Presentations and talks
Draft a conference proposal from work you can discuss
Base the proposal on work you can discuss in detail and show evidence for. State who the session is for, what problem it addresses, what listeners will be able to do afterward and how the time will be spent. Keep claims of novelty or success within what the work shows.
A text to start with
I want to propose a talk to [conference or event] for [audience]. The work I can discuss is [project, what I did, what happened, what I can show]. The submission asks for [fields and length limits]. Draft a proposal with the problem, one real example from my work, an outline with timings and a learning outcome. Use only facts I provided and mark places where you need more from me.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Proposal planning sheet
Event and session format: [ ] Submission deadline, confirmed from event: [ ] Length and field limits: [ ] Target audience: [ ] Problem the session addresses: [ ] Real example from my work: [ ] What I did: [ ] What the result was, with evidence: [ ] What I can show or share: [ ] Proposed outline and timing: [ ] Learning outcome, stated as what listeners can do: [ ] Claim of novelty or success: [ ] Evidence for that claim: [ ] Requirements checked against the call: [ ] Colleague who confirmed accuracy: [ ]
Claims the work cannot back
Look for words like first, new, groundbreaking, proven or dramatic improvement, and ask what in your work supports them. If you cannot point to evidence, remove or soften the claim. Confirm the example is something you did and can discuss under questioning. Check that the learning outcome is something a listener could do or decide, not a general hope of inspiration. Compare the draft with the event's stated format, audience and length limits, and confirm any rules on commercial content or required fields in the call for proposals or with the organizers.
Ask another agent to check the result
Compare my proposal with the work notes I supplied. Flag every claim of novelty, success or impact that the notes do not support, and quote the phrase. Check that the outcome is something a listener could do, and note any requirement from the call that the draft misses.
Check fit before submitting
Read the call for proposals again and mark each requirement your draft meets or misses. Ask a colleague who knows the work whether the description matches what happened. Confirm the deadline and any speaker eligibility rules directly with the event. Keep a copy of the final text, since you may reuse the outline for slides.