Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where do you find speaking opportunities to build into a speaking program?
a. Some great places to look for speaking opportunities are through databases Trainer subscribes to, including IT Database. This lists upcoming conferences and speaking deadlines. You can select those that are appropriate for your client and add them to the speaking calendar. Google is another great resource. You can search by industry, vertical, or topic. LinkedIn also allows you to search for events by topic. It is often very useful to look at competitors’ websites to see if they list the events they will be attending. Often, these are also relevant for the client. You can also ask the client for a list of events the company or the sales team has attended in the past.
2. I can find some information on the speaking opportunities, but still don’t have all the information the client wants. How do I find these details?
a. When in doubt, call! Most events have some way of contacting someone in charge. They may not be responsible for speaking opportunities in particular, but they often can refer you to the person who is. Some events have very limited contact information, but even these usually have a way for you to contact them regarding sponsorship opportunities. Reach out to the sponsorship coordinator and ask them about speaking. Often speaking is tied to sponsorship, so the sponsorship contact may be able to answer your questions.
3. The only way to speak at an event is to pay $11,000. What do I do?
a. Some events only offer speaking slots to vendors who are sponsoring the event. If this is the case, you will want to request details on the sponsorship options. Then, you can let your client know that there is an opportunity to speak if they pay a certain sponsorship amount. Some clients will be interested in paying to speak. Others will decline.
4. What sorts of topics are popular for speakers to present on?
a. The most popular topics vary by industry. However, customer case studies are one of the best ways to increase the client’s chances of being accepted to speak at an event. Conference organizers like customer case studies because they show actual results a real-life customer has achieved with a particular solution, rather than simply giving the vendor a chance to “sell” their product to the audience by discussing features and benefits.
5. Do we still get credit for a speaking submission if the speaker is not selected?
a. Usually, yes. Most Trainer contracts are based on researching the appropriate conferences and the promise of creating the speaking submission. The result is outside Trainer’s direct control, so it is not usually a condition of the contract.
a. Some great places to look for speaking opportunities are through databases Trainer subscribes to, including IT Database. This lists upcoming conferences and speaking deadlines. You can select those that are appropriate for your client and add them to the speaking calendar. Google is another great resource. You can search by industry, vertical, or topic. LinkedIn also allows you to search for events by topic. It is often very useful to look at competitors’ websites to see if they list the events they will be attending. Often, these are also relevant for the client. You can also ask the client for a list of events the company or the sales team has attended in the past.
2. I can find some information on the speaking opportunities, but still don’t have all the information the client wants. How do I find these details?
a. When in doubt, call! Most events have some way of contacting someone in charge. They may not be responsible for speaking opportunities in particular, but they often can refer you to the person who is. Some events have very limited contact information, but even these usually have a way for you to contact them regarding sponsorship opportunities. Reach out to the sponsorship coordinator and ask them about speaking. Often speaking is tied to sponsorship, so the sponsorship contact may be able to answer your questions.
3. The only way to speak at an event is to pay $11,000. What do I do?
a. Some events only offer speaking slots to vendors who are sponsoring the event. If this is the case, you will want to request details on the sponsorship options. Then, you can let your client know that there is an opportunity to speak if they pay a certain sponsorship amount. Some clients will be interested in paying to speak. Others will decline.
4. What sorts of topics are popular for speakers to present on?
a. The most popular topics vary by industry. However, customer case studies are one of the best ways to increase the client’s chances of being accepted to speak at an event. Conference organizers like customer case studies because they show actual results a real-life customer has achieved with a particular solution, rather than simply giving the vendor a chance to “sell” their product to the audience by discussing features and benefits.
5. Do we still get credit for a speaking submission if the speaker is not selected?
a. Usually, yes. Most Trainer contracts are based on researching the appropriate conferences and the promise of creating the speaking submission. The result is outside Trainer’s direct control, so it is not usually a condition of the contract.