| Category | Business Development |
|---|---|
| Time to Run | 30 min |
| Difficulty | Deep Work |
| Output | Document |
| Client-Facing | Yes — goes directly to client |
You're scrolling through a conference call for speakers and you see an audience that matches your expertise perfectly. Or a podcast host just posted that they're booking guests for next quarter. Or a colleague forwarded an event invitation and said "you should speak at this." The opportunity is real, the fit is obvious, and now you need a proposal that demonstrates you belong on that stage — not just that you have opinions on the topic.
Run this when you've identified a specific event, conference, podcast, or speaking opportunity and you have enough detail about the audience, format, and topic area to write a targeted proposal. Don't run it generically — a speaking proposal that could work for any event works for none of them.
Copy the skill file below and save it as speaking-proposal-writer-SKILL.md. Upload it to Claude along with the inputs listed above to generate your complete speaking proposal.
---
name: speaking-proposal-writer
description: >
Generates a complete speaking proposal for conferences, podcasts, or events.
Use when you find an event where your expertise fits and you need to pitch
yourself as a speaker, panelist, or guest.
metadata:
author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders"
version: "1.0.0"
date: "2026-04-25"
---
# Speaking Proposal Writer
Produces a structured speaking proposal that positions your expertise for a specific event audience — including topic framing, session description, learning outcomes, and a speaker bio tailored to the context.
**Core Principle: A speaking proposal is a consulting engagement in miniature. The proposal itself must demonstrate the clarity, structure, and audience awareness you'd bring to the stage. If the proposal is generic, the committee assumes the talk will be too.**
## What This Skill Does
**Job 1: Frame the topic for the specific audience.** The same expertise needs different framing for a CFO conference versus a consulting peer group. This skill takes your topic area and the event's audience profile and produces a session title and description that speaks directly to what that audience is trying to solve — not what you want to teach.
**Job 2: Build a structured session outline.** Event committees want to see that you've thought beyond the title. The skill produces a session flow with timed segments, a clear arc (problem → framework → application), and specific takeaways the audience will leave with. This is what separates accepted proposals from rejected ones.
**Job 3: Position you as the right speaker for this topic.** The bio section doesn't list your resume — it connects your experience directly to the topic and audience. "15 years in operations consulting" becomes "has helped 40+ professional services firms eliminate the operational bottleneck that caps revenue at $500K." Every credential earns its spot by serving the proposal.
### Section 1: Session Title and Format
Generate 2-3 title options that are specific, outcome-oriented, and audience-aware. Avoid titles that describe what you'll talk about — favor titles that name what the audience will be able to do. Recommend a format: keynote, breakout session, panel, workshop, or podcast episode.
This matters because the title is the primary selection filter. Event committees scan hundreds of proposals. A title that names a specific outcome stops the scroll.
Format: 2-3 title options (bold), followed by recommended format and time slot. One sentence explaining why this format fits the topic.
What to look for: Match the title to the audience's language. If they're practitioners, use practitioner terms. If they're executives, frame it as a strategic outcome.
### Section 2: Session Description
Write a 150-200 word description that frames the problem, previews the approach, and promises specific takeaways. Open with the audience's pain point — not your credentials. Middle section previews the framework or methodology. Close with 3 concrete takeaways.
This matters because the description is what the selection committee reads after the title hooks them. It must prove you have structure, not just opinions.
Format: 2-3 short paragraphs. Problem → approach → takeaways. No bullet lists in the description itself — save those for the outline.
What to look for: The user's topic area and audience should drive the problem framing. If the user provides past talks, check for patterns that can be reframed for this specific event.
### Section 3: Session Outline
Build a timed session outline with 4-6 segments. Each segment gets a title, time allocation, and a one-line description of what happens. The arc should follow: hook → problem framing → framework introduction → application/examples → audience activation → close.
This matters because an outline proves you won't ramble. Selection committees use it to judge whether the session will deliver on the description's promises.
Format: Numbered list with time allocations. Each item: segment title (bold), time in minutes, one-sentence description.
What to look for: Total time must match the event's slot length. If the user doesn't specify, default to 45 minutes. Include at least one interactive segment (Q&A, exercise, or audience reflection).
### Section 4: Speaker Bio
Write a 100-150 word bio that connects your experience directly to this topic and audience. Lead with relevance, not chronology. Pattern: "[Name] has [specific experience directly relevant to the talk] across [scope]. Their work in [specific domain] has [specific result]." Close with a credibility marker (client count, years, methodology name).
This matters because the bio isn't about you — it's about why you're the right person for this talk at this event. A generic bio suggests a generic talk.
Format: One paragraph. 100-150 words. No first person — written in third person for event programs.
What to look for: Pull the most relevant experience from the user's inputs. Suppress anything that doesn't directly serve the topic-audience connection.
### Section 5: Learning Outcomes
List 3-4 specific, measurable outcomes that attendees will achieve. Use action verbs: "Identify," "Apply," "Build," "Evaluate." Each outcome must be testable — could the attendee demonstrate this skill after the session?
This matters because many conferences require formal learning outcomes. Even when they don't, including them signals professionalism and intentional design.
Format: Numbered list. 3-4 items. Each starts with an action verb.
### Section 6: What to Skip / What to Watch For
**Leave alone:** Don't include pricing, travel requirements, or technical needs in the initial proposal unless the call for speakers specifically requests them. Adding logistics before you're accepted creates negotiation friction before there's anything to negotiate.
**Watch for:** If the event has a theme, every section of your proposal should connect to it. If you can't draw a natural line from your topic to their theme, this may not be the right event. Also watch for audience size clues in the event description — a 30-person workshop requires a different format than a 300-person keynote.
## Quality Check (Internal — never shown to the user)
| # | Check | Fix |
|---|-------|-----|
| 1 | Does the title name an outcome the audience wants, not just a topic you know? | Rewrite to start with the audience's desired state, not your subject matter. |
| 2 | Does the description open with the audience's problem, not your background? | Move any credential-first language to the bio. Open with the pain point. |
| 3 | Does the outline have a clear arc with timed segments that total to the right duration? | Adjust time allocations. Add or merge segments to hit the target duration. |
| 4 | Does the bio connect to this specific topic, or is it a generic resume? | Rewrite to lead with the experience most relevant to the proposed talk. |
| 5 | Are learning outcomes specific and action-verb-led? | Replace vague outcomes ("understand the importance of...") with testable ones ("Identify the three..."). |
**Enforcement:** Run all 5 checks. Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite improved the section before presenting.
## Rules
- Never open the session description with your credentials — open with the audience's problem
- Title must name an outcome, not just a topic ("Build a Client Retention System" not "Client Retention Strategies")
- Bio must be in third person, 100-150 words, and connect directly to the proposed topic
- Outline must include timed segments that total to the correct session length
- Include at least one interactive element in the outline (Q&A, exercise, reflection prompt)
- Learning outcomes use action verbs: Identify, Apply, Build, Evaluate, Diagnose — not Understand, Learn, Appreciate
- Don't include pricing or logistics unless the call for speakers specifically asks
- If the user hasn't spoken publicly before, don't fabricate past speaking experience — lean on client work and expertise instead
## Output Format
**SPEAKING PROPOSAL**
**Event:** [Event name]
**Audience:** [Who attends]
**Proposed format:** [Keynote / Breakout / Workshop / Panel / Podcast]
**Duration:** [Time]
---
**Proposed Titles** (select one or suggest your own)
1. **[Title option 1]**
2. **[Title option 2]**
3. **[Title option 3]**
---
**Session Description**
[150-200 words. Problem → approach → takeaways.]
---
**Session Outline**
1. **[Segment title]** (X min) — [One-sentence description]
2. **[Segment title]** (X min) — [One-sentence description]
3. **[Segment title]** (X min) — [One-sentence description]
4. **[Segment title]** (X min) — [One-sentence description]
5. **[Segment title]** (X min) — [One-sentence description]
---
**Learning Outcomes**
1. [Action verb] + [specific, testable outcome]
2. [Action verb] + [specific, testable outcome]
3. [Action verb] + [specific, testable outcome]
---
**Speaker Bio**
[100-150 words. Third person. Leads with relevance to this topic and audience.]
---
**Signal-to-Action Traceability:**
- **Signal:** Event theme focuses on [topic] → **Do This:** Frame every section around that theme
- **Signal:** Audience is [practitioners/executives/mixed] → **Do This:** Adjust language register and example complexity accordingly
- **Signal:** User has past speaking experience → **Do This:** Reference it in the bio; if none, lead with client work results
## What Makes This Different
Most speaking proposal templates give you a fill-in-the-blank format that reads like every other submission in the pile. This skill builds the proposal around the specific event and audience — tailoring the title, description, outline, and bio so each element reinforces why you belong on that stage. The committee doesn't just learn what you'd talk about; they see how you think, which is what actually wins the slot.
---
Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders
This skill is licensed for your personal and business use. You may run this skill inside your own practice and share the outputs it produces with your team and clients. "Your practice" includes employees and contractors engaged to perform work for your business under your direction — virtual assistants, operations support, bookkeepers, and similar team members.
You may not share, distribute, resell, or repackage the skill file itself — including this SKILL.md document, its prompts, frameworks, and structure — with anyone outside your practice. This includes peer practitioners, other consultants who would use it in their own client work, and anyone outside your operating team. Written permission from Kathryn Brown ([email protected]) is required for any redistribution.
This skill is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.