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How to Choose the Right Conferences to Speak At (And Which Ones Actually Pay)

How to Choose the Right Conferences to Speak At (And Which Ones Actually Pay)

by | Feb 18, 2026 | B2B Lead Generation, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales, Thought Leadership

If you're a B2B consultant or founder using speaking as a lead generation strategy, understanding the events landscape isn't optional — it's the foundation of your entire approach.

 

Most business owners who speak assume that the biggest, most recognizable events in their industry are the stages worth chasing.

Then they find out those events don't pay speakers. At all.

Now, not all business leaders seek a speaking fee. In the right circumstances, speaking for free could make sense—especially if you’re confident you can convert the room into warm leads.

But, if part of your motivation is to get paid to speak, those big illustrious industry conferences are not where you want to put your time and energy.

SXSW? Speakers receive a badge, no fee.

HubSpot's INBOUND?

Dreamforce?

Social Media Marketing World?

Same story.

Sure, these events will write six-figure checks for celebrity keynotes. But the industry experts delivering tactical talks, breakout sessions, and workshops?

They speak for free.

If you didn't know this, you're not alone. And if it stings a little to find out, that's understandable. What I don't want is for you to spend months chasing a stage that was never going to pay you — and feel deflated when you discover why.

Here's what I tell my clients: understanding the conference landscape is the first step in building a speaking strategy that actually generates leads and clients. This article will help you see the full picture.

 

Why the Big Names Dominate the Conversation

 

Part of what makes this so confusing is that the marquee events are the ones everyone talks about. They dominate the industry press, the LinkedIn posts, the conference highlight reels.

When you see a speaker's media kit packed with logos from big-name events, it looks like those are the stages that matter most.

But visibility and revenue are two different things. Conflating them is one of the most common mistakes B2B consultants and founders make when building a conference speaking strategy.

The big conferences are loud. They're not necessarily lucrative. And they represent a much smaller slice of the overall events landscape than most people realize.

When you choose conferences based on name recognition alone, you're optimizing for applause rather than pipeline. That's a costly mistake for anyone using speaking for lead generation.

 

The Four-Tier Events Landscape (And Where the Money Actually Flows)

Here's something the speaking industry rarely explains clearly: the companies hosting events — and hiring speakers — don't put all their eggs in the marquee basket. They build portfolios.

Companies distribute their event investment across four tiers, each serving a different strategic purpose. Understanding these tiers is how you shift from chasing stages to choosing the right rooms.

 

Tier 1: Flagship Events (15–20% of budget)

The big swings. Annual conferences, customer summits, signature industry forums. High production value, massive attendance, significant brand visibility. Think Dreamforce, INBOUND, Web Summit.

These events are important — but they're highly competitive for speaker slots, expensive to participate in, and rarely pay expert speakers. For most B2B consultants, the speaking ROI here comes from credibility and access, not a speaker fee.

 

 

 

 

Tier 2: Regional and Thematic Events (40–50% of budget)

This is where the bulk of event investment goes — and where most of the paid speaking opportunities live.

Industry-specific gatherings, regional conferences, customer workshops, and niche summits focused on a particular vertical or function. These events attract highly targeted audiences with strong purchase intent. They want expert speakers, they budget for them, and the audiences are often exactly the decision-makers and buyers you want in the room.

For B2B consultants building a speaking-led pipeline, this tier deserves strong attention.

 

Tier 3: Executive and VIP Experiences (20–25% of budget)

Intimate by design — executive retreats, private roundtables, invitation-only forums. Usually 15 to 30 people in the room.

The cost per attendee is high, but the return is disproportionate because these are the people making decisions. Landing a spot in one of these rooms means speaking directly to buyers, not just practitioners. If you're focused on conference speaking strategy for B2B, this tier is worth actively pursuing—through networking and relationship-building—even if it takes longer to access.

 

Tier 4: High-Frequency Touchpoints (10–15% of budget)

Webinars, virtual events, community meetups, and online forums. Lower production cost, higher frequency. This tier keeps companies and speakers visible between larger events and is often the easiest entry point for building a speaking track record.

 

The Difference Between Chasing Stages and Choosing the Right Rooms

This reframe — from chasing stages to choosing the right rooms — is at the core of what I call Presence-Forward Marketing. It's the difference between treating speaking as a performance and treating it as a pipeline.

Once you see the full landscape, you stop measuring a speaking opportunity by its name recognition and start measuring it by its strategic fit. Instead of asking "how do I get on the big stage?" you start asking better questions: Who is actually in the room at this event? Are these my ideal clients, or adjacent audiences? Is this event investing in expert speakers, or is it primarily a platform for sponsors? What's my plan for generating speaking ROI from this opportunity — whether it pays or not?

That last question matters more than most speakers realize. Because the goal isn't just to get booked. It's to build a speaking pipeline that consistently generates leads and clients.

The business owners who win at this aren't necessarily speaking at the biggest events. They're speaking at the right events — the ones where their ideal clients gather, where the audience is primed to hear their message, and where they have a clear system for converting attention into action.

 

Feature The "Vanity" Approach The "Presence-Forward" Approach
Goal Get on the biggest stage possible. Get in the right room for the buyer.
Metric Number of Instagram tags/Applause. Number of qualified leads/Pipeline.
Payment "Exposure" (Free). Speaking Fee + Client ROI.
Outcome Ego boost. Revenue growth.

 

 

When Big Events Do Make Sense

None of this means you should avoid marquee events entirely. There are legitimate reasons to pursue them, even without a speaker fee.

Credibility is real. Having a recognizable logo on your website or in your bio signals authority in a way that's hard to manufacture. If your ideal clients recognize that brand name, the association matters.

Access matters. Some rooms are only accessible through certain events. If your ideal clients are concentrated at a specific conference — even a no-fee one — being in that room may generate more speaking ROI than a smaller paid engagement elsewhere.

Personal goals count. Wanting to stand on a particular stage because it means something to you is a completely valid reason. You don't have to justify every speaking decision with a revenue calculation.

The distinction I'm drawing isn't "never speak for free." It's "never speak without a strategy." Every stage — paid or unpaid — should have a clear purpose in your business, and a plan for how you'll activate the opportunity once you're in the room.

 

How to Evaluate a Speaking Opportunity Before You Say Yes

When a speaking opportunity lands in front of you — or you're actively pursuing one — here's the framework I use with my clients to evaluate fit:

Audience composition. Who will be in the room? Are they buyers, gatekeepers, champions, or a mix? You talk should cater to who’s in the room—whether you're speaking to decision-makers or the people who report to them.

Event budget and intent. Is this event investing in speakers as a core part of the experience, or are speakers an afterthought? Regional and thematic events (Tier 2) typically treat speakers as central to their value proposition. Flagship events often don't.

Your activation plan. What will you do before, during, and after this event to convert attention into leads? Do you have an audience activator — a resource specifically designed for this talk — that captures interest in the room? Do you have a follow-up system ready?

If you can answer all three questions confidently before you say yes, you're choosing your stages. If you can't, you're chasing them.

 

Building a Conference Speaking Strategy That Converts

The speakers who turn their talks into a reliable source of leads and clients share a few things in common.

They understand the landscape. They know where the paid opportunities live, what the unpaid stages are actually worth, and how to evaluate events before investing their time and energy in pursuing it.

They choose their stages with intention. They're not chasing logos or prestige for its own sake. They're asking whether this audience, this room, and this moment align with where they're trying to take their business.

They show up with a system. They have a signature talk built to generate trust and leads — not just applause. They have an audience activator, a follow-up strategy, and a clear path from "great talk" to "new client."

Speaking is one of the most powerful tools available to B2B consultants and founders. Forty-five minutes of undivided attention from a room full of your ideal clients is something no algorithm can replicate. But that power only converts when you treat speaking as a pipeline, not a performance.

Understanding the events landscape is step one. Choosing the right rooms is step two. Building the system that turns those rooms into revenue — that's what makes speaking sustainable.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do speakers get paid at major conferences like INBOUND or Dreamforce? Generally, no. Most marquee industry conferences do not pay expert speakers for breakout sessions, workshops, or tactical talks. Speaker fees at these events are reserved for celebrity keynotes. Speakers at flagship events are compensated with a badge, visibility, and access — not a check.

What types of conferences actually pay speakers?
Regional conferences, industry-specific summits, thematic events, executive forums, and corporate events tend to pay speakers.

How do I know if a speaking opportunity is worth pursuing?
From a Presence-Forward Marketing perspective, consultant Sharí Alexander recommends evaluating it across four factors: audience composition (are these your ideal clients?), event intent (do they invest in speakers?), and your activation plan (do you have a system to convert the room?). If you can answer all three confidently, it's worth pursuing.

What's the difference between speaking for visibility and speaking for lead generation?
Speaking for visibility optimizes for reach and brand recognition — useful, but hard to measure. Speaking for lead generation treats every stage as a pipeline asset: you show up with a specific talk, an audience activator to capture interest, and a follow-up system to convert attendees into clients. The second approach is what produces measurable speaking ROI.

What is Presence-Forward Marketing?
Presence-Forward Marketing is phrase coined by Sharí Alexander of Elevated i. The term encapsulates a speaking-led growth strategy for B2B founders and consultants. Rather than treating speaking as a one-off branding exercise, it's a systematic approach to using speaking engagements as a client acquisition channel — turning stages into a reliable, repeatable source of leads and revenue.

 

What's Next?

If this reframed how you're thinking about your conference speaking strategy, here's how to take the next step.

Subscribe to Presence-Forward Marketing Journal— my weekly newsletter where I break down the strategy behind speaking-led growth for B2B founders, consultants, and executives. Every issue is practical, specific, and built around helping you turn speaking into a reliable source of clients.

 

Or if you're ready to build your speaking strategy now — let's talk. Book a discovery call and we'll map out which rooms actually make sense for your business, and what it would look like to build a system that converts them.

Subscribe to the Newsletter | Book a Discovery Call

The Speech-to-Sales System™: Why Speeches Don’t Drive Leads…and What to Do About It

The Speech-to-Sales System™: Why Speeches Don’t Drive Leads…and What to Do About It

by | Jan 26, 2026 | B2B Lead Generation, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales

The average B2B speaker converts 5% of the room. My clients hit an average of 30%. The difference isn't from improving presentation skills, it's from improving the system.

Most business owners who find their way to my work didn't set out to become speakers. They set out to build something—a business, a practice, a reputation. Somewhere along the way, they discovered that speaking gave them access to rooms, relationships, and results that content marketing alone never could.

And unlike another carousel post or email sequence, speaking feels different. There's something about being in the room—the energy, the connection, the immediacy of it—that lights people up in a way that screens never will.

I think that's because speaking is one of the last truly human marketing channels. In a world where AI can write your emails, generate your social posts, and even clone your voice, standing in front of a room full of people and sharing your ideas is irreplaceable. It's perhaps the one form of marketing that technology will never fully replicate.

When you speak, there's no algorithm between you and your audience. No feed to scroll past. No question about whether your expertise is real. For 20-45 minutes, you have their undivided attention—and by the end, they know you. They've experienced your thinking, your presence, your point of view. The relationship doesn't start at zero; it starts at trust.

That's why speaking fast-tracks relationships in ways that digital marketing simply can't. In B2B especially, where big deals depend on trust and relationships matter deeply to the sales process, a single powerful speech can compress months of nurturing into one afternoon. Introductions are made. Handshakes happen. People who walked in as strangers walk out ready to have real conversations.

For founders and executives who are tired of being tethered to a screen to grow their business—who want a more fulfilling way to build their brand than dancing for algorithms—speaking offers something rare: marketing that actually feels good to do.

Of course, this presence-forward approach isn't for everyone. But in my experience, it should be strongly considered by services businesses (B2B and B2C), SaaS companies, and niche industries selling enterprise-level offers. If you're the founder or have an executive team you can send to events, some pretty powerful things can happen.

The question is: why aren't more speakers seeing results?

The Gap Between the Applause and Your Sales Pipeline

If you've walked off stage to applause, collected business cards, and then watched those leads go cold... you're not alone.

The average B2B speaker converts only 5% of audiences into new leads for their services.

Here's what makes the disconnect so frustrating: speaking should outperform other marketing channels. Consider the comparison:

Channel Average Conversion Rate Engagement Depth Audience Intent
Digital Advertising (PPC) 1.4% – 2.0% Low (Scrolling) Transactional / Cold
Organic Social Content 1.1% – 1.7% Low (Scrolling) Passive / Discovery
Email Marketing (Nurtured) 2.4% – 3.0% Medium Warm / Relationship
Standard B2B Speaking 5.0% High (20-45minutes of attention) Educational / Captive
Speeches using the Speech-to-Sales System™ 30% – 50% Highest (Direct Connection) High-Intent / Qualified

Looking at these numbers, it makes sense why so many people overlook speaking as a pipeline opportunity. If you’re only getting 5% of a 50-person audience, that doesn't seem compelling when compared to 1.5% of tens of thousands.

But what if leads from event audiences could increase by 6x? And wouldn't those inherently be higher-quality leads?

Not only would every audience match your ideal client profile in industry and job title, but you'd also have their full attention for 20-45 minutes. Compare that to algorithm-driven audiences where most people aren't your ICP and your content flashes by in less than two seconds.

To earn 45 minutes of undivided attention from your ideal client online, you're looking at months of nurturing; some estimates suggest a year or more of consistent touch points before a cold prospect is ready to have a real conversation.

How many ads? How many pieces of content? How much budget and team bandwidth?

Or you could give a speech.

And what if I could help you 6x your leads from every speech? Wouldn’t those leads inherently be higher-quality than the ones from cold algo-traffic?

My argument isn't to abandon your company's online marketing. It's to take a strategic look at how speaking could enhance your marketing and sales. For the right people and the right businesses, speaking can be a channel for significant growth.

My clients convert an average 30% of audiences into new leads—some clients even reaching 50-75% conversion rates. Some clients close multi-million dollar deals that are a direct result from single speeches. I’ve had clients who used to get only 3-5 (or even 0) leads from speeches to then consistently getting 20, 30, 75+ warm leads from every speech.

Big deals don't close in comment sections. They close after handshakes, after hallway conversations, after someone sees you command a room and thinks, "I want to work with that person."

A single powerful presence at the right event can cut your sales cycle in half.

This approach isn't for everyone. But if you run a services business, lead a SaaS company, or sell enterprise-level offers in a niche industry — and if you or your executive team can get in front of the right rooms — speaking deserves a serious look.

From small businesses to enterprise sales, leveraging speeches can be a competitive advantage.

Every Speech Has 3 Goals

When preparing to give a speech, you likely focus on one objective: provide value to your audience.

Yes, that should be the primary goal. But it’s not the only one.

If we’re being honest, every speaker giving a speech at conferences, associations, and corporate events has three goals:

  1. To be of service to the audience by providing value

  2. To enjoy the experience

  3. To be of service to the business by generating new clients & customers

The first and third goals are created through craft and strategy. The second is personal preference—though I suspect anyone who chooses to speak does so partly because they enjoy the challenge of creating meaningful speeches and event experiences.

There's also something elegant in how serving your business (goal 3) flows from serving the audience (goal 1). If you don't achieve the first goal, you definitely won't achieve the third. Unfortunately, you can absolutely achieve goal 1 without making a dent in goal 3.

So what gives? How is it that good speeches fail to bring in more business?

Maximizing B2B Speaking ROI

The Real Problem Isn't Your Presentation Skills

"The content is good and I get good feedback. I guess there's something I could be doing better in how I present it.”

This is what the founder of a successful IT company said to me just days after the Chief Revenue Officer of a SaaS startup told me, "I'm sure there's something about our team's presentation skills that could improve."

Each wanted ROI from their speaking opportunities. Each was looking in the wrong place—their presentation skills.

People blame their presentation skills for lackluster results. Why? Probably because they're more familiar with the concept of presentation skills than they are with presentation strategy.

After coaching executive-level speakers for 20 years, I can tell you: your presentation skills are probably fine. Most professionals are good enough speakers to give good enough speeches and still deliver significant results to both the audience and the business.

Assuming you don't struggle with debilitating stage fright or significant impediments, your presentation skills are likely at a perfectly acceptable level.

What's missing is the strategy and system around the talk.

A Lead Generation System for Speakers

The Speech-to-Sales System™

Most B2B speakers put all their focus on the speech. When preparing their remarks and slides, all they're thinking about is what happens between stepping on stage and stepping off.

But if your speech is given with the hope of client acquisition, there's much more strategy you can apply before, during, and after.

Your presence at events is the spark. The Speech-to-Sales System™ is the engine.

Phase 1:

Finding High-Value Stages for B2B Lead Generation

Start by making sure you're in the right rooms—not just any rooms.

Everyone has a big stage dream. One event where it feels like they've "made it" and earned industry-wide respect. Big-name stages are exciting, and speaking there might give you a pop of brand awareness.

But generally speaking, those razzle-dazzle stages aren't your highest-ROI events. And they certainly aren't the only events where your target market is attending.

The Marketplace of Events

One of the first steps I take with my clients is doing event market research on all types of speaking opportunities within their industry:

Large events. Small events. Podcasts. Webinars hosted by non-competing companies. Online communities. Mastermind groups.

When clients see the comprehensive list, their eyes widen. They're surprised to learn how many channels of opportunity exist. There's always one or two events that end up being perfect because the audience and format align so well with the speaker's client avatar and speaking style.

Speech Formats

It’s important to know that “speaking” doesn’t just mean keynotes. It can mean:breakouts, workshops, webinars, training, fireside chats, interviews, AMAs, retreats, internal executive meetings.

Event Audiences

When you create an online ad, you build your own segmented audience. You tell the system your target demographics—geography, education level, household income, and so on.

You can't do that with events. Events have their own audience demographics: their own unique mix of industries, companies, and job titles.

While we'd all love every audience to be filled with buyers and decision makers, that's not always the case. To be more strategic, you need to know when your audiences are majority decision makers and when they're majority champions. Each perceive the same business problem through completely different lenses.

Champions Decision Makers
Relationship to the Problem Feels it directly and daily Broader scope considerations
What They Care About Friction + Pain ROI + Risk
What They Want from You Quick wins + tools Outcomes + growth

Just as you have an Ideal Client Profile (ICP) for your business, you also need an Assembled Audience Profile (AAP) for your speeches. This is how you ensure your speech aligns with both the audience's demographics and psychographics—their thoughts, feelings, and perceptions about the topics discussed at the event.

During this first phase, you want to find alignment among your target events, their assembled audiences, your message, and the services you want to sell.

Phase 2:

The Speech

The speech is the most enjoyable part. (At least, I think so.) This is where craft meets strategy.

But no matter how unique your speech might be, you still need strategy behind it that supports your goals: serve the audience, enjoy the experience, serve the business.

One Clearly-Stated Big Idea

Every effective speech hangs on a single, memorable idea. Not three ideas. Not a buffet of insights. One.

This doesn't mean your speech is simplistic. It means everything you share—your stories, your frameworks, your data—all points back to one central (and memorable) statement. When an audience member describes your talk to a colleague the next day, they should be able to say it in one sentence.

With my methodology, I work with clients to articulate their Big Idea before they write a single slide. If you can't say it clearly, your audience won't remember it clearly.

A Clear Structure

Structure is the invisible architecture that makes your content land. Without it, even brilliant insights feel scattered.

The most effective B2B speeches follow recognizable patterns: problem-solution, before-after, chronological narrative, or framework-based (where you walk through three to five components of a system). The specific structure matters less than having one at all.

Here's what I've noticed: speakers who struggle with "flow" usually don't have a structure problem—they have a Big Idea problem. Once the central argument is clear, structure often reveals itself.

Storytelling

Data informs. Stories transform.

Your audience will forget your statistics within hours. They'll remember your stories for years. The most effective B2B speakers layer both: they use data to establish credibility and stories to create emotional resonance.

The best stories for business speeches aren't dramatic origin stories or vulnerable confessions (though those have their place). They're specific client examples. Before-and-after narratives. Moments where the methodology you're teaching actually worked—or failed in an instructive way.

When I coach clients on storytelling, we focus on concrete details. Not "a client was struggling with sales" but "a SaaS founder in Chicago was watching her close rate drop from 40% to 12% over six months." Specificity creates believability.

Audience Activators for Lead Capture

This is where most speakers drop the ball entirely.

An Audience Activator is a simple, non-pushy resource that allows interested audience members to raise their hand and continue the conversation. It's not a sales pitch. It's not "hire me." It's a natural next step that serves the audience while also serving your business.

Of course, not all activators are created equal. A generic ebook or guide you created 7 years ago won’t convert because it wasn't built for this audience hearing this speech.

The activator should extend the value of your talk, not just exist alongside it. A checklist that helps them implement what you taught, a diagnostic tool, an expanded framework, or access to an event. Something useful enough that giving you their contact information feels like a fair trade.

During this second phase, you're building a speech that educates, entertains, and engages, while also creating a clear path for interested people to continue the relationship.

Phase 3:

Getting More Sales from Speaking

Most speakers treat the speech as the main event and everything else as optional. But those 20-45 minutes on stage are just a small part of your sales opportunity.

Before: Building Anticipation

The sales process starts before you step on stage.

When you're confirmed for an event, you have a window of opportunity that most speakers waste. Posting on social media isn't just about promoting yourself—it's about priming the audience. When people see your content before your session, they're more likely to attend, more likely to pay attention, and more likely to remember you afterward.

I encourage clients to research who’s attending and connect with prospects on LinkedIn before the event. Not to pitch, but just to introduce yourself and share what you’re looking forward to at the event. This small touchpoint means you're not a stranger when you take the stage.

You can also post teasers about your topic: a surprising statistic, a contrarian take, a question that your speech will answer. This creates anticipation and positions your session as a must-attend.

During: Capturing Interest

This is where your Audience Activator comes into play, but it's not the only in-speech sales moment.

How you introduce yourself and establish your credibility without sounding like a résumé recitation matters a lot. Weave your expertise into a brief story or observation rather than listing credentials.

How you close matters even more. Your final minutes should be some of the most memorable. And there should be a clear invite to next steps. Not a hard sell, but a clear articulation of what the Activator is and why it's valuable. I've watched speakers give incredible talks and then mumble through their call-to-action like they're embarrassed by it. Don't be. You've earned the right to offer something valuable.

After: Converting While Interest Is Warm

This is where the real work happens—and where most drop the ball.

You need systems in place to convert interest while it's still warm.

Automated follow-up sequences

Everyone who downloads your Activator should receive a pre-built email sequence that continues the conversation. Not aggressive sales emails—valuable content that reinforces your speech and gently moves toward a next step.

Personalized outreach

For high-value contacts, generic automation isn't enough. Within 48 hours of your speech, you should be sending personal notes to the people who engaged most—those who asked questions, approached you afterward, or fit your ideal client profile. A short, specific message referencing something from the event shows you're paying attention.

Content repurposing

Your speech is a content goldmine. A single talk has the potential to fill a year’s worth of content—from blog posts, to newsletters, to social posts, videos and more. When your audience sees your ideas again in their feed, it keeps you top of mind.

Event-specific visibility

Post about the event itself. Share photos, tag the organizers, thank the audience. It signals to everyone who attended (and everyone who follows the event) that you were there and that it mattered.

Once you've captured and nurtured leads, your company's natural sales cycle takes over. But without this infrastructure, warm interest cools off fast.

Why a Systematic Approach is the Key to Speaking ROI

Speaking is one of the most powerful ways to generate clients when it's treated as a system rather than a series of one-off events.

Speakers who convert 30% of the room instead of 5% aren't doing anything magical. They've just made strategic decisions to systematize what most people leave to chance: choosing the right stages, building talks that generate hand-raisers, and converting interest before it fades.

You now see something most speakers don't. You understand that the ROI problem isn't about charisma or presentation polish—it's about infrastructure. The speech is the spark; the system is what turns sparks into fire.

Your talk is probably fine. Your system might be what's missing.

What's Next

If you're speaking regularly but aren't seeing it convert into real client work, there's a gap somewhere in your system.

Maybe it's stage selection. Maybe it's the absence of an Audience Activator. Maybe warm interest is cooling before you follow up.

The Speech-to-Sales Playbook is a master checklist covering everything to do before, during, and after your presentations. It's designed to work as a template for any speaking opportunity: keynotes, workshops, webinars, podcasts, or executive meetings.

Inside, you'll find:

  • Pre-event preparation tasks to build anticipation and prime your audience

  • In-speech strategies for credibility, engagement, and lead capture

  • Post-event follow-up sequences to convert interest while it's warm

[Download the Speech-to-Sales Playbook →]

And if you want help mapping where you are now and having a Speech-to-Sales System™ for your business, book a discovery call. We can think through it together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Speech-to-Sales System™?

The Speech-to-Sales System™ is a three-phase framework developed by Sharí Alexander for turning speaking engagements into predictable client acquisition. The three phases are Stages (choosing the right rooms), Speech (building talks that generate hand-raisers), and Sales (converting interest into pipeline and content).

How do I convert speaking engagements into clients?

To convert speaking engagements into clients, you must implement a Speech-to-Sales System™ that manages the before, during, and after of a presentation. This means selecting stages where actual buyers are present, designing your speech to generate hand-raisers with a clear Audience Activator, and having pre-built follow-up sequences ready to convert interest before it fades.

What's a good conversion rate for B2B speaking?

The average B2B speaker converts about 5% of an audience into leads. With a systematic approach like the Speech-to-Sales System™, speakers who have worked with Sharí Alexander see 30% of audiences opt in, with some events reaching 50–75% conversion rates.

Why aren't my speaking engagements generating leads?

Most speakers struggle with lead generation because they're chasing prestigious stages instead of buyer-filled rooms, being reactive to opportunities instead of proactive, and lacking standardized follow-up systems. The talk itself is usually fine—what's missing is the strategy and system around it.

What is an Audience Activator?

An Audience Activator is a phrase coined by Sharí Alexander to describe a simple, non-pushy mechanism within your speech that allows interested audience members to raise their hand and continue the conversation. It's designed to capture warm interest without turning your presentation into a sales pitch.

What is presence-forward marketing?

Presence-forward marketing is a strategy developed by Sharí Alexander that prioritizes in-person visibility—particularly speaking engagements—as a primary channel for client acquisition. Rather than relying solely on digital content that competes with algorithms, presence-forward marketing leverages the trust, credibility, and relationship acceleration that happens when you're physically in the room with your ideal clients. It's especially effective for B2B services businesses, SaaS companies, and consultants selling high-value offers where relationships drive the sales process.

The One Story Every B2B Speaker Needs…And How to Tell It Well

The One Story Every B2B Speaker Needs…And How to Tell It Well

by | Jan 23, 2026 | Communication Skills, Influence, & Message Strategy, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales

Most B2B speakers don't have a storytelling problem. They have a client story problem.

They know stories matter. They've heard the stats about how audiences remember narratives better than data. But when it comes to actually weaving a story into a business presentation, they freeze. They briefly mention a client win, rattle off the results, and move on.

That's not a story. That's a book report.

The client story—the transformation of someone who worked with you from struggle to success—is the one story every B2B speaker needs to master. It's proof that your method works. It's relatable. And when told well, it does more selling than any slide ever could.

Here's how to tell it well.

Start With Intention and Obstacle

If there's one thing you absolutely need to know about storytelling, it's this: every story is built on intention and obstacle.

What did your client want? What stood in their way?

Aaron Sorkin—the writer behind The West Wing, A Few Good Men, and The Social Network—says it best: "I worship at the altar of intention and obstacle."

Well, I worship at the altar of Mr. Sorkin's writing. And if intention and obstacle are that important to him, then it should be that important to any storyteller.

In your client story, the client is the hero. So you must clarify:

  • What did the client want, need, desire, or demand?
  • What stood in their way, held them back, worked in opposition, or created some damned bad luck?

Most speakers whiz by this part. They briefly mention the intention, maybe the obstacle, and then jump right into their intervention and the actions that led to success.

That's why most B2B "stories" fall flat.

To give your story more oomph, describe the intention and obstacle. Let your audience in on the hopes and struggles.

Then raise the stakes.

Raise the Stakes So Your Audience Cares

The stakes give your audience a reason to root for your client.

Ask yourself: What would have happened if your client didn't succeed? What was on the line?

Stakes transform a case study into a story. Without them, you're just reporting outcomes. With them, you're creating tension that draws your audience in.

One way to raise stakes is to add a ticking clock—a strict deadline for success within the story.

This technique comes straight from Hollywood. Think Speed, Armageddon, Ocean's Eleven.

If your client had a real deadline—a product launch, a board meeting, a contract renewal—use it. Let your audience feel that clock ticking as your hero strives for success.

Don't fabricate urgency if it wasn't there. But if it was? It's storytelling gold.

Show What Your Client Tried Before You

In 2013, Emma Coats, a director and storyboard artist at Pixar, shared 22 storytelling rules on Twitter. One applies directly to B2B presentations:

"You admire a character for trying more than for their successes."

Here's what that means for your client story: tell your audience what your client had already tried—and how those attempts failed—before they found you and your method.

This does two things. First, it builds empathy. Your audience has probably tried similar things themselves. Second, it positions your solution as the thing that finally worked when everything else didn't.

Pair that with meaningful stakes, and you've got a compelling story, baby!

Show, Don't Tell

If there were a Ten Commandments of Storytelling, "Show, don't tell" would be the second one—right after intention and obstacle.

Of course, showing is easier when you're making movies or writing novels. In movies you have a camera to literally show something, and in novels you can use as many pages as you want for your prose.

 In speeches, you're mostly limited to your words and your voice.

The "hack" here is to use sensory language.

One of the most useful tools I learned from studying NLP (neurolinguistic programming) years ago is the VAK framework:

  • V – Visual (see)
  • A – Auditory (hear)
  • K – Kinesthetic (feel)

Transport yourself into the moments of your story. What would you have seen? What would you have heard? What would your body have been feeling? What about the other people in the story?

When you weave in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic language, your audience will see the story like a movie in their mind.

EXAMPLES OF SENSORY ADJECTIVES

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic
Clear Loud Solid
Bright Quiet Warm
Colorful Harmonious Cool
Dim Discordant Heavy
Focused Resonant Light
Hazy Melodic Smooth
Vivid Shrill Rough
Sparkling Silent Sharp
Dark Noisy Soft
Brilliant Tone-deaf Concrete
Foggy Rhythmic Tangible
Sharp Vocal Sticky
Dull Muffled Flowing
Illuminating Piercing Tight
Transparent Monotone Grounded
Murky Hushed Tense
Glowing Ringing Relaxed
Obscure Crisp Firm
Radiant Faint Pressure
Gleaming Thunderous Prickly

End With Transformation

Story is change.

If there's no transformation, there's no story.

Your client story needs to land on a clear before-and-after. Not just in metrics (though those help), but in state. Where were they emotionally, operationally, strategically before? Where are they now?

The transformation is the payoff. It's what your audience has been waiting for. And it's also what makes them think: I want that too.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a client story in B2B speaking?

A client story is a narrative that shares the transformation of one or more of your clients—from struggle to success, from challenge to victory. It serves as proof that your method works while giving your audience someone to root for. Client stories can be the foundation of an entire presentation, a five-minute vignette, or several brief examples woven throughout a speech.

How do you use "show don't tell" in a speech?

In speeches, you "show" by using sensory language—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic details that help your audience picture the story in their mind. Instead of saying "the client was stressed," describe what stress looked like: the tight shoulders, the 2am emails, the third cup of cold coffee on the desk. Sensory details turn abstract concepts into vivid scenes.

What makes a B2B presentation story compelling?

A compelling B2B story has four elements: a clear intention (what the hero wanted), a real obstacle (what stood in their way), meaningful stakes (what would happen if they failed), and transformation (how things changed). Most B2B speakers rush through these elements or skip them entirely, which is why their stories feel like case study summaries rather than narratives.

How long should a client story be in a presentation?

A client story can range from two minutes to twenty, depending on your presentation format. The key isn't length—it's structure. Even a brief story should establish the intention, the obstacle, the stakes, and the transformation. A longer story simply has more room to develop tension and sensory detail.

Should I use multiple client stories or just one?

Both approaches work. A single client story can anchor an entire presentation, giving you depth and emotional resonance. Multiple shorter stories work well when you want to show range or address different audience segments. The important thing is that each story follows the same structural principles—intention, obstacle, stakes, transformation.

Sharí Alexander helps B2B entrepreneurs and executives turn speaking engagements into more clients, without turning their talk into a sales pitch. Her clients routinely turn presentations into pipeline: about 30% of attendees raise a hand afterward—roughly 6× the industry benchmark.

This article was originally published in the Presence-Forward Marketing Newsletter.

Why One Speech Should Become Three: A Specialization Strategy

Why One Speech Should Become Three: A Specialization Strategy

by | Dec 5, 2025 | B2B Lead Generation, Communication Skills, Influence, & Message Strategy, Entrepreneurial Insights, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Influential Communication, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales, Thought Leadership

[FROM THE ELEVATED i NEWSLETTER]

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” — Herbert A. Simon

The Problem: One Talk, Too Much Information

Perhaps one of the most common mistakes I spot when working with a new client is that they try to fit a course’s worth of information into a single speech.

Chances are, your signature speech might actually have three speeches’ worth of content.

Realizing that is good news for two reasons:

  1. This could unlock why past speeches fell short of bringing in more leads (even though it felt like a solid speech).
  2. Looking ahead to 2026, you can deconstruct your current speech and have THREE speeches to offer events

If you feel like there’s something paradoxical about having a value-packedspeech that doesn't result in new leads or clients, you'd be 100% correct.

Logic would tell us that the more we put into a speech, the more compelled audiences will be to work with you.

But, alas.

We humans aren’t known for our rational decisions and behaviors.

In marketing, this phenomenon is often referred to as The Paradox of Choice. 

Distilled: when you present people with too many options (or too much information), they will choose status quo—making no decision and taking no action.

How Cognitive Overload Kills Your Lead Generation

Common side effects of a should-be-3-speeches speech:

  • The audience experiences cognitive overload
  • They feel a need to process the information or “do some homework” before they’re "ready" to work with you
  • They are confused about what you actually do and provide (even though they learned things)
  • They’re exhausted
  • They checked out
  • They learned some new perspectives and “nice reminders” but they didn’t understand precisely how to apply it in their life/business.

When it comes to speaking, the more that's added, the less that sticks.

So, rather than trying to talk faster, there’s a better solution.

Specialize Into Three Focused Talks

Specialize the speech.

What you think is one signature talk could be 3-5 strong, specific talks.

And now is a excellent time to specialize your speech because (thanks to AI) people can find solid, overview-style answers to plenty of questions and problems. 

Which means, today’s audiences are expecting (practically demanding) that speakers dive deep into topics.

We’re talkin’ nuanced.

We’re talkin’ niched.

We’re talkin’ “tell me perspectives and insights a robot can’t.” 

The win isn’t “cover everything.” It’s to go deep on one thing that matters.

Here’s another great reason to split your speech....

When you talk to meeting planners, you can offer 3 strong options instead of just one. It moves the conversation from “if” to “which.”

And who knows, they might want to book you for multiple engagements. 

Giving you more stage time with your ideal audiences.

Questions to Identify Your Talk Suite

Is your talk trying to do too much?

Ask yourself:

  • Can I state the one outcome in a single sentence without “and/also”?
  • Are there 3 distinct audiences who’d need different examples, context, stories, jargon, or metrics?
  • Do I have more than 2 frameworks in my speech?
  • Have you ever not gotten through all your slides?

If you can say yes to any of these, then you might have a suite, not a single.

Real-World Examples of Speech Specialization

  • We specialized Ben’s speeches into three audience types: individuals (professional development), organizations (cultural shifts), and men- or women-focused groups.
  • Eric shifted from broad marketing overviews to narrow marketing topics.
  • Elisabeth’s speech had a six-part framework. It was difficult to cover all six in shorter speeches, so we grouped them into three categories. That way she could drill deep into certain ones and lightly cover others. Plus, each category can be its own specialized speech.

Found this helpful?

Feel free to forward this to a colleague who also appreciates insights into maximizing ROI from speaking opportunities. 

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Simple Systems for Speaking to Grow Your Business

Simple Systems for Speaking to Grow Your Business

by | Oct 10, 2025 | B2B Lead Generation, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales, Thought Leadership

Most entrepreneurs and consultants who love speaking share a certain "gene" that lets us enjoy, and even thrive, on variety.

We like staying on our toes. Adapting to new rooms, traveling, meeting people, and thinking on our feet. Speaking gives us adventures in unpredictability.

So it makes sense that the same traits that make us strong speakers for our business can make us allergic to systems within our business.

And lately, I've been reflecting on the irony of this resistance: the very thing that gives us freedom on stage often limits our freedom off stage.

Because without systems for finding speaking opportunities, pitching yourself effectively, and converting audiences into clients, we stay in reaction mode.

Scrambling to create titles and descriptions when we see a speaking opportunity.

Making changes to our slides the night before.

Letting new contacts slip through the cracks of our follow-up.

And yet when you do have systems—even simple ones—you get freedom and choice back.

You know which stages are worth your time.

You know what to say yes or no to.

You know how to turn every talk into ROI.

Systems don't steal your freedom. They protect it.

The Hidden Cost of Winging Your Speaking Strategy

For founders and executives using speaking as a lead generation strategy, the cost of operating without systems goes beyond just stress and scrambled preparation. It directly impacts your business growth.

When you're always in reactive mode, you miss the speaking engagements that would put you in front of your ideal clients. You say yes to stages that don't align with your business goals because you don't have criteria in place. You deliver a great talk but fail to capture leads because you don't have a conversion system ready.

Speaking for business growth isn't about landing any stage—it's about landing the rightstages and knowing how to turn each speech into clients. That requires intentionality, not just improvisation.

The entrepreneurs and consultants who consistently get clients from speaking aren't necessarily better speakers. They're better at treating speaking as a strategic marketing channel rather than a one-off activity.

My Journey From Systems-Resistant to Systems-Obsessed

I resisted systems in my business for years.

That variety-craving "gene" I mentioned earlier? I've got it through and through.

But I finally saw the light. And surprisingly, I've grown to love building systems—mostly because I've experienced firsthand how they've helped me grow my business and become more effective as a speaker.

I'm not a productivity guru, but I know what works for speakers. After years of helping consultants and entrepreneurs build speaking into their lead generation strategy, I've seen patterns emerge. The ones who consistently book quality speaking engagements and convert audiences into clients all follow similar practices.

These aren't complicated. They're not glamorous. But they work.

How to Find Speaking Engagements: The System That Works

If you want to turn speaking into a reliable business growth strategy, you need a system for discovering opportunities before they're widely announced. Most entrepreneurs approach this backward—they wait for opportunities to come to them, or they scramble when they happen to spot something relevant.

The most effective approach involves three layers: capturing opportunities as you encounter them, staying ahead of event cycles, and being perpetually response-ready.

Capture Opportunities As You Find Them

Speaking opportunities appear throughout your week—in LinkedIn posts, email newsletters, casual conversations, and Google searches. The problem is they arrive at inconvenient times, so we tell ourselves we'll "come back to it later." We rarely do.

Instead, create friction-free capture systems:

Use tab groups. Stumble across an event link on LinkedIn or via a Google Alert? Drop it into a dedicated browser tab group labeled "Speaking Opportunities." Review this tab group weekly and transfer promising options to your tracking system. This takes thirty seconds in the moment and ensures nothing disappears into the void of your browser history.

Create an email folder. Forward any "interesting event" emails into one dedicated folder. Review it monthly—or have your VA do it. This is especially useful for newsletter announcements about calls for speakers or industry conferences you might want to target.

Save on LinkedIn. Hit "save" on posts about potential opportunities, then review your saved posts weekly. LinkedIn's algorithm will also start showing you more similar content once you demonstrate interest in speaking opportunities.

The key is making capture effortless. You're not evaluating whether something is perfect in the moment—you're just collecting possibilities to assess later when you have proper context and time.

Stay Ahead of Event Cycles

One of the biggest mistakes I see entrepreneurs make with speaking as lead generation is missing deadlines. They discover conferences or industry events they'd be perfect for—after the call for speakers has closed.

Most recurring events follow predictable cycles. Once you crack the code, you're always ahead:

Track your favorite events. Create a simple spreadsheet with columns for event name, typical date, application deadline, and your notes on audience fit. Every time you learn about an event—whether you apply or not—add it to this tracker. Update it after the event happens with actual dates for next year.

This isn't busywork. This is how you ensure you're applying to high-value speaking opportunities six months before your competitors even know applications are open.

Run regular searches. Set a monthly or quarterly reminder to scan for new opportunities using Google or AI prompts. Search phrases like "[your industry] conference 2026" or "call for speakers [your expertise area]" alongside your target audience descriptors. A VA can own this task entirely and send you a curated list monthly.

The goal is to build a personal intelligence system about where your ideal clients gather and when those events need speakers locked in.

Be Response-Ready

How to get clients from speaking starts before you ever take the stage—it starts with how quickly and professionally you respond to opportunities.

Meeting planners are juggling dozens of speaker applications. The consultant who responds in two hours with a polished pitch beats the consultant who responds in two days with a generic email, even if the latter is technically more qualified.

Prep your 2026 titles now. Meeting planners are already booking next year. Draft three to five speech titles and descriptions today—tailored to the outcomes your target audience cares about—so you can respond in minutes, not days. These don't need to be finalized; they need to be 80% ready so you can quickly customize them for specific opportunities.

Follow meeting planners on LinkedIn. Identify the people who book speakers for events where your ideal clients gather. Hit "follow" and ring the bell for notifications. Comment thoughtfully on their posts occasionally to stay visible. When they post about speaker searches, you'll be among the first to know—and they'll already recognize your name.

This layer of your system ensures that when opportunity appears, you're not scrambling. You're ready.

From Hunting to Harvesting: The Mindset Shift

These unglamorous habits separate speakers who wait for opportunities from speakers who create them.

But more importantly, they represent a fundamental shift in how you think about speaking for business growth.

Most entrepreneurs treat speaking like hunting—they go out periodically, search for an opportunity, bag one if they're lucky, then start over from scratch next time.

Entrepreneurs who successfully use speaking as a lead generation strategy treat it like farming. They plant seeds consistently (following planners, tracking events, building relationships). They tend their systems regularly (weekly reviews, monthly searches, quarterly strategy). And they harvest predictably (steady flow of speaking invitations, consistent client conversions).

You don't need to become a "systems person" to make this work. You just need to recognize that the alternative—constant scrambling—is stealing time, energy, and business growth opportunities from you.

Simple Systems, Significant Results

The irony I've come to appreciate is that building systems for how to find speaking engagements actually increases the variety and adventure I love about speaking.

When I had no systems, I was stuck speaking at whatever random opportunity appeared. Now, with systems in place, I have choices. I can be selective. I can say yes to the stages that excite me and align with my business goals, and confidently pass on everything else.

The systems don't constrain my spontaneity on stage—they protect it. They handle the predictable parts of the business so I can be fully present for the unpredictable, energizing parts: connecting with new audiences, adapting to room dynamics, and having conversations that turn into client relationships.

If you're an entrepreneur, consultant, or executive who's been avoiding systems because they feel boring or constraining, I'd invite you to reframe them. Systems aren't about killing your creativity. They're about channeling your creative energy toward the activities that actually grow your business—like delivering powerful talks that convert audiences into clients.

Start with just one system from this article. Track five events you'd love to speak at. Create a tab group for opportunities. Draft one speech title for 2026.

Small steps. Consistent action. That's how speaking becomes a reliable lead generation strategy instead of an occasional lucky break.

Because the entrepreneurs who successfully use speaking to grow their business aren't just good speakers. They're good at treating speaking like the strategic marketing channel it is.

How to Pitch Yourself for Speaking Engagements: Tips for Entrepreneurs and Executives

How to Pitch Yourself for Speaking Engagements: Tips for Entrepreneurs and Executives

by | Oct 3, 2024 | B2B Lead Generation, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Influential Communication, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales, Thought Leadership

Speaking engagements offer a powerful platform to amplify your influential voice, offer value, and attract new business. However, there’s an art to pitching yourself as a speaker that gets meeting planners excited to bring you into their programming. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to effectively pitch yourself for keynote, panel, or breakout speaking opportunities, with tips and tactics that will ensure your pitch stands out from the crowd.

Understanding How the Events and Conference Industry Works

There are many types of events where you could be a valuable speaker, and understanding some of the nuances of each event type will help you determine how and when you should pitch.

Larger conferences (1,000+ attendees) typically start scouting for speakers 6-10 months prior to the event.

Internal corporate training events tend to seek speakers about 2-3-months before their event date.

Local and regional associations that host regular meetings will be looking for speakers 2-6 months out, depending on how their board is run.

These general guidelines offer a solid foundation, but always be aware of exceptions. Knowing these timelines helps you stay ahead and align your marketing and outreach with an organizations call for speakers and speaker selection.

The Call for Speakers Process

Both conferences and smaller events often have a formal Call for Speakers process, which is when event planners publicly request speaker applications. Here’s what you should know:

  • Submission Portals: Many conferences have dedicated portals for speaker applications. Pay attention to specific instructions, deadlines, and format requirements. If you’re someone who wants to speak often, it’s a good idea to have pre-planned answers for common questions. You can then tweak your responses with AI tools and tailor your answers to the specific event for more personal customization.
  • Be Concise and Compelling: Submissions usually have strict word limits for speech titles, descriptions, and key takeaways (more on these coming up). Once again, AI tools have thankfully made this process easier as you can customize your answers to match their specific parameters. Make sure your responses are clear, powerful, and focused on the value you will bring to the audience.

Direct Outreach Outlets

Sometimes you can bypass the formal Call for Speakers by building relationships and marketing directly to decision-makers. Direct outreach, when done thoughtfully, can open doors.

It should go without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway) that any direct outreach should be considerate, high-quality, and value-giving - NOT spammy and annoying. Every communication should provide value and foster genuine connections.

Email Outreach

If you have an organization in mind, do your research. You can often find the right person to reach out to. If it’s an association, look for titles like VP of Membership, VP of Education, or Director of Programming. In some cases, you might reach out directly to the President - though they may point you back to one of the people previously mentioned. ****

Corporate speaking opportunities are a bit more nuanced. HR or Learning and Development teams often scout speakers, while decisions may made by a department head or a committees. Building relationships with both direct contacts and decision-makers is crucial.

Email Template

Hi [Planner's Name],

I’m reaching out because I’ve been following [Event/Conference Name], and I would love the opportunity to offer a keynote/breakout session on [your speech topic] at your upcoming event. Is this a good time to reach out and discuss, or will you be looking for speakers at a later date?

Briefly introducing myself, my name is [Your Name], and I specialize in [briefly mention who you serve, the problems you solve]. I believe that your audience would love to participate in a program that helps them [benefits].

I have 2 programs that I thought might be of interest, but I wanted to check in first to see if this is a good time. If you’re interested, I’m more than happy to send more information about the programs, along with some testimonials from past audiences.

I would love to discuss how this could fit into your event’s programming and bring value to your audience.

Please let me know if you’d like to schedule a call to explore this further.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Best regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Position]

[optional: Include link to speaking-specific page]

[Website/Contact Information]

LinkedIn DMs

If you’re connected with event organizers or decision-makers on LinkedIn, DMs are a great way to start the conversation. Keep initial messages professional, concise, and conversational. Build rapport before transitioning the discussion to email or scheduling a meeting.

Initial Outreach (First DM):

Subject: Speaking Opportunity for [Event Name]

Hi [First Name],

I noticed that you’re planning [Event Name] and wanted to reach out. Is this a good time to connect about potential speakers, or would it be better to reach out later?

A quick introduction: I’m [Your Name], and I specialize in [briefly mention who you serve, the problems you solve]. I believe your audience would appreciate a program that focuses on [specific benefits].

I have two programs that I think would align well with your event’s goals. If this sounds like a fit, I’m happy to share more details and testimonials from past audiences.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Warmly,

[Your Name]

Follow-up DM (If No Response After 5-7 Days):

Hi [First Name],

I wanted to follow up on my earlier message about potentially speaking at [Event Name]. I believe one of my programs would resonate well with [audience description], offering [brief restatement of the benefit or impact].

Would you be open to connecting for a brief chat, or is there a better time to discuss speaker opportunities?

Thanks again for your time,

[Your Name]

Response DM (If They Respond Positively):

Hi [First Name],

Thank you for getting back to me! [Linked/Attached] is some more information about the two programs I had in mind, including testimonials from past events.

Would you like to schedule a quick call to discuss how we can make this work for [Event Name]? I’m happy to work around your availability.

If it’s more convenient for you, here’s my [calendar link].

Looking forward to the conversation!

Best,

[Your Name]

Response DM (If They Respond With Interest But No Decision Yet):

Hi [First Name],

Thanks so much for your interest! I’d be happy to send over more information and how they could fit into [Event Name] closer to [suggestion timeframe].

Feel free to let me know if you'd like any further details.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Response DM (If They Respond Negatively or Decline):

Hi [First Name],

Thank you for letting me know! I understand. If anything changes or if future opportunities arise, I’d love to stay in touch.

Warmly,

[Your Name]

Mailers

Physical mail can be a surprising and refreshing way to stand out, especially in today’s digital age. Sending a professional, branded mailer with that creates intrigue with a short, engaging message can spark curiosity and open the door to further conversation.

Follow-up Tactfully

If you haven’t heard back after your initial outreach, send a polite follow-up 7-10 days later. Express continued interest, provide additional value (such as an article or content that might interest them), and avoid being pushy.

Crafting Your Speech Titles, Descriptions, Takeaways, and Bio

You need to cater to two audiences in your pitch:

  1. The meeting planner, who assesses whether your program matches the event’s goals.
  2. Your future audience members, who will decide whether or not to attend your session.

While I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to creating speech titles and descriptions, the following tips will help you level-up your pitches and get you more invitations to speak.

Speech Title

Your speech title is critical because it often determines whether or not someone continues reading your pitch. It needs to immediately signal value, be clear, and hook your audience's interest. Here are some tips for crafting strong titles, along with examples for tailoring to your clients’ industries.

Use a title/subtitle format for more clarity.

  • The Patient Journey: Leveraging Technology to Improve Patient Experience and Increase Referrals
  • Maximizing ROI in Healthcare: Cutting Costs WITHOUT Compromising Care

Decide on using pain-point-centered or benefit-centered titles that immediately signal value.

  • Breaking Through the Noise: A Proven Framework for Winning Agency Pitches Every Time
  • Solving the SaaS Retention Crisis: How to Reduce Churn by 25%

Incorporate audience descriptors (e.g., job titles) to attract specific groups.

  • Building Trust in a Digital World: Proven Tactics for Healthcare Administrators to Improve Patient Engagement
  • A Step-by-Step Guide for HR Directors to Boost Employee Retention by 20% with Personalized Learning Programs
  • Essential Metrics for CTOs: How to Optimize Product Development Cycles and Drive Innovation

Keep it simple and avoid jargon—write at a 7th-grade reading level to ensure clarity.

  • Consulting 2.0: Scaling Your Practice with Easy-to-Use Digital Tools and Automation
  • Digital Transformation Simplified: A Practical Guide for Accounting Firms to Increase Efficiency
  • AI in Action: How Law Firms Can Use Automation Tools to Save Time and Money

Use emotionally engaging language to pique interest. Even technical and analytical audiences respond to emotional triggers. (Yes, I’m talking you, engineering and finances folk.)

  • Engineering with Optimism: How New Technologies Are Increase Work/Life Balance & Satisfaction
  • Finding Relief Through Innovation: How Project Managers Can Cut Down On Team Overwhelm
  • Overcoming Uncertainty & Costly Mistakes: How AI is Helping Law Firms Navigate Complex Cases with Confidence

Find opportunities to be specific in your descriptions.

  • Data-Driven Decisions: Simplifying Funnels for 30% More Conversions
  • Mastering Client Retention: 5 Key Strategies for Digital Marketing Agencies to Double Retainer Renewals

Speech Description

Your speech description is the hook that sets the stage for your talk and draws attendees in. It needs to communicate why your topic is relevant right now, the specific problems it addresses, and how it will benefit both attendees and their broader goals.

Speech Description Tips:

  • Set the stage: Why is this topic important right now? Frame the problem in a way that resonates with the audience’s current challenges.
  • Address specific problems: Focus on the most pressing issue your talk will solve for the audience.
  • Highlight benefits: Go beyond the individual attendee and discuss how your session will help their teams, clients, or larger organizational goals.

Speech Description Template

Today [audience title] are facing [specific challenge] and struggling to [desired benefit]. This program offers [specific solution or approach] that will [final desired outcome]. By the end of this session, participants will have actionable strategies for [emotional and practical benefits].

Key Takeaways

This is a major differentiator for those who want to level up their pitches. Rather than simply listing what you’ll cover, focus on why each point matters and what transformation or benefit the audience will experience.

Key Takeaway Tips:

  • For each item, ask yourself: "So what?" Why does this matter to the attendee?
  • Phrase your takeaways in terms of what they’ll achieve or gain rather than what you’ll talk about.

Before & After Example:

Before: "Attendees will learn how to create effective digital marketing strategies."

After: "Attendees will walk away with a 5-step framework to design digital marketing campaigns that boost client ROI by 25%."

Before: "Participants will hear about leadership development."

After: "Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to implement leadership techniques that improve team performance by 20% in 6 months."

The Speaker Bio

Pretty much every client I’ve ever worked with struggles most when writing their bio. They dread the process only seconded by the dread of writing copy for their site’s About page. Hopefully this eases your struggle.

Your bio is your opportunity to establish credibility, but it should also connect with the specific program you’re pitching. Tailor your bio to make it clear why you’re the perfect speaker for this topic, in addition to (or rather than) giving a generic overview of your credentials.

Bio Tips:

  • Keep it relevant: Tie your experience directly to the session you’re proposing.
  • Humanize yourself: Consider adding a line or two about how your personal experience adds value to the subject.
  • Include a credibility marker: This could be a statistic, notable client, degrees, certifications, or key result you’ve achieved in the past.

Set the Tone

Your pitch should reflect your brand’s personality and connect with your target audience. If your style is quirky, lean into that. If you’re more pragmatic, let that shine.

A key takeaway here is that your speech title, description, key takeaways, and bio should all work together to create a compelling narrative of what attendees can expect and why you’re the best person to deliver that experience.

Pitching for speaking engagements can play a key role in your presence-forward marketing strategy. By understanding how the event industry works, crafting compelling content, and building relationships, you can significantly increase your chances of landing highly valuable speaking opportunities. Stay proactive and always focus on the value you bring to both the event hosts and their audiences.

How Elevated i Can Help

If you’ve ever had the sneaking suspicion that your message isn’t pulling its weight, you’re not alone. At Elevated i, we specialize in helping professionals like you maximize your impact at both in-person and online event opportunities. Whether it’s refining your message or crafting a comprehensive strategy, we’re here to support you.

How we can work together:

  • Executive Communication Coaching: Collaborate directly Sharí Alexander for high-level consulting and practical coaching. Together you’ll elevate your personal influence and your brand’s impact.
  • Thought Leadership Strategy & Execution: Whether fine-tuning a presentation, seeking a holistic event strategy, or or building an online thought leadership presence, Sharí’s team has you covered. From creating presentation slides and follow-up nurture sequences to crafting your thought leadership editorial calendar, we ensure your messaging is both consistent and compelling.
  • Workshops & Intensives: Laser-focused sessions tailored for individuals or small teams, covering topics like target market avatar development, editorial calendar creation, lead magnet strategies, pitching for speaking engagements, and signature program creation. Sharí also offers keynotes on influential communication skills.

If you’re ready to spark a conversation about working together, contact us here for a consultation, and let’s unlock new opportunities for your business.

Not quite ready for a phone call? Check out Sharí’s open office hours and sign up for the invitation list.

How to Find and Choose the Best Events for Speaking and Networking Opportunities

How to Find and Choose the Best Events for Speaking and Networking Opportunities

by | Oct 2, 2024 | B2B Lead Generation, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Influential Communication, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales, Thought Leadership

Whether you're a business owner, executive, or professional looking to boost your visibility and solidify your authority, attending and speaking at the right events can transform your business with leads and referrals. The right stage—whether it’s in front of 10 or 10,000 people—can generate business opportunities, expand your network, and elevate your personal brand. But how exactly do you find those game-changing events?

Below is a breakdown of ways to identify and select the best events to attend or speak at.

Later, if you’d like to take the next step and pitch your speeches to event coordinators, then check out this article, How to Effectively Pitch Yourself for Speaking Engagements But, before you start pitching, let’s explore how to find the events that will make the biggest impact.

Use AI Tools to Find Events

We live in a time where information is just a question away—literally. AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can serve as personal assistants when searching for the right events. All you have to do is ask the right questions.

Prompt #1

“List upcoming conferences in [your industry] between [specific months/year].”

If you don’t specify the date, you might receive results for past events.

Prompt #2

“Give me a list of upcoming conferences for [specific profession] in [specific city or state] with speaking opportunities.”

Location is an important consideration with events. Some people are willing to travel anywhere, while others might prefer to stay closer to home. During my “road warrior” days as a professional speaker, I embraced the hustle of constant travel from Los Angeles to all sorts of cities and towns. Now, living in Austin, I prefer engagements that are either driving distance or a direct flight away from our lil’ airport—a choice that supports not just my business objectives but my chosen life balance as well.

In searching for events by location, you might also consider specific destinations that you could turn into a nice vacation. When I plan my events for the upcoming year, I also do specific searches around cities where my family lives to tack on a visit.

Prompt #3

“What are some events similar to [EVENT NAME] and [EVENT NAME]”

I find this prompt particularly helpful when searching for niche, industry-specific events. This prompt helps me find more independently run retreats, workshops, and mastermind groups. If you know the names of a couple niche, harder-to-find events AI is great at discovering similar gatherings.

Bonus Tip

You might also consider telling the AI the number of results you’re wanting. Depending on the tool you’re using, your initial answer may contain only 3-10 results. I find that asking for 30-50 to be a good range.

After you get your first results, then ask, “Are there any more that you have not included in your initial list(s)?” Feel free to keep asking this question until you start seeing repeated result findings.

Using Google to Find Events to Attend or Speak At

I rarely Google much these days, but I have found it to be a helpful supplement to AI searches. Your Google search will likely reveal a few interesting events that slipped through the AI cracks. A simple search like, “Top conferences for [industry/profession] in [year],” can do the trick. When I did my search for the upcoming year, the second search result was a LinkedIn article published on a week prior from someone sharing their top event picks for B2B Marketing and Sales.

Check Convention Center Calendars in Major Cities

Another option is to look up the calendars for convention centers in cities you want to travel to. Major convention centers host the biggest, most impactful events across all industries - along with smaller corporate and industry-specific events.

Most convention centers will have an events calendar on their site. You can find these calendars by searching for “[city] convention center event calendar.” I recommend making it a habit to check these calendars quarterly or even annually.

Explore Industry Associations – Local, State, and National Chapters

Professional associations host some of the most valuable events because they cater directly to niche industries. Whether it’s a local chapter lunch or a national annual conference, associations are where you’ll find engaged professionals.

Searching AI or Google for “[Target Market] Associations” is easy enough. Depending on your speaking and networking goals, you might narrow your search to “[Target Market] Association [city or state]” to find local chapters for speaking opportunities closer to home or places you simply enjoy traveling to.

Use Event Aggregator Websites to Find Speaking Opportunities

Aggregator websites can be another helpful tool in finding conferences, trade shows, and summits from around the world. These platforms help you filter by date, location, and industry.

Some Platforms to Consider:

  • 10times: Global event discovery platform with conferences across industries.
  • All Conference Alert: Covers a wide variety of industries and is easy to navigate.
  • Conference Monkey: Aggregates conferences, workshops, exhibitions/fairs worldwide.
  • Eventbrite: Designed more for finding workshops and smaller events in your local area, some larger events do also use this tool.
  • Conal Conference Alerts: Specifically covering academic conferences worldwide, conference themes will cover a wide array topics.

Set Up Google Alerts for Target Markets

By setting up Google Alerts, you can stay updated without having to manually search for events.

Here’s How to Set It Up:

  1. Visit Google Alerts.
  2. Input keywords like “[industry] conference, summit, event”
  3. Choose how often you want to be notified—daily, weekly, or as they happen. (I find weekly perfectly fine.)

This automation saves you time and ensures you don’t miss out on new event announcements or opportunities to submit speaking proposals or get early bird ticket prices.

Create and Maintain Your Event Database

When you identify events that align with your business goals, it’s a good idea to create your own event database. Most events tend to occur around the same time each year, so having this information in one place allows you to plan ahead and submit your proposals in time for their call for speakers.

Review your database quarterly or annually to prioritize upcoming events and update any details. Stay informed about new and emerging conferences to add to your list.

Finding the right events to attend or speak at can takes just a bit of research. Thankfully, it’s now easier than ever. With a little planning, you can engineer an event strategy that will grow your business, expand your network, and establish yourself as a trusted, go-to thought leader in your industry.

How Elevated i Can Help

If you’ve ever had the sneaking suspicion that your message isn’t pulling its weight, you’re not alone. At Elevated i, we specialize in helping professionals like you maximize your impact at both in-person and online event opportunities. Whether it’s refining your message or crafting a comprehensive strategy, we’re here to support you.

How we can work together:

  • Executive Communication Coaching: Collaborate directly Sharí Alexander for high-level consulting and practical coaching. Together you’ll elevate your personal influence and your brand’s impact.
  • Thought Leadership Strategy & Execution: Whether fine-tuning a presentation, seeking a holistic event strategy, or or building an online thought leadership presence, Sharí’s team has you covered. From creating presentation slides and follow-up nurture sequences to crafting your thought leadership editorial calendar, we ensure your messaging is both consistent and compelling.
  • Workshops & Intensives: Laser-focused sessions tailored for individuals or small teams, covering topics like target market avatar development, editorial calendar creation, lead magnet strategies, pitching for speaking engagements, and signature program creation. Sharí also offers keynotes on influential communication skills.

If you're ready to spark a conversation about working together, contact us here for a consultation, and let's unlock new opportunities for your business.

Not quite ready for a phone call? Check out Sharí’s open office hours and sign up for the invitation list.

Presence-Forward Marketing: A New Paradigm for Connecting with Your Audience

Presence-Forward Marketing: A New Paradigm for Connecting with Your Audience

by | Aug 22, 2024 | B2B Lead Generation, Event & Conference Marketing, Featured, Presence-Forward Marketing & Sales, Thought Leadership

What is Presence-Forward Marketing?

At its core, presence-forward marketing is maximizing ROI from live—in-person and online—marketing and sales opportunities. Whether you're speaking at events, appearing on podcasts, leading webinars, or attending conferences, presence-forward marketing blends real-life interactions with digital practices to drive business growth.

Evolving Marketing Strategies

The bottom level of the presence-forward marketing pyramid consists of 2 categories: traditional marketing and digital marketing. Under Traditional Marketing is Print Advertising Newspapers Magazines Brochures, Flyers Broadcast Radio & TV Commercials Direct Mail Outdoor Ads Telemarketing Sponsoring Events PR, Media Interviews Advertorials. And under Digital Marketing is: Content Marketing Articles Lead Magnets Podcasts Virtual Events Email Marketing Digital Ads Media Buying Affiliate Marketing Mobile & SMS Marketing Social Media Marketing Search Engine Optimization. The top layer of the pyramid is labeled with Presence forward marketing. There are arrows pointing from the bottom level to the top level.

Traditional marketing and event-based marketing have been staples in a company's promotional toolkit. However, when digital marketing took off, businesses with even small budgets could connect with audiences miraculously at scale.

Digital leveled the playing field. Many entrepreneurs, like myself, were able to forge careers that would have been near impossible just years before. For the past 20+ years, the marketing pendulum has swung heavily to all things digital. Business of all sizes - from Fortune 500 companies to solopreneurs - have been enamored with how to leverage and optimize online platforms.

Now with AI’s expansion and near-omnipresence, something interesting is happening.

Audiences more skeptical of what they see online. Wondering, even doubting, if a "person" on their screen is human or not.  Which means, this new era of business is creating opportunities for people and brands who recognize that their presence can be a competitive advantage. Trust-building, interactions and meaningful connections are valued more than ever before.

The Benefits of Presence-Forward Marketing

 

  • Presence as a Competitive Advantage
    The value of genuine interaction has never been higher. Whether in person or through live online engagements, direct interactions offer proof of one's expertise and skills. Thanks to online marketing, smart and charismatic leaders can utilize live events not only to create meaningful connections, but also to scale their message and brand visibility more effectively than ever..
  • Shorter Sales Cycles
    The fastest way to build trust and familiarity is through direct, shared experiences. Presence-forward approaches rapidly build trust and boosts referrals.
  • Lasting Impressions
    Unlike the fleeting nature of a social media feed, live in-person and online events leave lasting impressions.
  • Loyalty & Extended Lifetime Customer Value (LCV)
    Interactions foster deeper connections, leading to better-aligned collaborations, longer business relationships, and client loyalty.
  • Empowers Your Champions
    Presence-forward also offers opportunities to engage with company team members who can share your message (and your services) up the chain of command, putting your brand directly in front of decision makers.

Comparing Budgets for Digital & Presence-Forward Marketing

The budgets needed and the ROI to expect from both online and event-based thought leadership are often a bit of a mystery for many people. And it's understandable because each are their own specialty, and few have in-depth experience with both.

So, I hope you find this resource helpful as you decide on what blend of live and online marketing approaches are the right fit for you.

It's been my experience that most people understand the general benefits of each option, but fully aware of the hidden costs of online marketing and the hidden returns of presence-forward approaches. Just as one example, thought leadership generated from a single speech or event has the potential to fuel a year's worth online content. In fact, many of my clients find it easier to delegate and streamline their online efforts by using their speeches as ready-made source material.

General Marketing Budgets: 7%

Typically, businesses earmark about 5-10% of their total revenue for marketing. For simplicity, let's use a middle ground of 7%. Below are some typical benchmarks for general marketing budgets:

  • Solopreneur ($150k in revenue): $10,500
  • Small Business ($1M in revenue): $70,000
  • Mid-sized Business ($5M in revenue): $350,000
  • Growing Enterprise ($10M in revenue): $700,000
  • Established Company ($30M+ in revenue): $2,100,000

Presence-Forward Marketing Budgets

Average Registration Fees for Events and Conferences

Local community events, like association chapters, industry networking gatherings, and small seminars, are often free or cost less than $100 to attend.

The registration fees for larger, multi-day events and conferences tend to range from $300 to $2,500, depending on the event's prestige and scope.

Some more all-inclusive events average registration fees between $5,000-$8,000+. These high-end events usually provide elite networking and unique experiences beyond the usual business conference.

It's important to note that when you’re speaking at an event, your registration fees are often waived.

Average Travel and Accommodation Costs for Events

  • Airfare: $300-$600 for domestic flights.
  • Hotel: $150 to $300 per night, with the higher-end hotels charging $600-$800 per night
  • Food: Many conferences include some meals, so food and incidentals tend to range from $50 to $150 daily. I’d recommend that you also plan for at least one or two meals equating to a 'fancy' night out.

Total Investment for Events: Low, Medium, High Scenarios

 

I hope that understanding these costs can help you budget (and strategize) for the number and type of events that best suit you. Depending on your chosen tier of event, you might expect to budget for: 

  • Minimal Cost Event: less than $100
  • Low Cost Event: $600
  • Medium Cost Event: $2,750
  • High Cost Event: $5,150

How Many Events Should You Participate in Each Year?

The number of events you should participate in - either attending or speaking - will depend heavily on your business goals.

  • Selective Engagements
    A substantial portion of my clients focus on speaking at 1-3 key in-person events and 6-12 webinars each year. 
  • Average Frequency 
    Generally, on average, founders and executives who embrace a presence-forward approach tend to speak at 1-4 events and/or webinars each month.
  • Active Presence-Forward Executives:
    At the upper end, some larger organizations will send C-Suite and senior leadership to events throughout the year, engaging in in-person and online events as often as 4-8 times a month. 

In addition to speaking opportunities, founders and executives will attend (and not speak at) events 1-3 times a year. 

Digital Marketing Budgets (B2B)

Here’s an overview of typical digital marketing expenditures for B2B companies.

Common Digital Marketing Channels and Their Costs

  • Digital Advertising This includes creating and placing targeted ads on search engines, social media platforms, and other digital spaces where costs are determined per click, per impression, or per action.

    Agencies might charge a setup fee ranging from $500 to $5,000+, with ongoing management fees of 10-20% of ad spend and/or a monthly retainer of $1,000 to $10,000. Considering the variety of advertising formats and strategies, the average monthly spend can be around $2,500-$5,000 (more if you've got the budget for it).

  • Content & Social Media Marketing Engaging in organic content creation and social media marketing involves posting content online, without the ad spend. The time investment for creating compelling content and building a strategy for it is no joke—taking anywhere from six months to a year to begin yielding tangible results. If outsourcing, monthly retainers for comprehensive content services can range from $2,000 to $20,000.
  • SEO (Search Engine Optimization) SEO efforts enhance your website's visibility in search engine results. SEO services typically range from a monthly retainer of $750 for basic services to over $10,000 for advanced strategies in competitive sectors.

Consider Your 80/20

For my clients who prioritize presence-forward strategies, they tend to dedicate 80% of their marketing budget to those efforts. I'd say the average business invests about 20% in these thought leadership and event-focused approaches.

Interestingly, the work done in presence-forward marketing can often cover a significant portion of the content and design needs for digital efforts, creating a lovely and harmonious blend between the two strategies.

Time Investment for Speech Development

Speaking of speeches, we know that there's more than just a monetary investment there's also a time investment. And many people aren't sure what to expect or plan for when creating different types of speeches. I hope this section helps you in the project management side of things,

Creating a speech from scratch—including content/scripting to slide design to rehearsing—can take an average of 45 hours. Hiring a designer for the slides or working with a coach can significantly reduce those timetables.

If you're refreshing an existing speech, the time investment can range from 2-10 hours if done on your own.

The more savvy presence-forward folks know that the time invested into a speech is simultaneously time invested in sales funnels, social media content, and other creative marketing touchpoints. 

Generalized Conversion Rates

It no longer surprises me when a founder or executive tells me that they don't have a system in place for tracking leads or other ROI benchmarks when it comes to events. In a lot of ways, if makes sense. when you get a speaking engagement, focus on the speech. But, like all things in business, tracking can empower more strategic and fruitful moves in the future.  

For those who do track, typical conversion rates hovering around 5-10% of the audience. (A conversion meaning # of audience members to # of leads generated.) There are plenty of other things one could track from events, but that's more speaker/event specific and perhaps a topic for another article. 

For comparison, my clients have an average lead conversion rates of 15-30%, which top performers achieving 50-75%. This dramatic increase is the result of intentional strategies and a well-rounded approach to maximizing engagement before, during, and after each event.

In comparison, B2B digital advertising campaigns tend to see much lower conversion rates. On average, paid digital campaigns produce a 2-5% conversion rate, with highly optimized campaigns sometimes reaching 10%. Organic content marketing and social media efforts typically result in even lower conversions, often below 2%.

Please know that this is not an either/or proposition. I believe that every company can find their right blend of both presence-forward and digital marketing. I also encourage brands to apply the same level of intention and strategy to their live, interactive events as they do to their digital efforts. The beauty of presence-forward marketing is that the one-time effort a founder or executive puts into a single presentation can be easily repurposed across all digital platforms—often requiring significantly less time from them in the long run.

Who Can Benefit from Presence-Forward Marketing

Presence-forward marketing works successfully across industries and company sizes. In addition to the biz dev motivations, founders and executives typically discover personal and operational benefits, too.

Personal Alignment

On a personal level, professionals who enjoy speaking and connecting with people find presence-forward marketing perfectly aligned to their communication strengths. My clients tend to express how they feel like “teachers at heart” and receiving a sense of fulfillment from giving value to their industry.

While the digital realm operates under the “Law of Algorithm”—bending to the whims of ever-changing platforms, live events and interactions leave room for the “Law of Attraction” to work its magic. Unanticipated and serendipitous moments often plant seeds of opportunities that eventually flourish for the company and the bottom line.

And then there's the sense of empowerment that follows the realization that one's competitors don't have the same kinds of communication skills and are limited to just the digital content creation landscape. "They" can't do what you can do.

Operational Benefits

First, presence-forward marketing creates built-in deadlines. When you're committed to a live event or speaking engagement, the date is set, forcing you to prepare and execute your thought leadership—no room for procrastination. This can be a game-changer for busy executives and entrepreneurs, helping them stay on track.

It also simplifies editorial planning and delegation. Events and speeches can naturally become source content that can be repurposed across other platforms. This makes it easier to delegate and stay consistent.

Events also provide you with instant audience feedback. Unlike digital marketing, where results are delayed or filtered through algorithms, in-person interactions offer immediate reactions, helping you adjust your approach on the spot (and later online) if needed.

Finally, presence-forward marketing leads to targeted audience building and list generation. By engaging directly with your audience, you're not just creating content—you’re forming relationships.

Materials and Tools for Presence-Forward Marketing

If presence-forward marketing is something you’d like to embrace and be more intentional with, here are some helpful materials to consider having on hand to help you streamline your efforts

  • High-quality headshots
  • A concise and compelling bio (2-3 paragraphs)
  • well-crafted program titles and descriptions
  • Speaker, podcast, and/or media Kit
  • (optional) Speaker footage: While B2B speakers don’t usually need this, it’s worth considering having some audio or video of you speaking—whether it’s on stage, in a webinar, on a podcast, or even "talking head" videos. 
  • (optional) Speaker website: Again, not necessary for most B2B presenters, but many of my clients who are founders prefer to have one site dedicated to their core business and a (simple) site specifically for speaking opportunities.
  • Free offer or lead magnet
  • Prepared follow-up nurture sequence
  • A CRM
  • An editorial calendar

The Holistic Impact of Presence-Forward Marketing

Presence-forward marketing isn’t just about promoting your business—it’s about growth, both personal and professional. It challenges you to communicate your message with clarity and conviction, enhancing not only your brand but also your personal development. As your business evolves, so too will your approach, adapting to new challenges and seizing fresh opportunities. Ultimately, presence-forward marketing offers a holistic, impactful way to connect with your audience, ensuring your message not only reaches but resonates with them.

Idea Management for Subject Matter Experts and Fast Thinkers

Idea Management for Subject Matter Experts and Fast Thinkers

by | Apr 14, 2023 | Entrepreneurial Insights, Featured, Influential Communication, Thought Leadership

For the thought leadership-inclined, having enough ideas is never a problem. Having too many ideas is the frustration, especially when those ideas swirl without turning into actual actions.

Subject matter experts may face this issue more than others since they constantly think of ways to serve and educate their target audience. But, if ideas only end up as a pile of post-it notes, neither the audience nor the business are well-served.

Leaders are pretty familiar with time and project management principles, but few have explored the fundamentals of idea management – the process of capturing, prioritizing, and iterating on ideas before they turn into actual projects and tasks.

Thankfully, technology is making idea management easier than ever before. The key is to use tools that match your communication style and can easily integrate into your preferred project management system.

Before we discuss tools and processes, let’s start with the first step in any idea management journey – finding your sandbox.

 

Pick Your Sandbox

 

A sandbox is a space where you can play with your ideas. It is a tool that makes it easy for you to brainstorm and explore ideas without the expectation of perfection. Having a sandbox gives you permission to freely explore ideas, which can be edited and iterated upon later.

Sandboxes come in many forms because everyone comes up with their ideas differently. Here 3 sandboxes you might consider:

 

Sandbox #1: Voice Memos

If you often find yourself having great ideas while on the go, then voice memos might be a great choice for you. And thanks to numerous AI tools, having a voice memo process is easier than ever.

    • Step 1: Pick your voice memo tool. Popular options include Otter, Telegram, Apple’s native Voice Memos, or Android’s Voice Recorder apps.

    • Step 2: Record your ideas. Talking out your ideas may be more natural for you than typing them out. Since your phone or smartwatch is on your person practically all day, every day, you can capture an idea in a voice memo without hardly missing a beat.

    • Step 3: Transcribe your audio. Use whichever AI transcription tool you like. I tend to use Telegram or Descript. Afterward, you can put both the audio and transcription in your project management system.

 

Sandbox #2: Morning Pages

Morning Pages is the practice of typing or writing down your thoughts stream of consciousness style. 

When people struggle with writer’s block or feel stuck staring at a blank page, it’s usually because they haven’t given themselves permission to play or get messy with their ideas. Morning Pages is the act of giving yourself that permission.

    • Step 1: Pick a topic and type out whatever comes to mind. Structure and grammar are thrown out the window; just let your mind wander.

    • Step 2: Highlight the gems. Select and highlight the most valuable ideas as they appear. Then, just keep typing.

    • Step 3: Copy/Paste your highlights into your task management system. Grab the highlighted gems and put them into your to-do list.

Sandbox #3: Whiteboarding

 

This one is for those of you who think visually. In the past, whiteboards (or mind maps) were pretty much limited to analog options – sketches on paper, post-its on the wall, or actual whiteboards with dry erase markers. But thankfully, those days are behind us and digital whiteboards are just about everywhere.

 Some of my favorite tools – like Canva and ClickUp – have added whiteboard functions. And Apple’s Freeform is a solid option as well.

Using whiteboards are particularly helpful when you want to play with the structure of an idea or figure out a workflow. 

    • Step 1: Sketch out your ideas. Start with your central idea and branch out from there into related subtopics, examples, or stories. Move and rearrange the ideas until it “clicks” for you.

    • Step 2: Export or link your whiteboard into your project management system.

 

Prioritize & Manage Your Best Ideas

 

Let’s be honest, not all of your ideas are going to be great. That's why you need an easy way to sort through ideas and decide which ones to pursue.  

If you don’t prioritize your ideas, your list becomes confusing and overwhelming. Prioritizing helps you quickly assess which ideas deserve your time and energy, and which ones can wait. 

How to prioritize ideas:

    • Urgent – This indicates that an idea that has deadline associated with it. These are ideas that need to be done soon. I don’t use the “urgent” priority too much when working on thought leadership or content creation ideas, but I will use it if the idea is for an upcoming conference or calendar event. 

    • High – High priority ideas are ones that align with company goals and speak directly to the problems and goals our ideal clients. These should take priority because they support your business objectives.

    • Normal – These are for good ideas, but ones that don’t quite yet hit the mark for one of the above criteria. They’re worth working on, but not until the urgent and high priority ones are taken care of.

    • Low – These are seedling ideas that lack clarity but have potential. They’re worth revisiting later, but not right now.

 

Idea Management Is Key for Thought Leadership

 

Managing your ideas is just as important as managing your time and your projects. Without a clear process for sorting through your ideas, you may find yourself overwhelmed and unproductive. By using these prioritization and idea iteration processes, you can focus on your best ideas that will make the biggest impact for your brand.