5 Tips to Getting Selected as a Speaker #SpeakersMagazine

Getting selected as a speaker at an event can be one of the most fulfilling and exciting experiences for any presenter. This is why it’s important to know how to get selected so that you can feel confident in your own abilities.

Below are five tips on how to increase your chances of being asked —

1) Have a unique, compelling story to tell.

You need to have an interesting story, or message that will be valuable for the audience you’re speaking to. If your talk doesn’t offer anything new and exciting, it’s unlikely that event organizers would want you as a presenter. It could also help if there is some additional value beyond just general knowledge sharing; this can include a product demo, a behind-the-scenes look at an organization or something else.

Let’s say you’re speaking about how to use social media for customer engagement strategies: there are plenty of people who can speak on that topic, but if you had some insight into the world of influencer marketing and could offer advice from real-life examples, you’d stand out. This would be especially true if the audience was interested in this particular area of social media marketing and complimentary to your expertise.

Additionally, it’s important that you don’t take on too much at once; event organizers are looking for speakers who can share a valuable message or insight while still keeping their talk concise and focused. You can always expand on your presentation with a more in-depth article after the conference is over!

Therefore, be sure to have an interesting story behind why you’re presenting which will make other event organizers want to bring you back for future events! In addition to sharing this information at the event itself (and potentially during Q&A), you can also add this information into your speaker bio, website and social media profiles as it will help to establish yourself as an expert in the field.

Describe a compelling story that makes them want to bring you back for future events! Also include ways what they could use that by including this info into your bios, your websites or testimonials from your top of speaking events.

2) Know what they want:

If you are going to apply as a speaker, understanding what the conference wants is important. Aspiring speakers should review past programs of events and check out their website for information on topics they prefer or if there are any suggestions provided by them.

3) Stay up-to-date with industry trends:

– it helps to stay up with news, learn the latest updates and speak about them at conferences. If you are an expert in your field, then this should be easy enough for you. Maintaining a blog is one way of staying updated on what’s going on within your industry. There are other ways too: social media, research papers, news websites.

– Take part in industry conferences:

If you are really an expert within your field and want to be a speaker at a conference, then one of the best ways is to take part in other events as well. Be it online or offline, find some relevant event that’s happening near you and attend it. This is how you will meet other people within your industry and get to know who’s looking for a speaker.

– Make use of social media:

Social media is one way where you can be in touch with the latest trends going on around you. Another benefit that comes along with this (and probably more) is that you can find people who might need speakers and approach them. If they are looking for a speaker, then there’s no reason why they will say ‘no’ to you if you have the knowledge of what is going on in your field.

– Attend Meetups:

Attending meetups gives you an opportunity to meet other people within your industry and network with them. This would be a great way to do the same thing what you are trying to achieve through social media, but in a face-to-face manner.

Speakers should review past programs of events, check out their website for information on topics they prefer or if there are any suggestions provided by them. They should also stay up with news, learn the latest updates and speak about them at conferences while maintaining a blog or taking part in other events to share their knowledge as well as attend relevant industry conferences for people to find you! Also consider attending meetups where you can network face-to-face.

4) Be professional:

– Do not underestimate the importance of a speaker’s bio:

Speaker bios are one of the first things that event organizers and attendees will see when they visit your website or social media profiles. It is very important to make sure you have a well-written, succinct and interesting bio which gives them just enough information about who you are and what you do.

– Follow the rules:

If there are any guidelines provided by an event organizer about how they want your application to be sent, then make sure to follow them all. For example, if they ask for a video with certain specifications, then sending it after making some changes won’t work. Be professional and follow the rules provided – no exceptions! That’s a good way to get disqualified.

– Be professional in your application:

Speakers should also make sure that their applications are sent professionally, be it with a video or an audio recording of them speaking about a topic related to the conference theme. Speakers should not try to do something extra like sending food for attendees as it may annoy people or come across as creepy.

– Use proper language:

Speakers should use proper language in their application, be it the written form or any digital recording. This means that they shouldn’t talk like someone from a different part of the world because people won’t understand what you are talking about and more importantly, will find it hard to relate to what you are saying.

5) Be yourself and offer something different:

Lastly, offering something different can help you stand out from the many other speakers who have also submitted a proposal to be considered for this opportunity!  Speakers shouldn’t try too hard to sound perfect because it might come across as fake and insincere, which is the exact opposite of being a good speaker who connects with people easily. Speakers should be themselves while applying for events so that they can come across as sincere and interesting.

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So again, to get picked as a speaker it’s important to have an interesting story in order to keep the audience engaged. Understanding what they want will help you tailor your speaking proposal towards their specific needs and requirements. Being knowledgeable about current industry trends is also key as this shows that you are dedicated and passionate enough to not only do research prior but stay up-to-date with industry news as well. And be yourself – show how you’re unique and different.

Visit Speakers Magazine and read the latest issue featuring Laticia Nicole. She has an event coming up and she has a book project she’s inviting women to be part of… an anthology: Healing Toxic Habits.