Best Presenters Public Speaking for Occupational Therapy Practitioners Karen Jacobs & Liat Gafni-Lachter

“Public speaking is a powerful way to share knowledge and promote health, while also advancing your own professional reputation and the profession’s visibility and influence.”

Purpose Why are you presenting? Is it to inform, instruct, define, demonstrate, or teach? What do you want your listeners to remember?

Audience Understand who they are and why your topic is important to them Know the background information Preexisting knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes If it’s not possible to research your audience ahead of time, connect with them as they arrive! Think about ways to make the content relevant, practical, and motivating

Speaker Just as the “use of self” is a key concept in occupational therapy, it is a critical part of public speaking Practice your speech ahead of time and use relaxation techniques before your presentation The language you use will depend on your audience analysis Share your credentials and competence with the audience

Message Introduction Body Conclusion Start with a simple greeting Brief preview of the presentation Arouse audience’s curiosity Body Contains at least 75% of your key points Preview your points Describe them in a logical order Conclusion Tell the audience what you want them to remember Finish your presentation with a thank you Allow the audience to ask questions

Audiovisual Aids Guidelines for slides an outline of the presentation no more than six lines per slide title font sizes should be a minimum of 32 point text font sizes should be should be a minimum of 20 point use no more than one slide per minute

Feedback It is your responsibility as a speaker to be constantly aware of your audience’s nonverbal communication to make adjustments In certain situations, some speakers may use a paper or electronic survey

Discussion Questions What is one thing you learned that you did not know before this presentation? In what ways can public speaking support the advocacy of occupational therapy services? Describe one way that you could keep the learning active during a presentation.

Relation to Course Objectives “Demonstrate the knowledge needed to ensure the delivery of quality occupational therapy services […]” “Discuss professional responsibilities related to liability; professional development and competence; access to occupational therapy services; professional advocacy; the need to promote occupational therapy by educating others […]” “Articulate the value of occupational therapy to various audiences including consumers, employers, colleagues, third-party payers, regulatory boards, and policymakers […]”

Reference Jacobs, K., & Gafni-Lachter, L. (2015, October 26). Public Speaking for Occupational Therapy Practicioners. OT Practice Magazine, 7-12.