by Kerry Heaps | Featured Contributor
- Its complicated. Many people feel that the submission process is complicated, however nothing could be
further from the truth. The submission process if anything can be tedious. You are basically submitting the same information to multiple events. Once you start the process, you will find after a few submissions that you pick up the pace of the process. If you have all your information in one location where you can just copy and paste, the process moves fairly quickly and easily.
- If nothing is listed about payment, they don’t pay Speakers. If you are on an event website call for speaker’s page, and you don’t see anything about payment or compensation, don’t assume they won’t pay you anything. You should still apply, it is typical that most events will want to find out what your fees are and negotiate from there, so there is no need to post about fees. You will miss out on a lot of opportunities if you don’t apply to these events. Typically, events that don’t pay anything will list on the site that they are unable to compensate or cover expenses.
- You only submit once; the event staff will save your information. This is false, each year they will post an open call for speakers on most event sites. This is for you to apply for the current year only. If you apply and you are accepted to speak for the current year, and they asked you to come back a second year, you will still be required to submit your information again. Most event websites receive several hundred/thousand entries for calls for speakers. They are unable to retain that information and use it for the following year. Every year the needs of the conference will change, so therefore the open tracks for the call for speakers will change as well.
- Email is a better way to send in your information. This is also false. If an event has taken the time to set up a call for speaker’s page and submission site, then you should respect their wishes and submit the information as they have requested. By sending an email and ignoring their process, you are sending a negative signal that you won’t follow direction. Which will raise a red flag for the meeting planning staff. Some speakers feel this will make them stand out and it will, but in a negative light. They have the process set up for a reason, follow it.
- They rejected you once, so don’t reapply next year. Just because your topic was rejected this year, don’t take it personally. It could be they had a similar topic in the past year or two, or it could be that they have a certain agenda that they want to fill, and they just didn’t feel your topic would be a good fit. When you receive a rejection letter, it’s just part of the process. You will always receive more no’s than yes’s is in this industry. Should you decide to reapply the following year, take a closer look at the open tracks, go ahead and resubmit your proposed topic. You never know what will happen, and you can always submit more than one topic. Events do not retain your submissions on a year-to-year basis as their needs change from year to year.
Founder, Chromatic Counsel | Speaker | Author | Color Strategist
Kerry is an Entrepreneur of 19 years and the founder of Chromatic Counsel, a consultancy dedicated to helping Attorneys and professionals align their presence with their purpose through color psychology, communication strategy, and body language intelligence.
She is also the creator of the Attorney Color Alignment System and the Bodies Don’t Lie Bootcamp, both of which empower legal professionals to use color and nonverbal communication as tools for persuasion, trust-building, and influence.
Earlier in her career, Kerry taught independently with John Casablancas at two Florida locations, working with students as young as six years old. Approved through the Independent Education section of the Florida Department of Education, she taught acting, grooming, and image classes, and assisted in professional photo sessions—early foundations that shaped her expertise in presence, confidence, and image strategy today.
Kerry is a sought-after speaker and CLE provider, with presentations including Bodies Don’t Lie: Body Language Basics, The Color of Persuasion, and other topics. She has graced the stages of many associations, such as HRPA, SHRM, Lorman, PrintCon, WWETT, Midwest Veterinary Association, and many other events. Kerry is also the author of the Create Your Own Media series, guiding professionals in podcasting, publishing, and publicity. A featured contributor to SheOwnsIt, her work has appeared in over 300 media outlets, including print, radio, and podcasts.
She is a sought-after Speaker on topics such as Bodies Don’t Lie-Body Language Basics, The Color of Persuasion, The Network Game – Making Networking “Work” for Your Business, and Closing in Slow Motion – The Fortune is in the Follow-up. She is the Author of the Create your own Media series for Podcasting, Publishing and Publicity.
Most Service Professionals benefit from her knowledge of:
Image Consulting and Color Analysis
Getting interviewed in the media
Creating a follow up system to meet the needs of your firm
Kerry is a former Model who specialized in Trade Show and Commercial print work, she is a seasoned judge on the beauty pageant circuit. Kerry resides in the Orlando area with her fur babies, Marlon and Pirate.
