As speakers and presenters, do you ever wonder what it takes to get your proposals heard, seen, and accepted? Recently I had the privilege of being able to witness first hand what it takes from the opening of your envelope through the evaluation process, and onto acceptance. I have entered the world of government contracting for my team, and with it comes the availability to see in person: the competition, process, and what it takes to get the “Yes” you are after!
From the very beginning I realized most, given the job of planning an event, want it to be successful both for their audience and for themselves. So you need to keep that in mind as you work with that next event planner and submit your proposal! They are not out to reject you; they welcome you wanting to be a part of their success!
The key elements an event planner looks for first are:
- The quality of service you offer– as reflected in how your proposal looks- you only have a few seconds to earn this one!
- Your experience within the topic– your bio-one sheet needs to show and tie into it
- Does your proposal met their specifications-did you ask them beforehand what they expected
- Your delivery times– did you state times and dates of your proposed presentation
- Do you fulfill the needs of their audience– is your title and description: “catchy”, short, on topic
- Do, you or your company have published material– can be co-author, featured in, blogs, books
- Have you provided them endorsements– they will verify them too
- Are you currently speaking and presenting-verified by website, facebook fan page,
- Are your fees within budget-did you ask what the budget was before you made your proposal
It was quite a learning experience; and whether we are offered the conference or not, we know so much more, and the good part is to help you create and present proposals that will “rock” our industry! A win-win for all of us!
Have a great Happy Thankful Thursday, and a wonderful week-end!
“Simply” Sue