How to Win Training Business Through Speaking Engagements and Events

How to Win Training Business Through Speaking Engagements and Events 

Speaking at industry events and professional conferences can position you as an authority in your field whilst creating opportunities to win training business. However, many training providers struggle to convert speaking engagements into paying clients or underestimate the strategic approach required to make conference presentations work as business development tools. Understanding how to select the right events, deliver value to audiences, and follow up effectively can help you turn speaking opportunities into training contracts. 

The global corporate training market growing at 7% annually to reach $805.6 billion by 2035 demonstrates substantial demand for training services. Yet competition remains intense, and potential clients need reasons to choose your services over alternatives. Speaking engagements can provide that differentiation by allowing prospects to experience your expertise firsthand before committing to larger training investments. 

Selecting the Right Speaking Opportunities 

Not all speaking engagements offer equal value for winning training business. Carefully evaluating opportunities before committing your time helps ensure that speaking activities support your business development goals rather than simply consuming resources. 

Consider the audience composition when evaluating speaking opportunities. Events attended by decision-makers in your target sectors offer more direct business development potential than general conferences where attendees may enjoy your presentation but lack authority to commission training. Industry-specific conferences often provide better returns than broad professional development events because attendees face similar challenges that your training addresses. 

CPD Accredited Events

When evaluating speaking opportunities, consider CPD accredited events where attendees can earn continuing professional development credits. The CPD Group accredits events worldwide across various industries including Tech Show London, The Business Show, Bett Global, Learning Technologies, GovConnect, The Learning Network, and more! Speaking at CPD accredited events can enhance your credibility whilst demonstrating that your presentations meet recognised professional development standards. Event organisers partnering with accreditation bodies often attract audiences specifically seeking quality learning experiences, potentially improving the calibre of prospects you meet. 

Evaluate whether speaking opportunities require paid registration to attend. Some conferences offer complimentary attendance for speakers, effectively providing free access to networking opportunities whilst you deliver your presentation. Others expect speakers to pay full registration fees, which impacts the overall return on your time investment. 

Developing Your Speaking Proposal 

Conference organisers receive numerous proposals and select presentations that offer clear value to their attendees. Developing strong proposals increases your chances of securing speaking slots at desirable events. 

Focus your proposal on solving audience problems rather than promoting your training services. Conference selection committees typically reject overtly promotional submissions in favour of presentations that teach actionable strategies, share research findings, or explore emerging trends. Your expertise naturally emerges through your content rather than through explicit self-promotion. 

Many successful training providers position themselves as thought leaders by presenting research, case studies, or innovative methodologies that advance their field. According to business development best practices, framing business development as an extension of client service rather than traditional selling resonates better with professional services audiences. This principle applies equally to speaking engagements where demonstrating expertise matters more than promotional pitches. 

Tailor your proposal to each event's specific themes and audience needs. Generic proposals rarely succeed because they don't demonstrate understanding of the conference's objectives or attendee interests. Research previous years' agendas to understand what topics resonate with organisers and how you might contribute something distinctive. 

Delivering Value Through Your Presentation 

Once you secure a speaking slot, your presentation quality directly impacts its effectiveness as a business development tool. Attendees who find your session valuable may seek additional engagement with you or your training services, whilst disappointing presentations can actually harm your reputation. 

Create presentations that balance theoretical frameworks with practical applications. Audiences attending professional conferences typically want actionable insights they can implement in their organisations rather than purely academic discussions. Share specific examples, tools, or processes that attendees can use immediately, demonstrating the type of practical value your training delivers. 

Interactive elements often increase engagement and memorability. Rather than delivering pure lectures, consider incorporating audience polling, small group discussions, quick exercises, or Q&A segments throughout your presentation. These interactive moments create connection with attendees and make your session more distinctive in their memory when they review conference materials later. 

Professional presentation skills matter enormously. Practise your delivery multiple times, ensure your visual aids enhance rather than distract from your message, and manage your time carefully to respect the schedule. Technical glitches, running over time, or reading directly from slides undermines your credibility and reduces the likelihood that attendees will consider you for future training engagements. 

Positioning Yourself Without Overt Selling 

The art of winning training business through speaking engagements lies in positioning yourself as a valuable resource without delivering sales presentations. Conference attendees typically resist promotional content but appreciate speakers who demonstrate genuine expertise and provide practical value. 

Your speaker biography offers appropriate space to mention your training services. Most conferences include speaker bios in programmes, websites, and session materials. Craft a bio that highlights your expertise and mentions that you provide training services without reading like an advertisement. A simple statement such as "Jane delivers leadership development training to organisations across the UK" informs readers of your services without sounding promotional. 

During your presentation, briefly mentioning that you "work with organisations on these challenges through training programmes" once or twice feels natural rather than pushy. The key is ensuring your content delivers so much value that interested attendees seek you out afterwards rather than you needing to pursue them. 

Include your contact information prominently on your final slide and any handouts. Make it easy for interested attendees to reach you after the conference when they may be back in their offices considering training options. Some speakers offer to share slides or additional resources via email, providing a natural reason for attendees to provide contact information. 

Strategic Networking Around Your Presentation 

The informal networking opportunities surrounding your speaking engagement often generate as much business development value as the presentation itself. Conferences provide concentrated access to potential clients in professional settings where business discussions feel natural. 

Arrive early to your session and stay afterward to speak with attendees. Many people attend sessions specifically to network with speakers, and these direct conversations can lead to training opportunities. Ask attendees about their challenges, listen more than you talk, and explore whether your training services might address their needs. Avoid hard selling; instead, suggest continuing the conversation after the conference if there seems to be potential fit. 

Attend other conference sessions and networking events beyond your own presentation. Speaking at a conference typically provides access to the full event, offering opportunities to meet other speakers, attend competitor sessions to understand market trends, and network with attendees who might not attend your specific session but could still become clients. 

Consider hosting informal gatherings around conference schedules. Some speakers invite attendees for coffee before the conference day starts or organise small group dinners. These relaxed settings often facilitate more substantial conversations than brief hallway exchanges between sessions. 

Following Up Effectively After Events 

Most training business generated through speaking engagements results from systematic follow-up rather than immediate conversions at the event. Many attendees need time to return to their organisations, review priorities, and secure budget before commissioning training. Your follow-up process bridges the gap between initial contact and potential engagement. 

Within a few days of the conference, send personalised messages to individuals you spoke with during the event. Reference your conversation to demonstrate you remember them specifically rather than sending generic follow-up to everyone you met. Offer to continue the discussion or provide additional information relevant to their expressed interests. 

For attendees who requested your slides or additional resources, deliver these promptly with a brief note welcoming further contact if they have questions or want to discuss how your training might support their objectives. This approach positions you as helpful and responsive rather than pushy. 

Consider creating conference-specific follow-up content such as blog posts expanding on topics from your presentation, short videos addressing questions raised during your session, or downloadable resources related to your presentation topic. Share these with people you connected with at the event, providing additional value whilst keeping your services top-of-mind. 

Building Long-Term Value From Speaking 

Winning training business through speaking engagements works best as a long-term strategy rather than expecting immediate returns from every presentation. Speaking regularly at industry events builds your reputation over time, making you a known quantity when organisations in your field need training. 

Record your presentations when possible and use excerpts in your marketing materials. Video clips of you speaking to engaged conference audiences provide powerful social proof of your expertise and presentation skills. Potential clients considering your training services can see you in action before committing to engage you. 

Request testimonials from conference organisers and attendees who found value in your presentation. These endorsements strengthen your credibility when pursuing future speaking opportunities and when marketing your training services. Some training providers list their speaking engagements and conference presentations on their websites to demonstrate their standing in their field. 

Seeking speaking opportunities at CPD accredited events can position you amongst other quality presenters whilst reaching audiences who prioritise structured professional development. These events allow attendees to earn continuing professional development credits, which may increase attendance from professionals in regulated industries where CPD requirements matter. Speaking at accredited events demonstrates that your presentations meet recognised professional development standards, potentially enhancing your credibility with prospects considering your training services. 

Managing the Investment Required 

Speaking at conferences requires investment of time and often money before generating returns. Preparing quality presentations takes substantial time, travel to events costs money, and time spent at conferences represents opportunity cost from other business activities. Understanding these investments helps you make informed decisions about which speaking opportunities justify the commitment. 

Track the business development results from your speaking engagements to understand which types of events and presentations generate the best returns. Some training providers discover that smaller regional conferences produce better client conversion than major international events because the audiences are more targeted and accessible. Others find that speaking on specific technical topics generates more qualified leads than general presentations. 

Consider your positioning strategy when evaluating speaking fees. Some conferences pay speakers honoraria ranging from a few hundred to several thousand pounds depending on the event prestige and speaker prominence. Early in your speaking career, you might accept unpaid opportunities to build your reputation and speaking portfolio. As you become established, you might limit unpaid speaking to events offering exceptional networking value or prestige. 

Balance speaking activities with other business development approaches rather than relying solely on conferences to generate training business. Speaking works well as part of a broader marketing strategy that includes content marketing, networking, referrals, and targeted outreach to potential clients. 

Adapting Your Approach Over Time 

As you gain experience speaking at events, you'll develop a better sense of which opportunities align with your business goals and which audience types convert most readily to training clients. Use this learning to refine your speaking strategy over time. 

Successful training providers often evolve from presenting at any available opportunity to being more selective about events that serve their target markets effectively. This selectivity ensures your speaking time generates reasonable business development returns rather than simply keeping you busy. 

Consider how virtual and hybrid events fit into your speaking strategy. The shift toward online conferences during 2020-2021 has permanently changed how many professional events operate, with some remaining virtual whilst others returned to in-person formats or adopted hybrid models. Virtual speaking eliminates travel costs and time but may reduce networking opportunities that often generate training business from in-person events. 

Speaking at industry events and professional conferences can effectively win training business when approached strategically. Focus on delivering genuine value to audiences, selecting opportunities that reach your target clients, and following up systematically with interested prospects. Over time, regular speaking can position you as a recognised authority in your field, making it easier to win training contracts and command premium fees for your services. 

This content is provided by The CPD Group, a CPD accreditation service for training providers. We help training organisations demonstrate quality standards through independent CPD certification. 

https://thecpd.group/cpd-accredited-events