A crucial part of being a big-shot is getting invitations to give talks at conferences. Invitations do not come from heaven; they need to be manufactured. Here are a few techniques.
- Organise a workshop and invite other big-shots that you know are organising conferences in the near future; this is part of your obligation to the big-shot network – they will reciprocate.
- Invite yourself.
- Hang out with an even bigger shot, and take the fallen fruit.
- Accept all invitations that you do get (but if its inconvenient, feel free to give it by telephone). Do not feel obliged to produce a new talk; you were not invited because of the perceived quality of the talk you might give, you were invited because you are a big shot. In any case, the audience will expect you to repeat your standard talk.