As a thought leader, there are times when you will be invited to deliver your thoughts in the form of a keynote presentation. These are exciting opportunities and can be a powerful boost to your platform that help get the word out about your research, product, or idea. Upon receipt of this exciting invite, you may be tempted to accept immediately and move quickly into preparation mode. But we recommend fighting this urge so you can take time to ask some questions before you commit to ensure it’s a healthy opportunity for you and your platform.
Here are a few questions you should ask before committing to your next presentation.
Who is the audience?
You’re changing the game when it comes to your industry, so you don’t have a lot of extra time to spare. When it comes to saying yes to a presentation invite, you want to ensure there is a strong ROI (return on investment) prior to accepting the invite. Understanding who your audience will be and if they will bring value to your overall platform is a great baseline for accepting or declining invitations. If it seems improbable that the anticipated audience will add value to your brand or increase your revenue, you might end up putting in more time and money than you’ll get back from the engagement.
Do I have time to prepare?
The only thing more damaging to a platform than a missed opportunity is a poorly delivered response to an opportunity. By not allowing yourself the proper time to prepare, you risk delivering a subpar presentation which will hinder, rather than help, both you and your brand. When asked to present, look at the timeline between the invite and delivery day, and then compare it to your schedule to ensure you have proper time to prepare.
What is the budget for an honorarium?
As a presenter and thought leader, you are delivering a service every time you present, and you deserve to be compensated accordingly for that service. By asking about the budget ahead of time, you’ll be able to decide if this is an event you would like to participate in. This also allows you to make a decision about payment based on each individual budget rather than charging a flat fee that may or may not be affordable for different organizations.
How long would you like me to present?
This question is key when it comes to proper preparation. Understanding how much time you will have to fill allows you to custom design your talking points. Never make an assumption about how much time you’re expected to fill; you don’t want to be caught on presentation day with too much or too little content.
Where is the presentation? And is there a budget for travel?
This is a two-in-one question. There will be times when an organization will ask you to travel for a presentation. Be sure to consider the time that it will take to get there and back before you commit to the engagement; scheduling conflicts are not only stressful, they make you look unprofessional if you have to cancel an event at the last minute due to poor planning. Also do the research to see how much the travel and hotel stay will cost. You should then request the organization to pay the cost of that travel or to increase your compensation accordingly.
Keynote presentations are an exciting opportunity for any presenter. While it is tempting to jump in with both feet, it’s important to think through all the details and logistics before saying yes. By asking these 5 questions, you’ll have a great understanding of what you are getting into ahead of time.
Got a presentation coming up soon? Contact the team at Ethos3 to find out how we can help!
