Speaking at industry conferences can be a great way to showcase your expertise, gain exposure, and network with other professionals in your field. But how can you make the most of this opportunity and reap the benefits for your career and business? Here are some tips to help you prepare, deliver, and follow up on your presentation.
The first step is to select a topic that is relevant, interesting, and valuable for your audience. You want to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in business intelligence (BI), but also address a problem, challenge, or trend that your peers and potential clients care about. Think about what you can offer that is unique, innovative, or practical, and how you can communicate it clearly and engagingly.
Topic (Not niche) There is a huge difference between both the topic and niche Let me describe it using an example! You can identify the niche as a sector Suppose I take the coffee sector But, the topic defines exact segment you need to focus on Suppose, There are many coffee variants American coffee Filter coffee Cold coffee Even Starbucks coffee! So we should need to be aware of such variants in every industry... That's how an business intelligence (bi) showcase his expertise So, if you aware of this you can easily identify what was the best coffee for that environment and what was the best way to sell it!
Once you have your topic, you need to craft your presentation in a way that captures attention, informs, and persuades. Use a clear structure, a catchy title, and a compelling story to convey your main points. Use visuals, examples, and data to support your arguments and illustrate your insights. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical details that might confuse or bore your audience. And most importantly, practice your presentation several times, get feedback, and refine your delivery.
During your presentation, you want to create a connection with your audience and encourage interaction. Use eye contact, gestures, and vocal variety to show enthusiasm and confidence. Ask questions, invite comments, and address feedback to stimulate discussion and involvement. Use humor, anecdotes, and metaphors to make your presentation memorable and relatable. And don't forget to thank your audience for their time and attention.
A useful way to engage is to take a look at attendee companies & prepare examples from the same industry - say automotive or banking. Another technique useful is to weave a story - right from key global industry examples, connecting them to local issues, injecting some attendee company examples (if possible), linking to a business theme and connecting to the emerging use cases around AI.
Speaking at a conference is not only a way to share your knowledge, but also a way to promote yourself and your work. You want to make a lasting impression and create opportunities for future collaboration and business. To do that, you need to include some information about yourself, your background, and your contact details in your presentation. You can also create handouts, flyers, or business cards to distribute to your audience. And don't be shy to network with other speakers and attendees before and after your session.
Create some noise in this noisy world! No one cares about you unless you make some noice Many people consider it as self pride describing Or Showcasing your best yet! It's really important to show your best. In this digital world - opportunities have always been created by 3rd person who is watching in his digital/mobile screen So, make your presentation hook focus to create flyers/pitch/presentations hook not only persons in front of you But, also besides you!.... Make your wings give shelter to other birds as well! (Speakers) What I mean is networking with co speakers for reviews and feedbacks! The more you showcase what you know the more you feel confident regarding your personality as well!
The last step is to follow up and follow through on your presentation. You want to maintain the relationships you have built and leverage the exposure you have gained. You can do that by sending thank-you notes, feedback surveys, or additional resources to your audience. You can also share your presentation online, on social media, or on your website. And don't forget to follow up on any leads, referrals, or inquiries you have received from your presentation.