Speaking at a conference has many benefits – it helps you build your brand, establish yourself as a subject-matter expert, increase your professional network and open doors that can lead to new connections, jobs, referrals and so much more. Kara McKenna and I recently had the good fortune of serving as co-programming chairs of the 2018 #LMATech Midwest Conference, which was a great way for us to get to know each other better and also learn what makes a good and bad speaking submission.
We learned about innovations taking place within our industry and those legal marketers who are leading them. We also picked up some helpful skills on what makes a compelling speaking submission and the reverse of that – what does not.
After reading through more submissions than we can count at this point, we feel like we are in a position to give advice on how potential speakers can make themselves stand out from the pack. We put some tips together in an article for JD Supra “Want to Be Selected as a Conference Speaker? Here’s How to Increase Your Chances.”
Some quick notes: Becoming a conference speaker can provide ma ny opportunities to build a strong professional brand, but getting your foot in the door takes real work. So follow all of the instructions, go above and beyond, and always put yourself in the shoes of your fellow attendees.
If the thought of speaking at a conference overwhelms you but is something you eventually want to do, think about taking baby steps and starting with speaking at a local LMA lunch or webinar. Not only will this help build your confidence but it will also add to your resume when you decide to take the plunge and submit on a broader platform. A step right before this is to try writing, which is a great way to build your brand and establish yourself as a thought leader. A “walk before you run” approach, if you will.
We hope you find these pointers helpful – please feel free to comment and add some ideas of your own!