How to land and prepare webinars, panels, or conference talks that position you as an authority, in a professional and authentic way.

In previous columns, we discussed how thought leadership grows through consistent visibility, especially when your insights appear in the right places. Today, let’s take the next step: from written visibility to spoken visibility.

Speaking engagements (whether webinars, panel discussions, or conference talks) are among the most powerful tools for IP experts to build authority and trust. When you speak, you’re not just sharing expertise. You’re shaping how people perceive you: as someone confident, informed, and willing to lead a conversation rather than just follow it.

Why Speaking Matters

In the IP world, trust is everything. But trust rarely comes from credentials alone.
It’s built through experience: how others experience your knowledge, how you explain complex issues, how you make them feel informed and secure.

Speaking gives your audience that experience directly. It turns abstract expertise into something tangible.
That’s why being on stage (or screen) can accelerate your credibility in ways no written publication can: people remember how you made them think and feel long after the slides have faded.

Where to Start

You don’t need to wait for an invitation to give a keynote at INTA or AIPPI. Start smaller and closer to home:

  • Offer to speak in an internal client webinar.
  • Contribute to an association panel.
  • Join a virtual roundtable with peers.

These smaller stages are often the safest and most effective environments to refine your message and presence. Over time, each appearance becomes a building block, proof of competence and trustworthiness.

How to Prepare – Three Core Steps

  1. Clarify your message
    Don’t try to cover everything you know. Instead, focus on what your audience should take away.
    What’s the one insight or perspective that could make them think differently?
    Authority comes not from volume but from focus.
  2. Shape a story, not a lecture
    People don’t remember data points, they remember stories.
    Build your talk around a simple structure: context – challenge – approach – impact.
    This keeps even technical audiences engaged and helps them connect emotionally to the topic.
  3. Rehearse presence, not perfection
    You don’t need to be a performer. You need to be yourself: prepared, calm, and clear.
    The goal is not flawless delivery, but authentic connection.
    A slight pause or a genuine reflection often builds more trust than perfectly scripted words.

A Brief Example

Imagine an IP litigator who starts by hosting short internal webinars for clients, perhaps explaining new developments in European patent law.
Her clarity and ability to make complex cases understandable soon catch attention. She’s invited to share her perspective on a panel, then to speak at an international conference.

Nothing about her expertise has changed, only its visibility.
By turning her knowledge into a story others can follow, she gradually positions herself as a recognised voice in her field.

Amplify, Don’t Multiply

The beauty of speaking engagements is that they don’t exist in isolation.
Each one can feed your broader visibility ecosystem:

  • A webinar recording can become a short LinkedIn clip.
  • A conference talk can inspire an article or client alert.
  • A panel quote can become the hook for a post or newsletter.

The goal isn’t to do more — it’s to make each effort work harder for you.

Final Thought

Speaking is not a performance, it’s a dialogue.
It’s a way to let others experience your expertise and to build trust through clarity, relevance, and presence.

If you see public speaking as part of your professional growth, start by asking yourself:

What’s one idea I could explain today that would make my clients or peers see my expertise in a new light?

That single idea, clearly expressed, can be the start of your most powerful branding tool yet, your voice.

About the columnist

Giulia Donato
Branding & Communication Advisor | Executive Coach | Lecturer
people & brand strategies
www.donatostrategies.com