Speak at Dreamforce 2018 – 5 Pro Tips and Tricks for Winning Speaker Submissions

Dreamforce is just a little over three months away and Salesforce has launched their Call for Content!

This year, there are three options for submitting full presentations and one option for nominating speakers.

Submission Deadline is July 15, 2018  –   Acceptances will go out by August 4, 2018

Ooooh…you’re in trouble now. You are reading this so I know you’re intrigued by the thought of speaking at the conference. So you’ve come this far… so let’s get to it. I mean it. Really. No excuses.

You absolutely, positively MUST submit your session idea (LINK BELOW) !

General Call for Speakers

Here’s  a few reason why:

1)  You have an opportunity to pay it forward and give back to your Ohana who inspired, educated and entertained you at sessions you attended in past years. I will forever be paying back my debt to Steve Molis for inspiring my love of Salesforce formulas and making me feel empowered enough for me to take charge of our org  from our implementation partners back in 2012. I was just one of a couple hundred or so in the room at #DF12 but that session changed my path in ways I never imagined. So you never know how, when or where you might make a lasting impact on another member of our Ohana. 

2) Speaking at Dreamforce will change your life. If you are anything like me your heart will beat a thousand times per second up on stage and it will be terrifying and exhilarating all at once. But when you face your fears and challenge yourself to move past your comfort zone that’s where the magic happens (personal growth). The payoff comes after the session when you feel satisfaction for your accomplishment and get to say, “I DID IT – I SPOKE AT DREAMFORCE”!

3) Recently, I heard Leah McGowen-Hare and Gillian Bruce both say the best way to learn a subject is to teach it to others. It’s 100% true. Back in 2016 when our session was picked the Lightning Process Builder was fairly new and although I had been using it in my org , I was far from an expert. While prepping for our session, I had to build out a demo org, define the steps for transforming Workflows to Processes, write a script and research Salesforce documentation before creating the first draft of the slide deck. Then, Misty and I rewrote the script and refined the slides numerous times as we rehearsed. Trust me when I say, we both knew much more about Process Builder after the session than before.

BONUS: If you are selected to speak at Dreamforce, you’ll receive a complimentary full conference pass!

NOTE: Before we go any farther I must mention you need to be prepared to put a significant amount of time and energy into your presentation.  In fact, if you really want the best chance for selection, you’ll need to put in whatever amount of time it takes to get your abstract as good as it can be before you submit.

So what’s the secret to getting picked as a speaker for Dreamforce?

There is no absolute guarantee or any magic to getting an acceptance email but there are a few things you can do to increase your chances.

ONE:  Don’t rush your submission!

Do not try to write your Session Title and Abstract while submitting the form.  Write up your idea and then copy and paste into the form when you are happy with it.

When our session was accepted for the first time, many wondered how and why ours was accepted and theirs was not. Neither Misty or I were MVPs at the time and neither of us had spoken at any Salesforce event previously. Back then, I was not yet a user group leader and not even on Twitter so the session got accepted based purely upon the abstract and not by means of any connections or favoritism.

Here’s my secret… wait for it… drum-roll please… HARD WORK and a bit of LUCK. I spent more than eight solid hours working on my title and abstract before I submitted it. I rewrote it over and over and over again until it sang to me. I say this not to scare you but to encourage you. If I can do it, you can do it too!

The moral to my story is do not just throw down a few broken sentences with disjointed thoughts and expect it to be chosen. Make sure your session is well thought out and you express your vision in an easily understandable way.

There will be hundreds and hundreds of other session ideas so yours must stand our from the crowd. If you put the work in it will show through and if your idea aligns with a message Salesforce deems relevant then you have a good chance. Last year there were 752 submissions for the Admin Track and 70 session slots. That brings us to the next tip.

TWO: Don’t be boring!!!!

Remember I said there will be hundreds of other submissions. Well, think about it. Salesforce employees have to read through all the entries and score them. Mike Gerholdt mentioned that last year they spend over 350 hours reviewing each of the submissions.  It’s human nature to skim past boring , in-cohesive content.

Hints to keep your reader interested:

~ Show passion for your subject

~ Have a strong point of view

~ Let your personality shine through

Your title should read like an advertising headline and it must grab your audience (SEE LAST YEAR’S ADMIN SESSION TITLES DOWN BELOW). Ideally, your abstract should allow the reader to visualize what your session will be like. Easier said than done… believe me I know. Remember I said I spent more than eight hours on my first session submission. The sweet spot to aim for is an abstract that’s short, an easy read and entertaining at the same time.

THREE: Read the ALL tips from the Dreamforce blog for tips on what Salesforce is looking for this year: Dreamforce Submission Tips

Pay special attention to two tips on the list this year: “Highlight key success metrics and/or ROI resulting from your implementation of Salesforce” and “Underscore the power of Cross-Cloud Solutions (i.e. using multiple Salesforce products to solve challenges)” I suspect that since Salesforce has a wider breath of products due to acquisitions and new features they are specifically looking for sessions that demonstrate how easy all the solutions work together. Be sure that you show and expound upon how the features or tools solve an easily relate-able business challenge.

FOUR: Choose topics for newer product offerings and the latest features.

I  think submissions on Workflow Rules or Customizable Forecasts and anything Salesforce Classic etc will have a very low probability of getting selected .

For inspiration on session topics check out the latest Trailhead badges and Summer ’18 release notes. Also try to use your personal experience and think about challenges you overcame and the solutions to real world business scenarios. Remember that Dreamforce audience is varied and you need to think of specific use cases while also appealing to a wide audience.

Check out the suggestions from the Admin/Developer submission form:

Suggested Topics Admin/ Developer Call for Presentations

We’re looking for fun, engaging sessions that provide actionable content that helps Salesforce Admins and Developers build their skills, elevate their careers, and deliver innovative technology solutions for their companies. We’re counting on you, as product experts, to submit advanced content to help our Admins & Developers skill-up on the platform. Here are some ideas for sessions we’d like to see:

• Build Lightning Components with Salesforce DX
• Advanced Lightning Components
• How to Build a Lighting App from Start to End
• A Beginner’s Guide to Lightning Components
• The Admin’s Guide to the Developer Console
• Change Management for Admins
• Process Automation: Actions, Process Builder, or Lightning Flow?

For those of you who are new to speaking or have never attended Dreamforce before, never fear – as long as you are passionate and knowledgeable you’ll be fine! We love first-time speakers and provide a great deal of support as you get ready for the Dreamforce stage, including a great Public Speaking Skills module on Trailhead.

FIVE: WIFM (What’s In It For Me) – Think about who your audience is and match your subject, terminology and message to appeal to your attendees.  

If you are submitting for the Admin track then you should not throw out loaded coding terminology and submit a session on advanced Apex. Likewise, if you are targeting the Developer track then you probably would not submit a session on point-and-click features like Permission Sets.

Also, keep in mind the experience level of your audience.  It’s okay to use tech speak and acronyms for advanced levels but it’s another story entirely for sessions aimed at beginners or intermediate levels. Always set a welcoming, conversational  tone for your title and abstract.

Becoming a Dreamforce speaker is not about showing off all your expertise , it’s about sharing your knowledge and inspiring others.Believe me when I say you will reap the rewards. The more you give, the more satisfying the experience will be.

Final Thoughts

** Remember that each year Salesforce has a different focus and sessions that worked in past years will not necessarily be chosen this year

** Don’t forget that Dreamforce is an event designed to empower customers to do more with products and encourage new companies to buy Salesforce products. In other words, always keep in mind the ultimate goal is to encourage attendees to some call to action like increasing Lightning adoption, using a new feature or buying addons and services from Salesforce.

Good Luck!

Monica

How admin track sessions were picked-dreamforce-2017

General Call for Speakers