“What do you mean, they say no?" The young woman tech founder I was speaking with looked aghast.
“Yes,” I told her. “According to the event managers we’ve surveyed, when asked to speak at conferences and events, women say no almost 50% of the time. Men say yes approximately 90% of the time.”
“What are they thinking?”
Well, let me tell you. Most women don’t turn down speaking opportunities because they are shy or reluctant to self-promote. They turn down speaking engagements in larger percentages than men for some very valid reasons.
Women are more likely to work for smaller companies than men.
These smaller companies have fewer resources to send employees to conferences and events. Travel, hotel, taxis, meals while traveling, plus conference tickets — these expenses can add up. In addition, there are fewer resources back at the office to cover for someone out of the office at an event.
Women are more likely to work part time than men.
When you work part time, it’s tough to spend some of the time at a conference or an event. An event may coincide with a day you usually don’t work. When you work part time, you may not qualify for company perks, like the paid-for educational opportunities at a conference. You may also be more reluctant to ask for them, preferring to not rock the boat.
Women may have more additional responsibilities outside of work than men.
Women are still more likely to be the partner with the primary responsibility for kids, aged parents and the home. It’s hard to be the breakfast keynote if you have to drop little Johnny at school at 8 a.m.
Women can be overbooked with engagements.
If you get invited to speak at a conference or event, you might be one of those go-to women in an industry or geographic area. If we need a woman in blockchain, call Sue. If it is a female founder, get on the phone to Laura. Sound familiar? Your female speaker may be saying no because she’s already got multiple speaking engagements this week or this month. Maybe there is a direct conflict, or maybe she’s simply stretched too thin, and she’s turning down all opportunities.
It may be a matter of principle.
She may be turning down some specific opportunities — those all-female panels where women talk about their work-life balance, or what it is like to be a woman in her industry. She may turn it down because men of a similar level get invited as keynote speakers, and she's only offered an opportunity to sit on a panel. She may turn it down because the male speakers will be getting paid, and she will not.
Event managers, consider these challenges when considering female speakers.
• Give your female speakers as much advance notice as possible.
• Offer scheduling options. Does she have to be the breakfast keynote? Maybe she can be the lunch or closing keynote.
• Be upfront about speaker honorariums, coverage for travel and other speaker compensation.
If you are a technical or entrepreneurial woman, speaking is an important part of your organization’s marketing. It’s great for your career and your personal visibility. And it can help inspire the next generation of young women.
But many women don’t prioritize speaking engagements. They say it’s too hard to keep all the balls in the air, so they let speaking engagements drop.
Women, for the right opportunity, it might be worthwhile to ask others on your team (whether home or work) for assistance. Consider asking your employer to compensate you or cover your childcare if the engagement is scheduled at a time you would ordinarily be home. Switch days at work with a coworker.
Say yes to speaking engagements.
