Good speakers relate to lay audience

Must have ability to explain clinical terms

To find a good speaker, it is best to know what qualities you expect to find. Therefore, develop a list of criteria, advises Leslie Crawford, MSW, manager of community health education and the resource center at Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, NE.

The qualities of a good speaker include:

• Explains clinical, technical information in terms the general public can understand.

"There are a lot of people who are very knowledgeable on a topic but cannot communicate to an audience of lay people," says Crawford.

The best way to know if a speaker meets this criteria is to watch a presentation or call one of his or her references.

• Uses clear-cut examples that are relevant to the audience.

"These examples must illustrate the facts, theories, or principles the speaker is trying to teach," says Mary Szczepanik, BSN, clinical program coordinator at Grant-Riverside Methodist Hospitals in Columbus, OH.

• Delivers organized presentations in a logical sequence.

A good presenter makes an opening statement, states the objectives of the talk, then moves into the introductory information before covering the material in a logical fashion according to the objectives, says Szczepanik.

• Answers the audience’s questions.

"Good speakers make themselves available for questions and answers," says Szczepanik. They can do this as part of the presentation at the end of the talk or stay afterward, she says.