Advice for Submitting a Speaking Proposal

Dear Innovation Women,

Recently my friend and I submitted a topic to a local group. It was rejected and now we’re awaiting feedback on why. What makes a good speech proposal? How can you shape an idea to best fit the audience? Any suggestions? Sandra

Dear Sandra,

Thanks for writing!

There are lots of speaking opportunities that speakers need to apply for. There are formal calls for speakers as well as the proposals we do to conference and event managers when we have speakers to speak at their events.

Here are some suggestions on creating great speaking proposals.

The Topic

What do people want to know?  What do they care about? What do they worry about? What are the big trends in your industry? What are the pain points? The answers to these questions will drive the most popular sessions at any event.
If the conference has been held before, look at the agenda for ideas. If possible, go back a few years. Are the same sessions held year after year?  If so, it’s unlikely a new topic will make an appearance so you might need to fit into what exists. You also want to make sure you are different from what else is being presented. If there are 6 other cyber-security presentations, don’t be #7.

If you get a chance to talk to event managers, do so. What are they looking for? If there is a specific Call for Speakers or Call for Papers (a holdover from the academic world), read them carefully for clues as to what topics the organizers want.

Want to read the rest of this article, including advice on your topic, title, talk, takeaways, and talker? Read the full article at our sister company Innovation Women.

Or, learn more about how to get leads for speaking opportunities with My Speaker Leads.