Become “The Speaker of Choice” for Conference Organizers Part 1

Conference organizers are very busy professionals, but they are always on the look-out for passionate speakers, who can give great value to their audiences. How do you set yourself apart from the rest of candidates? Let’s take a look at what you can do to stand out.

1) Avoid the speaker faux pas – In order for you to shine on their stage, avoid the common pitfalls that less seasoned speakers make…a monotone voice, a long-winded introduction, reading from your slides, no audience participation, too much text on your slides, no time for Q & A and not being on time (going too long – the kiss of death or too short – changes the schedule or showing up late for your time on stage).

2) Understand the conference organizer’s expectations of your presentation – Being in communications with the conference organizer before, during and after the event is paramount to your success at the event. It is important to have complete clarity of what the organizer’s expectations are. Learning what the theme of the conference is, who your fellow speakers are, what the organizer’s ideal outcome would be for your presentation, what audio visual is provided, what are the demographics of the audience, what is the venue layout, and how you can best support the organizer while you are there.

3) Learn from the Masters – Some of the finest speakers on the planet are TED Speakers. They are masterful at communicating “Ideas worth spreading” in a mere 18 minutes. Take some time to listen and learn from these amazing individuals.
4) Engage your audience – The conference attendee of today has changed. They are interested in being a part of the conversation. Since your speech should be a conversation, involve them in your presentation. They want the questions answered and the problems solved. Finding the real-life solutions is the pinnacle of conference value for today’s conference attendee. It helps them justify the expense of attending the conference. Give them the answers they seek and they will rave about you on those conference evaluations.

5) Put together a mobile-friendly presentation – Nowadays, communication is a two-way street. With technology, the ability to connect is right at our fingertips. Mobile applications like https://www.sli.do/ can provide slick features like question answering, likes of online polling, slide sharing, networking, event agenda and more. You will definitely be able to engage your audience and set yourself apart.

We will add more tips to help you become “The Speaker of Choice” in our next blog. Please share tips that have helped you get chosen or invited back.

Engaging Speakers Mentors stand ready to help you realize your dreams of growing your business through the power of public speaking. Learn more at https://engagingspeakers.com/

Gail Brown, Founder of Engaging Speakers, gail@engagingspeakers.com