Have you ever wondered who these \u2018expert\u2019 speakers are that you see presenting at nonprofit conferences? How did they get in that position and how, when you\u2019re ready to push yourself out of your comfort zone, can you get there?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just about testing yourself and doing something different. There is a lot to be gained from becoming a speaker on the conference \u2018circuit\u2019. Some of the gigs are paid, allowing you to earn an extra bit of income for you or your own organisation. It\u2019s a really cheap or free way to holiday around the country and world in places you otherwise couldn\u2019t justify visiting. And it\u2019s a great way of building your personal brand or organization\u2019s name: you have a captive audience that you can influence over the course of an hour or more.<\/p>\n
But perhaps most importantly, it can allow you to attend some of the world\u2019s best conferences without dipping in to your precious (or non-existent) training budget.<\/p>\n
Some conferences are curated, and once you find yourself speaking at other conferences you may begin to get invited elsewhere, and even make a living from it. That\u2019s where I am now, but along the way I\u2019ve learned of pitfalls and problems, as well as a number of ways to increase your chances of being successful.<\/p>\n
Here are eight things I wish I\u2019d known:<\/p>\n
Maybe you feel you\u2019re not ready yet or don\u2019t have as much experience as some of the other speakers you\u2019ll see. The truth is you are an expert. You\u2019re an expert in your own experience, your own successes and your own failures. Every speaker suffers from \u2018Imposter Syndrome\u2019 from time to time, doubting their own ability and fearful of getting \u2018caught. But speak about what you know, speak openly and honestly, and nobody can fault you. We can all learn from you.<\/p>\n
As a trainer, consultant and coach I aim to get one new piece of business or my next invitation to speak out of every presentation.<\/p>\n
When I worked in a nonprofit my goal was to bring in one new donor. Sometimes, like most speakers, it\u2019s about getting positive feedback and affirmation from a roomful of strangers because we\u2019re so emotionally damaged and desperate. Or is it a free holiday or free access to training? Whatever it is, be clear about the outcomes you\u2019re striving for and make sure it\u2019s embedded in everything you do.<\/p>\n
When you first start speaking with no track record it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019re going to get paid. Some (unreasonable) conferences won\u2019t even pay your expenses. But that might be the price you pay to fine-tune your craft and build up experience.<\/p>\n
At the same time, don\u2019t sell yourself short. Your hosts are gaining from your presentation so don\u2019t be afraid to ask for your expenses to refunded and your time to be compensated. The worst they can say is no, and then you can weigh up whether it\u2019s really worth your time.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not about you\u2026what do your audience want to gain from you? You obviously know what you want to gain from the experience, but if the audience aren\u2019t happy then that\u2019s not going to happen. I\u2019ve heard speakers describe their workshops as \u2018shows\u2019 or \u2018gigs\u2019. No, we\u2019re not rockstars\u2026but still, if we can give the audience something special and memorable then you\u2019re more likely to succeed.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all seen speakers that overly sell, that don\u2019t provide the insights we expected, or who are just simply boring. They don\u2019t get good feedback, they don\u2019t get invited back, and they don\u2019t get the audience follow-up they had hoped for. That\u2019s not what you want.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re submitting to a conference, think carefully about how you propose your session. Most conferences like a catchy, quirky title that catches attention. And some attendees will choose to attend based only on that title without reading the description (I know! Crazy!). Have a look at previous years\u2019 sessions and see what kind of sessions were chosen and what jumps off the page.<\/p>\n
Make your description clear. Talk to the potential reader and help them understand what they\u2019re going to get out of it. They don\u2019t know you, they don\u2019t know your topic\u2026sell it to them.<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t forget you can submit more than one session. Cover the bases!<\/p>\n
Consider the person or committee that are in charge of selecting sessions. They\u2019re going to be going through piles of these things. What makes your session stand out to them? Sometimes it\u2019s who you know. If you can talk directly to someone on the committee they\u2019re usually pretty generous with their advice and tips. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask what topics they\u2019re looking for and what they think might be missing. There are certainly subjects they get inundated with and subjects that they\u2019re crying out for.<\/p>\n
Also understand that conferences are looking for a diverse range of speakers and (rightly or wrongly) lean towards charity staff rather than consultants. Can you highlight the areas of your career or bring in a co-speaker that will increase your chances of getting selected?<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t be too disappointed if you don\u2019t get selected. I scored 100% \u2013 the highest possible score at my favourite conference \u2013 and still wasn\u2019t invited back the following year. Am I bitter? Yes\u2026absolutely. Don\u2019t be like me.<\/p>\n
Most conferences will automatically collect feedback for you and you\u2019ll receive it some time later. If that\u2019s not going to happen then try to follow up with your own feedback survey. They\u2019re painful to read, but you\u2019re an unreliable narrator in your own story and sometimes the only way to learn what worked or didn\u2019t work is from this kind of feedback. Still, don\u2019t take it personally. No matter how amazing you are you\u2019ll always get one person who hates you.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re going to be resubmitting this session to other conferences, so the feedback is a chance for you to tweak and improve.<\/p>\n
It can all be scary and daunting. But you\u2019re definitely capable and conferences and events need more speakers like you. Ask for support or guidance from a speaker you already admire. Volunteer at events or on committees to gain deeper understanding of the process. Practice your session with your co-workers, friends or in places like Toastmasters.<\/p>\n
People are good and willing to help you if this is something you want to do. And the whole experience can be sparklingly good for you. The truth is the only thing holding you back is probably you. But remember we live in a world where the ones who succeed aren\u2019t necessarily the best\u2026they\u2019re sometimes just the loudest. The people who put their hands up and put themselves forward are the ones at the front of the room.<\/p>\n
This time next year that could be you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Unlocking the Path to Becoming an Expert Speaker at Nonprofit Conferences Have you ever wondered who these \u2018expert\u2019 speakers are that you see presenting at nonprofit conferences? How did they get in that position and how, when you\u2019re ready to push yourself out of your comfort zone, can you get there? It\u2019s not just about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":43868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"cause":[],"article_author":[],"webinar_host":[],"topic":[205,408,350,351,91],"class_list":["post-43864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-engage","topic-events","topic-leadership-culture","topic-marketing-communications","topic-nonprofit-careers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n