5 reasons you should submit a session proposal

What is stopping you from hitting that submit button?

If you have ever considered sharing your knowledge at a conference, user group, or community event, you have probably felt that familiar knot in your stomach. The fear of rejection, the imposter syndrome whispering that you are not ready, and the vulnerability of putting yourself out there - these feelings are universal. But here is the secret: submitting a session is where the real growth begins, long before you ever step on stage.

The greatest gift you can give, is to teach someone something they can use.

For years, I have encouraged peers and colleagues to explore public speaking - which is why I wrote /2025/5-reasons-you-should-explore-public-speaking/, explaining how it can transform your career and boost your confidence. There are plenty of opportunities to practice your speaking skills before ever submitting a session - team meetings, internal presentations, and local meetups where you might be invited to share. These are where you discover whether stage craft excites you. But when you are ready to move forward and get in line for the bigger events, submitting a session is the crucial next step - this is where your comfort zone truly begins to expand.

Here are five compelling reasons why you should take the leap and submit a session:

1. Stepping outside your comfort zone is where growth happens. The moment you click submit, you are telling yourself that your ideas matter. That act of courage - regardless of the outcome - builds resilience and confidence that extends far beyond speaking.
2. Crafting your session forces you to clarify your thinking. Writing a compelling session title and description requires you to distill complex ideas into clear, actionable takeaways. This process alone makes you a better communicator and expert in your field.
3. You join a community of passionate professionals. Conference organizers and user group leaders are always searching for fresh perspectives and authentic voices. By submitting, you become part of a community that values knowledge sharing and continuous learning.
4. The worst that can happen is not that bad. Rejection is part of the process - even experienced speakers get declined. Each submission teaches you something about positioning your content and understanding what audiences need.
5. Your unique perspective deserves to be heard. No one has your exact combination of experiences, insights, and stories. What seems obvious to you might be the breakthrough moment for someone in your audience.

The art of crafting session titles that resonate

Meeting professionals and conference organizers spend countless hours on room setup, catering, hotel negotiations, and speaker selection. Yet surprisingly little time is spent helping speakers craft the best session titles, descriptions, and learner objectives.

This is where you can stand out.

The four “Us” approach

A popular copywriting framework called The Four Us offers a simple way to craft compelling titles:

• Be USEFUL to the reader - What will they gain from attending?
• Provide a sense of URGENCY - Why should they attend this session now?
• Convey that the main benefit is UNIQUE - What makes your perspective different?
• Do all of the above in an ULTRA-SPECIFIC way - Avoid vague promises

For example, instead of a generic title like “Improving your workflow”, consider “5 ways to reclaim two hours every day using Microsoft 365 utomation”. The second title is useful (saves time), urgent (immediate benefit), unique (specific tools), and ultra-specific (two hours, five ways).

Honesty builds trust

Here is an important principle: if people attend your session based on a great title and you under-deliver, attendees lose trust in both you and the conference organizers. Your session titles need to be honest and authentic to the presentation you will actually deliver. Improving that trust means increasing attendee loyalty and retention - for you and for the event.

The WIIFM principle: What is In It For Me?

Every attendee walking into your session is silently asking: “What is in it for me?” Your session description should answer this question clearly and compellingly.

Crafting learner objectives

Strong learner objectives follow a simple pattern: “After attending this session, participants will be able to…”

Compare these two approaches:

The difference? Strong objectives are specific, measurable, and immediately actionable.

Personally, I always strive to create sessions where attendees can take something home and start using it immediately. I find sessions that promise “within a few months you might be able to…” frustrating - unless I have deliberately chosen to attend a roadmap or “what is coming” session. When crafting your learner objectives, ask yourself: can attendees apply this knowledge the moment they return to their desk? If not, consider refining your content until they can.

From fear to submission: A practical approach

If you are still hesitant, here is a practical framework to get you started:

1. Start small. Local user groups and community meetups are perfect for first-time speakers. The audiences are supportive, and the stakes feel more manageable.
2. Choose topics you are passionate about. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you genuinely care about your subject, your audience will too.
3. Write your abstract first. Before creating any slides, write your session title, description, and three learner objectives. If you cannot articulate what attendees will gain, you are not ready to present.
4. Get feedback before submitting. Share your abstract with colleagues or mentors. Fresh eyes often catch unclear messaging or missed opportunities.
5. Consider co-speaking. Partnering with someone - whether a seasoned speaker or a fellow newcomer - can make the experience less daunting and the content richer.
6. Submit to multiple events. Do not put all your eggs in one basket. Different events look for different content - what is declined at one might be perfect for another.

One practical tip: create a speaker profile on Sessionize  before you need it. Many conferences and user groups use this platform to manage their call for speakers. Having a polished profile ready - complete with your bio, photo, and session abstracts - means you can respond quickly when opportunities arise. And if an event uses a different platform, you can easily copy your speaker profile from Sessionize to wherever it’s needed.

Another habit I have developed: I add three hidden slides to almost every presentation I create. The first contains metadata - title, subtitle, target audience, and technical level. The second holds the session description, helping me stay focused on what I am about to deliver. The third lists three learning objectives I want attendees to walk away with. These hidden slides serve double duty: they keep me aligned during preparation, and when a call for speakers opens, I already have most of my proposal ready to go.

The power of co-speaking: You do not have to do this alone

One of the best-kept secrets in the speaking world? You do not have to go on stage alone. Co-speaking with a partner can transform your experience and dramatically improve your session quality.

Why co-speaking works

Whether you partner with a seasoned speaker or another newcomer, having someone beside you brings immediate benefits:

• Shared responsibility - The weight of the session does not rest entirely on your shoulders.
• Complementary perspectives - Two viewpoints create richer, more nuanced content.
• Built-in safety net - If one person loses their train of thought, the other can step in.
• Practice partner - You have someone to rehearse with who knows the material intimately.
• Moral support - Facing the audience together reduces individual anxiety.

For first-time speakers, partnering with an experienced presenter offers mentorship in real-time. You will learn stage presence, timing, and audience engagement by osmosis. For seasoned speakers, bringing in a fresh voice adds new energy and perspectives that keep content from becoming stale.

Choose your co-speaker wisely

Here is a critical piece of advice: find someone you trust. This partnership requires honest communication, aligned expectations, and mutual respect. You need someone who will tell you when your demo is not working, when your explanation is unclear, or when you are spending too much time on a tangent.

The worst thing you can do is end up on stage unprepared, uncomfortable, and putting on what I call a “clowning show” - an unfocused, awkward performance that attendees will remember for all the wrong reasons. Your co-speaker should be someone who holds you accountable during preparation and supports you during delivery.

Before committing to co-speak, have honest conversations about:

• Division of content and speaking time
• Preparation schedules and rehearsal expectations
• Handling questions and unexpected situations
• Backup plans if one person cannot attend

The balancing act: Professional yet engaging

Let me address something that many new speakers struggle with: sessions should be professional, but they should also be engaging. This is a balancing act that requires training and practice.

Your attendees are investing their time - sometimes choosing your session over competing options. They deserve to have their WIIFM (What is In It For Me) answered with valuable, actionable content. But they also deserve to be engaged, not lectured at.

Here is what this balance looks like in practice:

Keep this balance in mind when submitting your sessions. Your abstract should promise value and expertise, but your delivery should make that value accessible and memorable.

Speaking - and crafting session proposals - is ultimately an art of storytelling. The Storyteller’s Spell Book  by James Whittaker is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their storytelling and public speaking skills. His insights and practical advice have been invaluable in my own journey into the world of storytelling.

I remember my first session submission vividly. My finger hovered over the submit button for what felt like an eternity. The imposter syndrome was loud: “Who would want to hear from me?” and “What if they laugh at my proposal?”

But I clicked submit anyway.

The session was rejected, but something shifted in me. I had declared to myself and the world that my ideas had value. That declaration was the real victory.

The comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.

Every speaker you admire was once a beginner - nervous, uncertain, and wondering if they had anything worth saying. The difference between them and everyone else? They submitted anyway.

Your next step

If this post resonates with you, here is my challenge: find one event - a local user group, a community meetup, or a conference with an open call for speakers - and submit a session within the next 30 days.

Do not wait until you feel ready. You will never feel completely ready. Submit anyway.

The stage is waiting for your story.

–Jesper

Header image attribution: Image created with help from Adobe Firefly