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Inject your presentation with supporting evidence that will reinforce your key messages. Use a range of sources to investigate your subject. You might not use all the information you collect, but you will have thought through different issues.

Sources of information include:

• Data and statistics.

• The Internet. E.g. Wikipedia or www.Credoreference.com

• Libraries. In our digital age, it is easy to ignore the valuable hard-copy resources of libraries that have been built up over the years. Librarians themselves also have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and will be able to point you in the right direction. Reference sections of

case study I was once given just three hours’ notice to give a 45-minute presentation, and that included breakfast and travelling to the venue! Fortunately, the subject was close to my heart. I’d kept notes on treatments of similar subjects and could find them easily. I used a colleague’s outline and structure as a basis and added my own personal anecdotes and approach. The keys to success were mental prepararation and being able to access vital information quickly.

libraries are an obvious source of information, while some people find that even a children’s book on a subject provides a useful overview.

If you give many presentations, then it can be useful to keep an ideas book, either physically or digitally, of interesting items that could help you. Such items could include:

• Newspaper cuttings

• Extracts from journals or magazines

• Illustrations that are particularly striking

• Titles of books

• Quotations from public figures or leaders in your field

• Witty anecdotes

• Extracts you come across in your general reading

• Insightful comments in a blog

In your preparation be willing to think outside the box. Explore different perceptions of a sensitive issue. Distinguish between facts and opinions. Question well-known arguments. Go beyond face value.

Inject strong supporting evidence into your presentation to reinforce your message.