So many questions! All the questions! Remember, there is
never a stupid question. You may be asking a question that
doesn’t have an immediate answer. That’s not a bad thing.
It will help the meeting planner do a better job and they
should be grateful for that. Plus, as a meeting planner my-
self, I would much rather have repeat questions hurled at
me than not be on the same page as the speaker.
Be proactive. Do not be bothersome. Learn the balance. Be
intuitive. Get a sense of the meeting planner’s personality.
If their email responses get shorter and shorter, you may be
inundating them. Let them reach out to you. Be respectful
of the multitude of possibilities—vacation, illness, a death
in the family, relocation, busy work schedule. You’re smart.
Pick up on any cues but don’t take lack of response person-
ally.
Always always send a note of thanks, whether via email or
snail mail. As an old school gal, a thank-you note I receive
in the mail leaves a hugely positive impression. Even if you
are not selected to speak at their event, thank them for their
time. Why? Because they may call on you in the future for
an event your topics match or they may recommend you
to another company or organization. If you have been gra-
cious from the beginning, you never know where it may
lead you.
Good luck!
Amy J. Allen has been an HR professional for 10 years. She
currently serves as Programs Chair for a SHRM chapter in
Texas. This is her 2 nd time to serve in this role, each time for
a different chapter. Allen’s passion is employee engagement
and building authentic relationships in the human resources
field. She holds a masters degree in Organizational &
Human Resource Development as well as her PHR certifi-
cation.
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