Getting approval to speak at BILT Asia!

You want to speak at BILT. You want the recognition and respect. You studied my last blog post about HOW TO GET YOUR TOPIC SELECTED

So how can you convince your employer (or your client if it’s a case study) that speaking is a good idea? It’s easy, they want recognition too! Let’s re-frame the question as “How can I show my boss the speaking at BILT will be good for our company image?”

With that in mind, here are some ideas about how to get approval from your leaders.

Plan your approach

Don’t leave it till the last minute! Even if you may only need to get permission from one person, you don’t want to be asking them when they are under a deadline or just having a bad day.

Have a good well thought out idea to approach them with. If you have to submit something written to send up the management chain, make sure you take the time to write and edit it properly (just like your final abstract!). Keep it brief and use bullet points. Nobody wants to read a well of text.  Use some of the ideas outlined below if you need help with your arguments. 

If you intend to prepare your presentation in your own time, make that clear and this indicates your interest and commitment to being a conference speaker. Putting your own time into personal growth makes it more likely your management will take you seriously.

Publicity

Every company wants publicity. Your company logo is presented on our website, in marketing materials, and throughout the event. Many participants publicise their involvement on LinkedIn, casting their organisations in a positive and forward thinking light! Maybe your company would love you to include this in your email signature or talk about it on their social media feeds.

Being a speaker at an established, global event the calibre of BILT reflects well upon the expertise of your company in BIM and technology – and they can tell clients about it too. This kind of notoriety helps attract and retain staff, which is important given the competitive market for digital skills.

Value

BILT is all about education, community, and creating value for our attendees. Your boss’ number one concern will be how does the investment in this conference turn into revenue for the organization. If you have been to one of our events previously, talk about techniques you learned which have allowed you to save time on projects, and how much savings were generated.

Are you responsible for training within your organisation? This is the place where you can come to learn the newest software features, tips and tricks, that will grow the capability of the entire firm! What does a training course cost? Multiply that by the number of Revit users in your office and you can demonstrate savings very quickly!

You might also mention how a growing number of clients require BIM in project delivery. Training like this looks good in bids and on tenders, especially in light of growing government requirements.

Client Relationships

Maybe you could use BILT as an opportunity to get to know a client better – by speaking together. Joint case-study presentations by designers and clients are highly valued by the selection committee and attendees.

If you think you have the right project and your client would be keen, this is a great idea to present to your boss. Both organisations will benefit from the publicity, plus you will demonstrate leadership by working together with your client to prepare a presentation. This builds connections with clients, and strong ties with clients – leads to repeat business.

In closing, remember, your boss wants the organization to be the best it can be. They want profitable projects and capable staff. It’s your job to show how the investment in BILT will bring gains to the organization. It’s a dollars and sense question, and I hope these tips help to get you through.

Good luck.

Submit your abstract here