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I’ve spent a lot of time over the past two weeks helping a client put together its annual conference.  My role has been to help shape the content, identify good speakers, and then round them up.

Of course, with my mind on this topic, my blog might as well be, too.

Conference speaking is an oft-overlooked but incredibly effective approach to public relations.  You actually have a bit more control over your content, and it’s not as hard as you might think to get your speaker on the stage.  However, there are a few things you should understand as you prepare to make your pitch, whether it’s for you or a client.

A speaking slot is NOT an invitation to do a demo of your product!  Just as your news release shouldn’t just be a product plug, you need to have some sophistication in your approach to placing a speaker.  Hint:  any sentence starting with “My product…” is likely a pitch.  Steer clear.  The audience shuts down when they hear those words.  No conference director wants his/her event to be a pure advertisement.  Instead, focus on the demand for your product or service, or the need.  The attendees are smarter than you think, and will probably connect the dots for you.

Help the conference director do his/her job.  Even though most conference directors are stretched thin and harried, they’re probably not sitting around waiting expressly for your call.  Don’t just call them to announce you know an expert.  Have a session ready to go.  Something more than “Product Demo 101.”  Make sure it fits the conference, would have appeal to the attendees.  If the topics are already set out, work your speaker into those.  Be ready to demonstrate the speaker’s credentials: where has he/she spoken before?  How long has he/she been in the business?  Try a simple speaking biography (and be ready with a professional photo…head shot, please!) Oh, and if you wait until the week of the conference, it’s too late—start pitching the director for next year’s show at that point.  In other words, do your homework.

Have a speaker available who’s a good speaker.  Sounds like common sense, no?  Well…you’d be surprised.  At a minimum, have an average speaker who can convey incredible content.  And coach him/her.  A lot.  If people can’t understand what your speaker is saying, that speaker won’t be back, and won’t be invited to other conferences.

If your speaker gets the gig, make sure nothing falls through the cracks.  Presentation deadline?  Know it.  Meet it.  Specs for the PowerPoint?  Know them.  Meet them.  It’s these little details that make conference directors crazy, and which few speakers bother to worry about.  So if you’re the marketing person, the agency, or even just the front-line grunt getting your boss onto a panel, make it YOUR job to handle the details.  It makes a difference.

After your speaker leaves the stage, get feedback.  Don’t assume that because no one threw a shoe, your speaker was well-received.  Talk to the conference director afterward, even prowl the halls after the session asking what people thought.  Get the conference evaluation results if you can.  But find a way to determine what worked in your prep…and what didn’t.

If this all seems like common sense, that’s because it is.  Just use it, and enjoy the results