How can you turn your conference presentation into a career development opportunity?

This involve strategic planning and leveraging platform to showcase expertise, expanding network and enhancing professional reputation to approach this 1 Choose topic that align with expertise, interest and career goals 2 Using presentation to demonstrate thought leadership in area of expertise sharing insight, perspective and solutions addressing key issue 3 The expertise and experience need to be highlighted via presentation 4 Foster engagement and interaction with audience during presentation 5 Explore opportunities to network during, before and after the presentation 6 Promote the presentation using professional network, social media to generate interest 7 Document experiences and follow up with attendees to nurture relationship

The two easiest ways to turn a presentation into a career development opportunity are to either have a service that does for the audience what you described or to have a version of the talk that you could give to the employees at a company one of your audience member owns. You want, when you're done speaking, for the audience to know, if they're in the market for your services, that you're the one they should hire.

Don't talk about what you do if you want to build career opportunities out of a speaking engagement. I mean in a sales way. I see this fairly often. I think the key during any conference presentation is to talk about a subject that is important to you, but even more important to the audience. Focus on delivering value and insights that resonate with the audience's interests and challenges. Your message needs to spark engagement and connections. You must resonate with them, and in doing that, you will make great connections that will want to learn more of how you can help them.

Choose your conference presentation topic wisely for career development by aligning it with your expertise, audience interests, and industry trends. Select a subject that showcases your skills and offers valuable insights and solutions. Research the conference audience to ensure relevance and resonance. Consider the potential for networking and exposure in your chosen topic area. By selecting a relevant and engaging topic, you can maximize career development opportunities from your presentation.

Choose a topic that both resonates with you, and solves a problem for your audience. Find the place where your passion, skills and your audience's needs overlap and you have a perfect topic that will help you raise your profile and potentially open doors for you.

Add your presentation information and video to LinkedIn. You can create a post, article, or video post. Add the elements into your LinkedIn profile, for more long-lasting impact. I love to showcase videos from the Featured section of the profile

If there's an opportunity to share your presentation after the fact (in my case, I present for Fast Company and Inc. on the regular, and there are video recordings they share), it's a great way to promote your presentation and get more people interested in what you do. It can also serve as a great jumping-off point to create a reel of your skills, which in turn can lead to fantastic new opportunities. It's also really important to have a website that features your work so that people can look you up and see what you're all about. Think of it like a fishing lure in the water--if your bait isn't out there, you can't catch any fish!

To get the word out about your conference presentation, start by sparking curiosity on social media with sneak peeks and join conversations using the event's hashtags. Send out an email blast to your followers, sharing what they can expect and why they shouldn’t miss it. Drop a quick video teaser online to build excitement and update your LinkedIn profile to showcase your speaking gig. Connect with attendees beforehand to make your session the talk of the event. This hands-on approach will make sure your presentation stands out and draws a crowd!

In addition to promoting the presentation, reaching out to the organizers to see their conference promotion strategy and promoting your segment in an overall similar manner can boost engagement. At the same time, individually reaching out to people who you think may be interested can help spread by authentic word-of-mouth! However, a quick word of caution, neither the presentation/speech/talk nor this outreach to potential audience should look like you are trying to “look for a job” or a “sales pitch” as it can turn people away quite quickly.

To connect with your audience during a conference presentation, research their interests, and craft a compelling narrative with relatable content. Use visual aids and interactivity to keep them engaged and encourage participation. Be authentic and approachable, allowing your passion and expertise to shine through. By fostering a connection with your audience through storytelling and interactivity, you can create a memorable and impactful presentation.

Connecting with the audience is essential. In ours, we rely on complete customization, adapting advice, ideas, and even images to the theme and, if possible, even making direct references to the participants

Focus on building a strong connection with your audience. Start by understanding their needs and concerns, and tailor your content to address those directly. Engage them through relatable examples, interactive elements, and by showing genuine interest in their success. Be approachable and open to questions, encouraging dialogue during and after the presentation. Sharing your contact information or inviting them to connect on platforms like LinkedIn can help maintain relationships. A well-connected audience will remember you and potentially reach out for future opportunities.

To network with other speakers at a conference, research the event's lineup and attend pre-conference networking events. During the event, participate in sessions led by other speakers and engage in Q&A sessions. Introduce yourself during breaks, expressing interest in their work and exchanging contact information. Follow up after the conference with personalized messages or LinkedIn connections. Consider hosting or joining post-conference meetups to further connect with speakers and industry professionals.

Even if you can connect before the conference, it's even better. And if possible, because for example, I always do it whenever I can, all the speakers stay in the same hotel and we stay overnight, and there's nothing officially organized, suggesting a meeting to share ideas and knowledge and get to know each other a little better. This way, the degree of connection and complicity increases, and that directly benefits the conference

Networking with fellow speakers is crucial for any opportunity. Speakers often have valuable industry connections and insights that can open doors to new projects, collaborations, or speaking engagements. To effectively network, engage with them before or after the event by introducing yourself, discussing mutual interests, and sharing your expertise. Attend speaker sessions, ask thoughtful questions, and show genuine interest in their work. Follow up afterward via email or LinkedIn to keep the conversation going. Building relationships with speakers can enhance your visibility and lead to future career opportunities.

Customer satisfaction surveys are crucial. Particularly, constructive feedback is invaluable as it allows for reflection and reveals aspects that you might not notice. A model that I particularly like, and one that I've encountered as a speaker, is the three emoticon system (happy - neutral - upset) with the option to add comments. Visually, it's very clear