Inservices: Pathway to Success
By Dale Berry, CP, CP(c) Hosting an inservice is one of the most fundamental and
successful ways to educate existing and potential referral sources.
Whether it's a daylong presentation series to hundreds of attendees
or simply a small lunchtime gathering with several therapists, an
inservice provides a unique opportunity to establish one's self as
an industry expert and trusted practitioner.
3in.gif) A common obstacle for P&O practitioners is
gaining the trust of physicians, physical therapists, occupational
therapists, and other potential referral sources. Referral sources
obviously need to trust your work before they put their patients'
well-being in your hands; however, that trust is hard to establish
without first caring for one of their patients. It is a difficult
cycle to break in to.
This is where an informative, focused, and well-presented
inservice can make all the difference. It gives you the opportunity
to establish trust among potential referrals in a non-threatening,
educational environment that does not require referrals to blindly
put their patients' well-being on the line.
In a situation where your objective is to build trust and
instill confidence, appropriate preparation is crucial to success.
Without it, you run the risk of doing more damage than good. To
help, here are nine points to consider when preparing and
presenting an I.N.S.E.R.V.I.C.E.:
Interact with Your Referrals
An inservice should not be viewed as an opportunity to talk to
referral sources, but rather as an opportunity to talk with
referral sources. Communication must flow among all
participants.
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Photo courtesy of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. |
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Too often, first-time presenters make the mistake
of thinking, "I am going to teach the group about something they
don't know." This is understandable considering the years spent in
a school environment; however, when employed in an inservice
atmosphere among educated colleagues, this approach can be
damaging.
Your inservice should educate through interaction. Share
information about your skills, services, clinical techniques, and
products, but more importantly, listen to and learn from the
opinions and thoughts presented by the group. This is one of the
rare instances where you hear direct feedback and address specific
concerns of your most profitable audience.
Natural Style
Sweaty palms, red blotchy skin, upset stomach-just a few of the
symptoms often experienced by many of us when faced with a public
speaking engagement. The fear and the symptoms often stem from the
concern: What will people think of me? The irony of this fear,
relative to the purpose of an inservice, is that what you fear is
exactly the reason for hosting the inservice. You want the referral
sources to leave your gathering knowing as much about you and your
personal clinical style as possible. Act natural.
If you are not the type of person who tells jokes on a regular
basis, an inservice is not the place to start. It is important to
develop your own presentation, and not try to copy other
presenters' styles. You have your own clinical style, thus you
should have your own presentation style.
Single InService, Single Theme
A common presentation mistake is trying to pack too much
information into one inservice. Identify a single theme you would
like to get across in your presentation and then stay on topic. Do
not clutter the message with a lot of facts and figures; use
anecdotes instead. Your goal is to share a message that is clearly
understood and is pertinent to your audience. The facts and figures
gathered to support your presentation are just that - support
information to be used only upon audience request.
Educate
The ultimate goal of any inservice is to provide quality
information that is relevant to and useful for your audience. Ask
yourself, "Will my audience be able to immediately apply the
information I present?" If the answer is no, then rethink your
presentation. Education for the mere sake of learning something
interesting is, by some definitions, trivia. The goal of a quality
inservice is to provide value and a return on the audience's time
investment. If they learn something of value, then the audience
will value the presenter, hopefully initiating a trusting
relationship.
Research
Taking time to research the needs of the audience provides
significant returns. Briefly interview one participant of an
upcoming inservice. Ask about his or her current topics of interest
and issues of concern, and then construct your presentation to
accommodate the expressed needs. Just because a particular topic
was received well by one group of referral sources doesn't mean it
will resonate well with another. Issues, interests, and concerns
change with the industry - be sure to stay on top of current
trends.
Visual Aids
Visual aids can be the most valuable addition to any successful
presentation, provided they are the right visual aids. The wrong
visual aid can detract from even the best presentation.
Many clinicians use samples such as a knee unit or prosthesis
during an inservice. This type of aid can be counterproductive, as
it does not truly represent the value of an orthotist or
prosthetist and the unique contribution of our profession.
While a certified prosthetist or orthotist appreciates the
intricacies and unique advantages of a specific knee unit, referral
sources not trained in O&P may simply see a piece of metal with
moving parts and not understand how it can provide a smooth gait or
increased stability.
The magic of the O&P profession is what our patients are
able to accomplish while wearing the products we design and fit.
The best visual aids are photos or videos of patients doing
activities of daily living (ADL) while wearing a customized
prosthesis or orthosis. Solid visual aids demonstrate your
abilities while showing how your skills can improve patients'
lives.
Interesting and Informative
The best way to ensure a successful presentation is to keep it
interesting and informative. This reinforces earlier points about
researching your audience's concerns and then providing relevant
education. Just because your audience is physically in front of
you, doesn't mean they are mentally in front of you. Keep them
stimulated through pertinent topics and continuous interaction.
Clear Objectives, Clear Goals
One of the first steps in preparing a presentation is to
identify clear goals, while keeping in mind that your primary
objective is to get an invitation back to give another inservice.
The only way you will be invited back is if you can prove you are
an invaluable resource with a wealth of relevant information. Be
sure to follow up with a survey. Honest and critical feedback is
invaluable to improving your presentation.
End on Time
End on time, and if possible, end a little early. It will be
much appreciated by your audience, as running overtime is one of
the biggest complaints that participants have. Your audience has
made a good faith investment of a very valuable asset: their time.
It is imperative that you show proper respect by valuing their
schedules and finishing your presentation on time, as promised.
To ensure you run on schedule, be sure to practice, practice,
and practice again. Practice in front of a mirror, in front of
staff members, or even family members anyone who will listen. You
will be surprised how it will build your confidence and prepare you
to present a quality inservice.
Education is a cornerstone to building a strong network of referral
sources based on trust and respect. A way to differentiate yourself
and your practice from the competition is to provide relevant and
useful inservices to your referral base and establish yourself as
the go-to practitioner for quality education.
Dale Berry, CP, CP(c), is vice president of Clinical Operations for Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics and is a professional motivational speaker. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and author of the book, Results-There’s No Such Word as Can't 
Table Of Contents - February 2003
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