simple, practical, and inexpensive to execute.
Yes. Dan carries Commercial General Liability insurance of up to $1,000,000 per occurrence, up to $100,000 damage to rented premises, and up to $2,000,000 personal injury. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) can be provided upon request.
Dan handles airfare, ground transportation, and incidentals. The client generally provides hotel accommodations.
Dan flies out of Chicago O’Hare and prefers nonstop flights when available. Dan flies in premium economy domestically and in business class internationally (except Canada). For hotels, Dan requires a non-smoking room and prefers a king bed and low floor if possible.
Yes. Dan’s team is happy to complete vendor forms, W-9s, and submit documentation for onboarding.
Yes. Dan offsets 100% of his annual travel emissions through a nonprofit organization called Cool Effect. View certificate
Yes! Dan offers three interactive sessions that audiences and executives love:
Yes. Event professionals have told Dan that reinforcing the message and sustaining momentum after an event is one of their biggest challenges, so he has designed multiple products and services that can be purchased a la carte or as part of a package:
Dan’s five-part CX framework teaches leaders how to create remarkable experiences that customers can’t wait to share:
Yes. Dan offers customer experience consulting, coaching, and advisory services to support execution. Most projects are bespoke based on client needs.
Customer experience (CX) is no longer just a competitive advantage — it’s a business imperative. Businesses can no longer compete on just price or product if they want to succeed in an industry with lots of competitive options. Customer-centric organizations see better retention, stronger loyalty, more word-of-mouth marketing, and long-term, sustainable growth. And this can be accomplished by getting everyone on board and empowered to make CX part of their job — no matter what their title or job description says.
Great CX can:
Common CX challenges include:
Dan focuses on simple, human-centered experiences that don’t require massive operational changes. His WISER framework helps teams act quickly and creatively — producing results both customers and employees appreciate.
Customer service is typically reactive — when a customer reaches out for help. Customer experience is proactive — it includes every touchpoint a customer has with your brand, from first impression to post-purchase. So customer service is really a subset of customer experience because it’s just one touchpoint in the customer journey. And as a wise man once said (quoted in Dan’s book): “Customer service starts when the customer experience fails.”
Start by listening to customers, empowering employees, and eliminating friction in the journey. Dan’s WISER framework provides a clear path to make improvements that are simple, practical, and inexpensive.
Metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Customer Effort Score (CES), retention/churn, and Customer Lifetime Value are key. Learn more by reading this blog post.
Journey mapping is a tool to visualize every step of the customer’s interaction with your business. While Dan doesn’t offer journey mapping services, he’s happy to refer you to trusted experts in the field.
The CSP is the highest earned credential awarded by the National Speakers Association. Fewer than 600 speakers worldwide hold this designation, which requires five years of client-verified excellence and approval from peer speakers. CSPs are proven to be professional, consistent, and audience-approved — which reduces your risk and ensures a better experience for your attendees.
Speaker fees cover a wide range, based on several factors. Here’s a general guide:
Key qualities include:
Look at testimonials and ratings. Check Dan’s Testimonials and Talkadot pages. Dan can also provide client references upon request.
Ask about customization, audience fit, AV needs, follow-up options, and how they support your team pre- and post-event. Dan is happy to answer any of these on a discovery call.
Didn’t see your question answered here? We’d love to hear from you!
Reach out anytime via the Contact page, and Dan or his team will be in touch promptly to provide answers, guidance, or a customized quote for your event.
Dan Gingiss is a customer experience keynote speaker who creates a remarkable experience for audiences while teaching them to do the same for their customers.