If you have ever given a slideshow presentation, no matter the topic, chances are you have used Microsoft PowerPoint. We use PowerPoint for everything from presenting business proposals to instructing students both in the classroom and remotely. Microsoft owns an astonishing 95 percent share of the presentation software market, encompassing over 500 million PowerPoint users worldwide¹. These users create more than 300 million new presentations every day¹. In this article, we will outline five things you must know to make your presentations stand out and become a PowerPoint pro.
One way to create a stellar PowerPoint presentation is by using templates². When you open PowerPoint on your computer, you will find a variety of stock templates already prepared to display your text in an appealing manner². To access these templates, click on “File,” and then click on “New” to create a new presentation using your chosen template². Additionally, you can select templates in various categories by going to Suggested Searches and then clicking on specific words therein². No matter which template you choose, PowerPoint provides you with a solid foundation for predictably awesome presentations every time.
Another helpful PowerPoint tip is to use the Slide Sorter View³. This handy tool provides you with a complete overview of your presentation³. Here, you can ensure that your slides are consistent, cohesive, and in the correct order³. You can access Slide Sorter View by going to View Tab > Sorter³. In short, PowerPoint’s Slide Sorter View will help you take your presentations from unpredictable to predictably awesome.
Meanwhile, if you are presenting before an audience, the last thing you want is for them to read off your slides before you have a chance to speak these points². You can rectify this by using animations, so that the text only appears with the click of a mouse². First, select the text that you wish to animate². Next, click on “Animations” in the top ribbon and select how you want your text to appear on screen (like “Appear,” “Fly In,” or “Swivel,” for example) ². If you would like your text to appear on the slide in a certain way, use the Effect Options menu². Even if you are not a professional animator, PowerPoint’s animations help you create compelling presentations.
While animations make your presentations visually appealing, you can add even more value by including charts and graphs². You can insert charts – such as line graphs and pie charts – directly from Excel and paste them onto the appropriate slides². Keep in mind that each chart is a linked object, so if you edit the host Excel chart, the PowerPoint copy will reflect those changes². However, this approach can become problematic if you delete the Excel chart or move it to a new location².
You can also create charts directly in PowerPoint by selecting “Insert” on the ribbon, and then clicking on the chart icon in the Illustrations group². This will display a pop-up window, allowing you to select the chart type². Once you have selected the chart you wish to include in your presentation, it will be displayed along with an Excel-type grid². While you can enter the data manually if you so desire, you can also fill the grid using Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheets². You will also see a highlighted area in the data grid, representing the area from which your chart’s data is derived². This is automatically filled with sample data, but you can easily replace the samples with your own data².
Finally, if you are looking to design an appealing presentation but do not have an artist’s eye, PowerPoint has your back⁴. If you are a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you can use the PowerPoint Designer feature to select from a variety of design ideas⁴. To utilize Designer, select the “Design” tab, then select “Design Ideas” ⁴. You will find a wide array of ideas on the right-hand pane. However, if you are not satisfied with any of those designs, click “See more design ideas” at the bottom of the screen⁴. By building recommendations from your slides’ existing content, PowerPoint Designer offers you high-quality photos and vibrant complementary color palettes, while also transforming data into readable graphics, creating organized charts and tables, and adding illustrations to complement every part of your presentation⁴. In summary, Designer takes the guesswork out of crafting eye-catching presentations so you can focus on capturing your audience’s attention.
Graphical user interface, application, PowerPoint
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(Image courtesy of https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2016/03/24/powerpoint-designer-whats-new-and-whats-next/)
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Sources:
¹24Slides. “Executives, PowerPoint & Time: Set Your Priorities.” Retrieved from https://24slides.com/presentbetter/time-wasted-powerpoints#:~:text=PowerPoint%20is%20used%20by%20over%20500%20million%20people.,300%20million%20PowerPoint%20presentations%20are%20made%20every%20day.
²Power Tech Tips. “Top 25 Microsoft PowerPoint Tips and Tricks You Need to Know.” Retrieved from https://www.powertechtips.com/powerpoint-tips/#:~:text=1%20Create%20two%20new%20blank%20slides.%202%20On,the%20same%20name%20as%20for%20...%20More%20items.
³The Presentation Designer. “5 PowerPoint Tips You Should Know” by Illiya Vjestica. Retrieved from https://thepresentationdesigner.co.uk/5-powerpoint-tips/.
⁴Make Use Of. “5 Ways to Build an Engaging Presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint” by Joe Keeley. Retrieved from https://www.makeuseof.com/tips-for-engaging-powerpoint-presentations/.
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