Making the Most of Your Next Speaking Gig

By Andy McIlwain

Hi! I’m Andy. I’ve been a WordCamp and meetup organizer for the better part of a decade. In that time, I’ve seen a lot of presentations, covering a wide range of topics, from speakers at every experience level.

Presenting to a room full of strangers is an art. And as with any art, it’s largely subjective. A talk or session that resonates with you may fall flat with someone else.

It’s also a case of practice. The more you get up and speak, the sooner you’ll find a presentation style and approach that feels comfortable to you.

But I digress. I’m not here to get into the weeds on how to be a better presenter. Instead, I’d like to focus on all the things that happen around your session: before, during, and after.

Your presentation is like a Netflix series premiere

Think of a Netflix series premiere. The trailers and TV interviews and random YouTube videos with cast members raise awareness for the series. The series has an official hashtag that viewers can follow and add to on social. Then there’s all the reviews, breakdowns, articles, opinion pieces, social media posts, and group conversations that follow after the premiere.

Your presentation is an event, just like a Netflix series premiere.

Build some hype leading up to your presentation, get the anticipation and interest going. Give your audience something to participate in during the presentation. Then keep the conversation and activity going afterwards.

Sound good? Here are some ideas to help you pull it off.

Before your presentation

Toot your own horn: After you’ve been confirmed as a speaker, don’t be afraid to flex a little #humblebrag through your online presence. Are you on Twitter? Add a pinned tweet to your profile. Instagram? Drop a note in your bio. Blogging? Add a sticky post or widget. Heck, even drop a note in your email signature. Be proud! Link back to your speaker or session description so folks know where to find more information and — ideally — register to attend.

Curate related content: You’ll probably do a lot of research as part of your presentation prep. Don’t hoard these resources to yourself. Share the useful stuff you’re finding. Give a shout-out to the creators when you do. Who knows? They may help spread the word about your upcoming talk.

Write a companion post: Turn your one-time presentation into an evergreen resource that you, and others, can reference well into the future. I like to write a full post for each of my presentations because it helps me sort out my thoughts. Then, thanks to all the time I’ve spent chewing on the topic, my presentation feels less intimidating.

Present at meetups: Meetup groups are a fabulous way to get feedback on your ideas and work the wrinkles out of your presentation. Plus, most local meetup groups are always itching for new speakers. You could even think about chopping up a longer presentation (e.g. 45 minutes) into shorter “lightning talks” (e.g. 10 minutes). The meetup groups don’t need to be local, either; some groups have remote speakers present via video conferencing like Zoom.

During your presentation

Invite your audience to participate: The low-fi version of this is to ask questions, get a show of hands, or open the floor to questions throughout. This flips the audience from being passive observers to active participants.

Involve others: Those creators I mentioned in the previous section? The ones whose stuff you’ve leaned on for your presentation prep? Include them in your presentation. Drop quotes into your deck. Cite them by name. Reference their work as worthwhile resources. It doesn’t undermine your own expertise — if anything, it shows that you’ve done your homework. And, once again, we’re bringing other people into the conversation.

Point your audience to the companion post: The companion post you wrote before the presentation shouldn’t be shared until after you’ve done your presentation. It’s the perfect follow up to leave your audience with. Looking for notes? Looking for the slides?

Looking for additional resources? The companion post is the go-to destination for all of that.

After your presentation

Add your presentation to the companion post: Embed your presentation slides in the companion post and, if your presentation was recorded, embed the video as well. I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I can’t stress it enough: your presentation’s companion post is the evergreen reference for all the work you put into your talk.

Reach out to the people you’ve leaned on: Again we’re hitting on the folks whose work you’ve used to put together your presentation. With your companion post live and presentation embedded within it, now’s the time to reach out directly. Thank them for the work they’ve done, tell them how it’s helped you, and point them to your post.

Open yourself up to further questions & conversations: Open post comments, embed a contact form, or link out to a discussion thread (e.g. in a Facebook group) where you’re taking questions about the topic you presented.

Your presentation is the icebreaker

If there’s one thing I can leave you with, it’s this: Your presentation doesn’t have to be a single moment in time. It can be so much more than just a PowerPoint deck in front of a room. It doesn’t have to end after your time is up.

Your presentation can be an opportunity to dig into a bigger topic or conversation. It’s one activity, one pulse, in a steady beat that can keep going long afterwards.

As a speaker, you’re in control of where to take it. More presentations? Videos? A course? A workshop? A book? You’re in charge. It’s up to you.

Good luck. You’ve got this.