7 tips to write a strong speaker submission
Thought Leadership: Speaking at conferences by Anita Rao
Welcome to Radical Change Makers. Every week, I write about topics that I have learned about or want to learn about hoping that my learning can help you accelerate yours. I hope that my learnings and mistakes might help you improve your career, thought leadership, leadership, financial life, etc., Today’s post is to help you on your path to speaking at conferences if you haven’t started on that journey yet.

For the longest time, I used to think that I should be good at my craft and will be invited to speak at conferences. Very similar to what we were taught. Do good work and you will be rewarded. But those opportunities never came my way even though I am told I have unique perspectives, deep subject matter expertise to share, my talks are very well received, and that I am inspiring. Much later in my career, I realized that I could’ve created my own pathway. I could apply to speak. However, when I did apply once to Grace Hopper Conference and thrice to Women In product, I got declined all 4 times. Maybe my topics around purposeful product management or social impact did not resonate. Or my pitches were just bad. But that story has eventually changed and I speak at conferences once in a while. Last year, thanks to Elizabeth Ames and Rachel Leong, I was invited to host a closing keynote panel at Women In Product. My current pace actually works well for me as an I am introvert and would rather be behind the screen. This newsletter is my way to share my thoughts. Obviously, since I am not good at this application thing and you shouldn't take my advice on how to apply to conferences. Hence, I asked Anita Rao to write about it as she applied and received invitations to speak at many conferences including Grace Hopper. Many times!
Anita, how did you approach speaking at conferences?
Most conferences have a call for submission to speak at the event. Ensure you submit your paper during the timeframe. Now let us go over the steps to writing a paper.
1. Select a topic. Pick a topic that best suits your track
Remember that the subject should be unique
Do some research and check other recent conference topics. If your topic has been presented in the past, pick something else. Repeat topics usually do not get selected or attract the audience you would like to have at your session.
Try to select a topic that is cutting edge, something new, or an emerging trend
Ensure you have deep experience and know enough to answer questions successfully. Do not worry. If there is a question you cannot answer, acknowledge it, ask for the person’s contact information and offer to get back to them.
It is better if you have had real-life experience on the topic and have maybe implemented it in a project. If it is a career track topic, you must have lived it to speak authentically. Your talk should come from the heart with battle-tested scars.
2. Select a Track where applicable
Most conferences have various tracks identified. They include some of those mentioned below. Closely review the tracks and determine the best fit for your topic. If it is a conference you would like to speak at, your subject will find a relevant track. Some popular tracks include:
Technology (there could be many sub-categories; Infrastructure, Security, etc.)
Product Management
Emerging Technologies
Extended Reality (Media, Gaming, AR/VR/MR)
Data (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning)
Open Source
Career
Social Impact
3. Select the session format
There are numerous sessions at conferences. Pick one that best suits your speaking style. Some formats are designed for the audience to listen and learn; others encourage the audience to participate, engage, and connect. If you like conversations, then a panel works best for you. If you prefer to present slides, then go for the Presentation format. Review the formats offered and decide. Here are some of the standard formats:
Presentation
Panel
Lightning Talk
Workshop
Mentoring Circles
Technology Meetup
If you plan to moderate, you need first to pick panelists for the panel.
Pick a diverse group of panelists. Each must bring some unique perspective. Contention and diverse opinions in the panel discussion make the session more interesting for the audience
Usually, you do not select panelists from the same company. No more than one panelist from a given company
While writing the paper, bring controversial perspectives into the discussion. Ensure you have those questions identified in the paper
Allocate time to different topics and questions in the paper. Show the reviewer how you expect the session to flow with questions that will engage the audience
Leave enough time for audience questions at the end
Engage your panelists while writing the paper and crafting questions. The paper is a joint effort
4. Cater to your target audience
Your paper’s content should match your target audience. It is used to market the session in program brochures. Please avoid saying “All.” All is vague and confusing. You also want to attract the right audience who will enjoy your session. Some typical options for the target audience include:
Early/mid/late-stage career
Experience level
Industry-specific
For General topics, “All” is fine. These are usually Keynote sessions.
5. Check for templates
Some conferences provide templates for the paper with specific instructions like the ones below. It is essential to follow the rules/guidelines, as failure to do so could disqualify your paper. After all that work, you do not want to be disqualified because you did not follow a format. Some format guidance includes:
There is usually a maximum number of pages for your paper
Advised font size
Number of characters (this is for the title and abstract introduction only)
Title – make sure this is enticing enough to attract an audience
Summary – This is the introduction to your paper. The hook will attract the reviewer to the rest of the content. Pay attention to this section
Results or Outcomes from the project clearly articulated
Conclusions – What will the audience take away and remember. It should not be more than three brief points
Bibliography/References – Provide the list so that the reviewer sees your effort. It will reflect the breadth and depth of your knowledge
6. Write an impressive abstract
First impressions are important. The abstract is the first paragraph or summary of your paper. I usually spend the most time ensuring this is appealing to attract the reviewer and the audience. If your paper is selected, the abstract promotes your session in marketing brochures to draw the audience. It is usually a short paragraph of about 400 characters.
It includes the following:
Motivation –
Why do we care about the problem and the results? What is the “so what” in the paper?
What is the importance of the work outlined in the paper, the difficulty, and the impact?
Problem -
Who does the problem affect?
What is the issue?
When does the issue occur?
Where does the issue occur?
Why is it essential that we fix the issue?
Approach –
How did you go about solving or making progress on the problem?
Describe the methods, procedures, and protocols used to solve the problem?
Results –
What is the answer to the problem you solved?
What were the findings and conclusions from the results of the problem-solving approach?
Conclusion –
What are the implications of your answer?
Is it a significant win?
How will it impact the world; are the results general or specific to a particular case?
7. Plan your content to meet the time allocated
No matter what format you have written your paper for, keep in mind the time. You will need to present each section within an allocated time. Usually, the format states how much time you will get to present your paper. Show how you will spend that time, for example, for the introduction, key messages, and conclusion. For a workshop, outline how much time you will allocate to any exercises that engage the audience. For a panel, exhibit the questions flow with allotted time for each section of questions. The paper’s content should be realistic with your estimated time.
Key Takeaways/Outcomes/Conclusion
Just as the abstract/summary is essential, so are the Key Takeaways, Outcomes, or Conclusions. Your audience must leave the session with at least three things they can take back. More than three is hard to remember. Less is fine.
Common Pitfalls to avoid
Here are some common pitfalls to avoid while writing your paper. These are simple yet significant
Selecting “All” for audience type
Not adhering to the rules for submission (font, words, page limits)
Lack of references/research to back up the paper
Missing concrete details in the content
Please use session-specific bios for the speaker/s. The biography outlines why the tentative speakers are well qualified and experts in the field to speak on the topic. It will give credibility to the paper
Do not state the obvious. Highlight the core points for contention
What the reviewers look for
Relevance of the paper to the overall conference and submitted track
Diversity in thought in the proposal so that it will attract a diverse and global audience (if the conference is international)
The technology described includes new, original, high impact, and cutting-edge research and implementation
The audience targeted matches the level of complexity and depth of content
The level described in the paper is the appropriate level of expertise to deliver high-impact content
The impact that the paper offers - inspiration, lessons, and tools that participants can bring back and share with the organization and community
In the third and final post, I will cover “How to prepare to speak at a conference”? To reference the previous post, refer to this link. Again, I would suggest reading the posts in succession.
Free Resources for editing your paper
https://www.grammarly.com/
http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
Reference
The guidance provided by Grace Hopper for the submission of papers
Suggest watching this - Ted Guide to great public speaking link
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