You have to be in it to win it.
You attended an industry or professional association’s annual conference a few months ago.
Imagine yourself at the podium at next year’s event.
Speaking at a conference will introduce you to attendees who are potential clients and keep you top of mind with your referral sources.
You can even connect with reporters covering the conference and be seen as a source for news and commentary.
Are you prepared to tap the opportunities in the room?
Event planners look for speakers to address the outlook for industry trends.
Attendees are eager to learn how they might take advantage of those trends or prepare for the oncoming challenges.
Conference organizers recruit speakers from the people they know.
They don’t invite someone they never heard of.
Here are five ways that you can establish your authority, get your name in front of the conference organizers and be invited to appear at the next event:
- Be active in the host industry organization or bar association. Participate on a committee. Write for the newsletter. Lead a workshop.
- Publish articles in industry magazines on topics that are flying under the radar. Emphasize that these concerns will have short-term and long-term consequences. Point out that the companies that overlook these issues will be left behind.
- Be a guest on the podcasts that cover the sector.
- Promote your activities online to attract a wider audience.
- Network with the members of the group’s conference committee. Find ways to be helpful to the individuals and the committee as a whole.
Your goal is to become more visible to the group’s leaders as an industry observer or colleague. Having done that, you introduce yourself as a potential speaker on your preferred topic.
Separately, some conferences fill part of the program with exhibitors whose booth package includes a speaking opportunity. In that case, calculate how many clients you would need to land to recover your investment.
This Month’s Tip
What’s your BIG idea? Start with these key questions:
- Which industry players are growing – and how?
- Will consolidation continue, slow down or accelerate?
- How are businesses coping with savvy consumers, who research everything online and with AI?
- What are the new products in the pipeline and how will they achieve market share?
- How are companies responding to technology issues, like data breaches and security?
Contact
It’s time you pictured yourself on the podium, sharing your outlook and insights. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 347.256.9141. Together, we’ll brainstorm steps to put you in front of the conference organizers and your name in the conference program.
Note: This is the first of two newsletters; the second will discuss assembling a conference panel with a client.
See also: Speaking of Speaking, for best practices to deliver your remarks.
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