One of the best ways to promote yourself as an author or expert in any arena is through speaking gigs. But if you do these don’ts, you won’t be invited back or referred to other organizations.
1. Don’t respond promptly to requests for information. You may be busy, but so are the people in charge of the event. Being inconsiderate of the host group’s requests will definitely get you off on the wrong foot.
2. Don’t provide information far enough in advance and in the requested format for the host to use in promotion materials. Make it easy for the host group to let its audience know about you.
3. Don’t bring sufficient handouts. Ask ahead of time what the anticipated attendance will be, and bring more than you think you’ll need.
4. Don’t check in advance to see what type of presentation equipment is available. Never assume that certain items (projectors, screens, computers, etc.) will be available; ask to be sure.
5. Don’t bring your own equipment. If the host group doesn’t have what you need for your presentation, make arrangements to provide it yourself.
6. Don’t provide digital files in advance if using the host’s equipment. If you just show up with your files on a thumb drive, you may or may not get the results you want.
7. Don’t arrive in sufficient time prior to the start of the event to meet hosts, do a facility/sound check, etc. Just because the meeting starts at 7 p.m. doesn’t mean you should arrive at 6:55. Ask the host what time you should get there.
8. Don’t end on schedule or plan to stick around afterward for general questions and possibly one-on-one meetings (depending on what’s appropriate). Wrap up on time so the organization can stay on its schedule. Also, remember that darting out the door as soon as your presentation ends doesn’t leave a positive impression.
9. Don’t clear selling items ahead of time. Some organizations have strict rules about what can and can’t be sold at their events. If you want to sell books, CDs, DVDs, etc., discuss it with your host in advance.
10. Don’t bring a written introduction to make it easy for your host to introduce you. You and your host will both shine if you bring a scripted introduction for the host to use.
11. Don’t be prepared to deliver your presentation naturally without reading a script. Anyone can stand in front of a room and read PowerPoint slides, but if that's all you do, your audience will be bored. After all, they can read the slides, too. Know your subject and material so well that you can speak without anything more than a minimal outline—or, even better, without any notes at all.
For some pointers on being a great guest speaker, check out 9 Tips to be a Great Guest Speaker and Get Results.
What other mistakes have you seen guest speakers make? Share them below.
Jacquelyn's latest book is Christian Business Almanac, scheduled for release in summer 2024.
She is the author of the novel Choices (A Joyful Cup Story) as well as the nonfiction books The Simple Facts About Self-Publishing, Words to Work By: 31 devotions for the workplace based on the Book of Proverbs and Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night. With her husband, she is the co-creator of several coloring books for adults.
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