3 ways to simplify your PowerPoint presentations*
By S.E. Slack
Microsoft Office PowerPoint is a terrific medium because it allows you to reinforce
your message with visual prompts. But too often, the power of PowerPoint is lost
because the speaker doesn't use it to help viewers focus on the message. Instead,
PowerPoint itself becomes the focus.
If you want to feel more relaxed and confident the next time you're using PowerPoint
to deliver a presentation, try these three tips to maintain the focus on your topic—not
the medium.
Be consistent on all pages by using
the Master View
If you're tired of typing the date, presentation title, or page number on every
page in your presentation—or changing bullet styles and indentations—listen up.
PowerPoint will do this for you! The Master View feature allows you to enter information
once on either the title page or an interior slide page. Once entered, the information
is used consistently throughout the presentation, and remains there until you change
it.
I use this feature in every presentation I create. It makes my life a little easier
to know that each page will be consistent without much effort on my part. Let's
take a look specifically at how PowerPoint can automatically take care of the date,
footer, and page numbers for you.
From anywhere within your presentation, go to the
View menu, click
Master,
and then click
Slide Master. You will now be in the Master View mode, as
shown here.
Getting started
Note four key areas in this view, which shows you the presentation's title page.
• On the slide itself are two large boxes that allow you to edit the Master title
and subtitle styles. Less obvious are three remaining areas, which I've circled
in red.
• In the left navigation bar, you will see two thumbnail slides. One is the Title
Slide view, and above it is the slide view for the rest of the interior slides.
In the example above, you can see that I have selected the Title Slide.
• A small, useful toolbar called Slide Master View appears as well. In this
article we use only Close Master View.
• Finally, note the bottom portion of the slide. It shows the date, footer, and
number areas.
To include the date from the Master
title page:
• In the Date Area box, highlight and enter the date you wish to use.
• Click Close Master View on the toolbar.
You should now see the date automatically noted on your title page, as shown below.
To make similar changes on slide pages that follow the title page, simply select
the slide page thumbnail on the left within the Master View. You can then make changes
to the bullet styles and indentations PowerPoint automatically sets up for you.
Don't like a bullet color? Select the interior slide Master View and change it to
the color you want. The example below shows some of the items you can change on
the Master slide.
Tip: Page numbers are added by default. However, if you want to remove page numbers
from your presentation, remove <#> from the Number Area.
Note: If you want a date to appear on both your title and interior slide pages,
you must edit each page type from within the Master View.
Reinforce your message with automated
charts and graphs
You've probably seen presenters who have very cool graphs and charts within their
presentation. You can import these from other programs such as Microsoft Office
Excel, but did you know you can perk up your slides without importing from those
programs?
People retain information in different ways—by reading text, by seeing graphical
representations, and by listening to what you say. So, if you want your audience
to really remember your message, it's important to learn to create at least simple
charts or graphs in PowerPoint. With the automated formats it provides, you have
literally dozens of ways to build a unique presentation and make your message memorable.
To insert a chart or graph in your presentation:
• Go to the Insert menu, and click Chart. PowerPoint will drop in
a preformatted basic chart for you. If you like the format it chose, simply type
in the text you need in the datasheet box provided for vertical and horizontal axis.
Click anywhere on the slide and your chart will appear on the slide with your information.
That's it!
• To change the format, right-click within the chart. In the example shown, you
would right-click the area outside the colored bars, but still within the chart—not
in the datasheet box. You'll know you've clicked the correct spot because you will
see the menu below pop up. If you don't, move your cursor to a different spot and
keep trying until you see this menu.
On the menu that appears, click Chart Type to choose from 34 different chart
options such as bar, pie, and bubble.
Note: You can choose from Standard or Custom Types.
Once you have selected a Chart type and option, choose a Chart sub-type you like.
(Each chart option offers several different color and visual styles.) Want to see
the style in a larger view? Select Press and Hold to View Sample.
Note: Custom Type charts do not have this viewing option.
Once you have made your selection, click OK.
Type in the text you need in the datasheet box provided for vertical and horizontal
axes. Click anywhere on the slide and your chart will appear on the slide with your
information.
Jump easily between pages
If you didn't know how to use a hyperlink, you wouldn't be reading this online article.
You may already use hyperlinks for quick and easy access to the Web if you are connected
to the Internet while making your presentation. Too often, however, a cool way to
use hyperlinks within a presentation is overlooked. It happens when presenters include
additional information at the back of a presentation as "back up" slides and then
never refer to them because it's too difficult to navigate to the end and return
to the main portion of the presentation. But if the information is important enough
to reference in back up, why ignore it?
With PowerPoint hyperlinks, you don't have to because it's easy to jump between
slides.
To insert hyperlinks between slides
in your presentation:
• Locate the first slide you will be on when you want to briefly jump to another
slide. On this slide, highlight the word or phrase that is the most obvious descriptor
of the second slide. On the Insert menu, click Hyperlink.
• In the Insert Hyperlinks dialog box, under Link to, click Place in This
Document.
• Under Select a place in this document, click the slide to which you want
to jump. Use the Slide Preview to ensure that you are selecting the correct
page. Click OK. Your hyperlink is now in place on the text and page you selected.
Note: Trying to check whether your link works? Hyperlinks can only be used in the
View Show mode.
The final step in this process is to go to the second slide you selected (in this
example, page 3) and insert another hyperlink that allows you to jump back to the
first slide. Follow steps 1-3 to do this. Once complete, you now have two hyperlinks
within your presentation that allow you to move back and forth between slides like
a pro.
S. E. Slack
Ms. Slack is a lifestyle and technology writer with
more than 10 books to her credit. She co-authored Breakthrough Windows Vista and
Office 2007 Solutions to help you easily use Windows Vista and Office 2007.
Note: This entire article, pictures and text, belong to Ms. Slack.
*Eagle Secure Solutions, LLC, assumes no liability for any actions taken by a computer
user after reading the information on this page. Nor does Eagle Secure Solutions,
LLC, assume responsibility for any lost business, resources, health or money as
a result of a readers actions after reading this information.
If you have any computer questions, send them to us in an e-mail. We'll try to answer
them as soon as possible.