Why Should You Speak at Conferences?

Your Perspective Matters, Challenge Yourself!

While organizing Speaker Camp Atlanta I asked some of our Speaker Camp mentors how long they have been presenting. Some have been giving talks for a couple of years, some for six or more. What was surprising to me is that even some competent and proficient speakers of 3 — 6 years still consider themselves to be “new” at this. I don’t think we suffer from a collective inferiority complex, I think once we see behind the scenes we develop a humility about sharing. People rely on us to provide good, relevant, and entertaining content on stage. After my first talk I realized what a privilege it is, but that I had miles to go before I could consider myself a decent speaker.

About a year into giving talks at conferences, I heard a prominent speaker complaining to a friend about the “new voices” and how someone should stop them from embarrassing themselves and our colleagues. I was appalled and maybe it hit a little close to home. Was I embarrassing our industry, my company, my friends by being new at this?

I could have fallen apart after hearing that and holed up in my work without sharing my thoughts, but it just strengthened my resolve to keep sharing my perspective and to encourage new speakers to teach us when they have something worth sharing.

It also made me thankful for books like Speaker Camp that encourage people to improve their techniques, and thankful for conferences like the IA Summit and their process of pairing new speakers with mentors so they can give a great presentation. I wouldn’t feel nearly as experienced as I am without the help of a seasoned presenter who helped me write my first abstract to submit to the IA Summit. I didn’t get selected, but I did end up giving the talk several times last year at more appropriate gatherings. That early support was exactly what I need to build up my confidence and improve my presentation skills.

I also asked some of our mentors why they like to share at conferences, and I loved mentor Loren Norman’s answer.

“I do public appearances to challenge myself, plain and simple. I don’t have any secrets or techniques… in fact it terrifies me. It’s just something that I know anyone can do, and I see no real reason not to. But, if showing up is 80% of life, I’ve learned that far less than 1% of people actually ever show up. So when I’m feeling down or tired or unprepared or introverted, it’s comforting to remember: Just. Show. Up. From there? From there anything is possible.” — Loren Norman, Product Developer at TourBuzz.net, Speaker for 6 years

So come on out. There’s plenty of room on the lawn and plenty of experiences to share!

Speaker Camp Atlanta, based on the book Speaker Camp by Russ Unger and Samantha Starmer, is happening on June 28, 2014 at the Big Nerd Ranch. Tickets are only $50 for the full-day workshop and can be found at http://2014.speakercampatlanta.com/