Find your treasure and make your case study presentation come alive
Sharing a case study is a great way to ease yourself into conference speaking. You know the subject. You’re comfortable with the material. In fact, you’ve probably already given a version of the talk internally. But make sure you don’t undercook your opportunity. In this article, John Communications Skills Trainer and Coach, and AAE trainer, suggests checking that you’ve found your treasure and made it the star.
When presenting a case study at a conference, there is a chance that your familiarity with the subject can get you into trouble. I’ve seen speakers present case studies with little sense of wonder or curiosity about their own work.
Here’s what’s happened. They’ve reflected on what they did. But they’ve failed to turn that reflection into something more meaningful, such as a set of principles that could be shared with and applied by others. When you do this, both your case study and your delivery change.
You still explain what you did and the outcomes you achieved. The treasure is revealed in turning that experience into learning others can use. Let me give you an example. My first conference talk was about tackling tough challenges while growing membership. I described what I did. Then I pulled back and realised I could explain those actions as a process. I called it the 3Cs.
That framing came afterwards, once I’d turned personal reflection into something closer to principles. And that shift changed my opening line into something much bigger than I’d planned:
“Belonging to an association is about so much more than a list of benefits.”
That’s what finding your treasure does. Look at the case study you’ve just presented, or are about to share. Your treasure is buried in there. Your job is to dig it out and make it the star before you step on stage.
Here’s where to start.
Look at the last slides in your deck, or the final lines of your script. This is where Speakers often leave their treasure. Explore what’s sitting there. What principle or meaning is trying to emerge? Now move it. Put it front and centre. Then explain your actions. And finish with what you’re planning to do next, or what others should keep in mind.
Treating your experience this way gives it legs. My case study wasn’t just a story about what happened. It grew legs and went places.
The 3Cs case study became:
- An awards entry (runner-up in the Transformation category, AAE Awards)
- An article series published by AAE
- A half-day training workshop for AAE members
- Part of a Speaker Training workshop
- And the springboard for my confidence to launch myself as a trainer and coach
So next time you’re preparing a case study for a conference, take your reflections and ask:
- What’s the bigger picture here?
- And what might this mean for others?
Find your treasure, and your material will transform. As will your performance. Anxiety turns into excitement, conversations deepen, and opportunities follow for you and for your association.
Thanks for reading, and happy conference case study presenting.
John Scarrott is our partner trainer and coach specialising in the areas of conference chairing, speaking and facilitation as well as chairing and participating in committee meetings. We offer bespoke training workshops to associations that want to support volunteers, members and speakers to perform well at their events and meetings.
You can find out more about John at www.johnscarrott.com and at LinkedIn and at [email protected]
