What happens, in order
Six steps, and what each one needs from you
Nothing here happens to you without warning. Step through it, or open the whole list at the bottom.
Step 1 of 6
When scheduling opens
Confirm your date
Step through the six stages, from the first date request to the thank-you note.
From the first date request to the thank-you note
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When scheduling opensConfirm your date10 min
We draft the dates for the season and send you a sheet with the slots we are proposing for you.
Your part: take the slot we proposed, or add alternates that suit you better. Please reply inside a week, because the rest of the calendar waits on it.
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Once your slot is setGet your Teams invite2 min
We set your session up as a Microsoft Teams event and add you as a speaker. Teams sends you the calendar invite.
Your part: accept it, and check it landed on the account you will actually present from. If it needs to go to a different address, tell us now rather than on the day.
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About two weeks beforeThe two-week check-in15 min
We come back to you on LinkedIn or by email to confirm the date, the title and that you are ready.
Your part: reply. This is the moment to change your title, add a co-speaker, or say you are unsure about something. It is also when we need your title, description, bio and photo.
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As soon as you confirmPromotion starts5 min
We announce your session on the Women in Power page on LinkedIn. We hold promotion until you have confirmed, so your name never goes out on something you are not ready for.
Your part: reshare the post with a line of your own. Your network is the audience most likely to turn up. There is wording you can borrow further down.
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Session dayYou present45 min, plus 15 early
Join fifteen minutes early. A moderator opens the session, introduces you, and looks after the chat and the questions so you can think about one thing only.
Your part: join from the invite, share your screen, and enjoy it. More on the day itself.
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AfterwardThe thank-you10 min
You get a note from us, and the recording goes out to the community.
Your part: send us your slides or links if you would like them shared, and put the talk on your LinkedIn profile. It counts.
Four things
What we need from you
Have these ready by the two-week check-in. They are what your announcement post is built from.
| What | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Session title | The final wording. Clear beats clever: say what somebody will be able to do afterwards. |
| Short description | Two or three sentences: who it is for, and what they walk away with. |
| Bio | Two or three sentences, written in the third person. |
| Photo | Optional. We use your LinkedIn profile picture unless you send us something else. If you would rather we used a different one, send a clear, well-lit image, square if you have it. |
On the day
Forty-five minutes, and you are not alone in the room
Thirty minutes of talk, then ten to fifteen of questions. A moderator from the skilling team is there the whole time.
Before you join
Restart your laptop an hour ahead and plug it in. Use a headset if you have one. Close anything you do not want on screen, turn on Do Not Disturb, and open your slides and demo tabs before you join, not after.
While you present
Share a single window rather than your whole screen. Camera on if you are comfortable, off if you are not. The moderator gives you a time check in the chat near the end, so you do not have to watch the clock.
Questions
The moderator collects them from the chat and reads them out, either at natural pauses or at the end. Tell us which you prefer. “I don’t know, let me follow up on LinkedIn” is a perfectly good answer.
If something breaks
It happens to everyone. If the demo fails, switch to your screenshots and keep going. If you drop off the call, rejoin from the same invite. The moderator holds the room until you are back.
If this is your first talk
More than fifty women gave their first talk here
Everything below is what we have learned helps most. Use what is useful to you and ignore the rest.
Shape it around one idea
Pick the single thing you want people to leave with, and build everything else around it. Thirty minutes goes faster than you think. An outline that fits:
- 3 minWho you are, and the problem you are solving
- 5 minWhy it matters, with a real example
- 15 minShow it: the demo or walkthrough, in two or three parts
- 3 minWhat went wrong, and what you would do differently
- 4 minThree takeaways, and where to learn more
Slides and demos
Fewer words, bigger type. If somebody has to read the slide, they are not listening to you. Zoom your browser to 125% or more for demos, and keep screenshots or a short recording of every demo step as a backup. Put your name and LinkedIn on the first slide and the last.
Rehearse out loud
Say the whole thing out loud twice, with a timer, and aim to land at twenty-eight minutes so you have room. Reading it silently does not count: speaking takes longer than you expect. Want a dry run with somebody from the skilling team? Ask at the two-week check-in.
Teams, before it matters
Have a practice meeting with a friend and share your screen. Find Share, Mute and the chat panel while nothing is at stake. If you use PowerPoint, try PowerPoint Live so you can see your notes while the audience sees only slides. A second screen for the chat helps, but you do not need one.
Nerves
Feeling nervous means you care, and it fades about two minutes in. Script your opening lines word for word so you start on solid ground. The audience is this community: they came because they want you to do well, and the moderator is with you the whole time.
And afterwards
One talk makes the next one easier to land. Put the session on your LinkedIn profile, give the talk again at a local user group, and watch for the next call for speakers. Speakers from this series have gone on to conference stages and to the Microsoft MVP award.
Ten things
Your checklist
Print it, or just read down it the week before.
- Confirmed my date in the speaker sheet
- Accepted the Teams invite, on the account I will present from
- Sent my title, description and bio, plus a photo if I do not want my LinkedIn one used
- Written a one-page outline
- Rehearsed out loud twice, with a timer
- Saved backup screenshots of the demo
- Practiced sharing my screen in Teams
- Replied to the two-week check-in
- Reshared the Women in Power post
- Notifications off, spare tabs closed, water within reach
Promoting it
Reshare the post in your own words
When our announcement goes up on the Women in Power page, reshare it with a line of your own. That reshare is what fills the room. Here is a starting point.
I’m speaking at the Women in Power Skilling Series on [date].
I’ll be sharing [one line on what people will learn]. It’s online and free to join.
Register here: [link]
#WomenInPower #MicrosoftCommunity
Swap the [brackets]. Say why you picked the topic if you can: that line is what makes somebody click.
Questions
Common questions
What if I need to change my date?
Tell us as early as you can. Before promotion starts it is usually a simple swap. After that we will still do our best, but it means re-announcing the session.
Can I bring a co-speaker?
Yes. Let us know by the two-week check-in so we can add her to the Teams event and put her in the promotion.
I didn’t get the Teams invite. What now?
Check your junk folder and any other address you use, then message us. We can re-add you as a speaker in a minute.
Do I have to use a slide template?
No. Use your own slides. We send one opening slide with the series branding, for the moderator’s introduction.
Will my session be recorded?
Yes. Sessions are recorded and the recording is shared with the community afterwards. Tell us before you start if there is anything on screen that should not be in it.
Who do I contact?
Reply to the message from the skilling team, or send us a message on the Women in Power page on LinkedIn. It reaches the same people.
Thank you for giving your time to this community.