How To Find The Right Speakers For Your Virtual Summit

Does the thought of reaching out to Speakers to participate in your event make you nauseous? Are you nervous pitching to people you have no connections with and maybe even the people you already do? 

If you’re nodding your head in agreement, it’s time for a reality check! It's time to give yourself permission to put yourself out there with the chance you may be rejected. 

It's scary, trust me... I know! 

But researching and pitching the right speakers for your summit is one of the most important pieces of planning a virtual summit and you'll have to conquer it in order to have a successful event. 

Speakers For Your Virtual Summit

Let's start with your summit topic!

When you think of your summit topic, you should immediately have a few speakers who pop into your head. These people are likely popular speakers on topics that relate to your summit, maybe you've worked with them in the past, or maybe you instantly think of popular influencers you follow or connect with on social media. 

Whoever pops into your head, you should write them down! This should be a mix of people who have large platforms and big audiences as well as those with a smaller reach. 

Side note: I'm not saying that you'll reach out to all of them, but it's good to start!

Do A Brain Dump: Create An All-Inclusive List 

Make an all-inclusive list of the individuals who would make great speakers for your event, regardless of the likelihood of them saying yes to participating. This brain dump will help you explore different options and expand your horizons.

This is how I start my speaker research! 

How To Find The Right Speakers For Your Virtual Summit

 Once you have your master list, it's time to dive into speaker research.

Match each speaker with a few topics you would like them to talk about. This can include

• topics on which you've seen them present at past events,
• topics they've written books or blogs about,
• topics they've created freebies for, or even
• topics they have paid courses and training on.

Conduct thorough research so that you have a very specific topic in mind for each speaker, along with a few backup options.

Organize Your Speakers Into Rounds

Now that you have identified potential topics for each speaker, it's time to organize them into pitch rounds.

Divide your speakers into three rounds based on their suitability for your particular event. This will help you determine who would be the best fit and who you should reach out to first. By organizing your pitch rounds, you can streamline your outreach process and stay focused on your goals.

I usually divide my list into 3 pitch rounds which clearly shows me who I should reach out to first, who to pitch if they say no or don't reply, and so on. 

Before You Pitch Speakers

Before you can start reaching out to speakers, it is essential to get clear on who you want to approach and pitch to first.

Overcoming your nerves and pitching speakers for your virtual summit may be intimidating, but with proper research and organization, you can increase your chances of success. Remember, putting yourself out there and facing the possibility of rejection is a necessary step towards achieving your summit goals.

Get Your Pitch Assets Ready

Once you know who you want to pitch and which topics are most suitable for them, your next step before actually pitching your speakers is to create the assets you'll need to pitch.

This will include: 

• A Speaker Pitch Template - a reusable email template that helps you speed up email pitching and make sure everyone gets all the information they need.
• An Email Follow-up Template - a reusable email template to quickly follow up with your speakers who haven't replied yes or no yet. 
• A Speaker Pitch Deck - A branded pitch deck that provides the details in your email, as well as some event specifics in a more visual delivery.
• A Speaker Information Packet - A downloadable PDF file with all the information, deadlines and links your confirmed speakers need to participate in your event. 

These assets are crucial in delivering a clean, professional pitch that effectively delivers the information your potential speakers need to say YES! to your event! 

So take a deep breath and trust the process!

Speaker Pitch & Onboarding Template Pack

Check out our Speaker Pitch & Onboarding Template Pack if you'd like to use our templates for all of the pitch assets listed above and get a head start!