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How To Do Everything with Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
by Ellen Finkelstein
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This book extract from How
To Do Everything with Microsoft Office PowerPoint
2003 is an Indezine exclusive with permission
from McGraw-Hill/Osborne.
The book itself is the ideal resource for anyone who
wants to create rich presentations with PowerPoint.
You'll find out how to use all the features of the
software and get coverage of key topics, such as creating
a well-written outline, the fine points of graphic
design, and tips for delivering the presentation in
front of an audience.
I wish to thank Ellen Finkelstein and Bettina
Faltermeier for facilitating the permission to
extract. |
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How to Create a Custom Grid
How to Create a Web-Style
Presentation
Did You Know? The Three
Stages of Rehearsing
How to Create a Custom Grid
From Chapter 5: Add Art and Graphic Objects
If the standard grid
that PowerPoint provides doesn’t suit your needs, you can create
your own, with varied spacing and a margin, for instance. One way
to create a grid is to draw it on the slide master. (I discuss
the slide master in detail in Chapter 7.) Follow these steps:
- From the View tab, choose Slide Master
to display the slide master.
- Display and set up guides in the
arrangement that you want, as explained earlier, in the section "Use
Guides."
- Draw a line along the
first guide. (Grids are traditionally light blue, but you can
make yours any color that works for you.) By default, the line
snaps to the guide.
- Choose CTRL-D to duplicate the line
and drag it to the second guide.
- Continue to duplicate
the last line you’ve created, as often as necessary.
- When you’ve done
this in both directions on the slide master, insert a rectangle
with no fill to create a margin all around the slide.
- Select
the lines and the rectangle and group them.
Return to your presentation, and you will see the grid on all
your slides. You can create a template containing only a slide
master with this grid and use it for all your presentations. Or,
once you’ve created this grid, you can copy it from one presentation
to another.
When you have finished the presentation, go to the
slide master and delete the grid."
Back
How to Create a Web-Style Presentation
From Chapter 11: Interact with Others
Most presentations are linear; they start at the beginning, end
at the end, and give viewers no choice about what they see. When
you deliver a presentation, you control what your audience sees.
However, from experience viewing web sites, people are accustomed
to choosing what they see from an array of hierarchically arranged
information. You can create a presentation that functions like
a web site. This style is ideal for presentations to small groups
of clients—you can let them choose which information they
want to see. Based on questions, you can access additional content
that you have included. You can also use this type of organization
for a presentation shown at a kiosk, or whenever the viewer is
controlling the navigation. It’s great for educational purposes;
students love clicking the buttons and going to more in-depth resources,
either within the presentation or on the Internet.
If you wish,
start with a title page; in web jargon, this is called a splash
page. Then create a home page with your logo, a brief explanation
of what you are offering your audience, and a menu. Turn each menu
item into a hyperlink to other slides.
To create the hierarchical
structure, create a menu on each of the second-tier slides and
link to yet more slides. These slides contain the information you
want to present. Finally, create links on each of the slides to
return to the tier above and to the home page, just like on a web
site.
On the Insert tab, click Shapes in the Illustrations group
to display the Shapes gallery and choose from the Action Buttons
section to insert premade web-style buttons on your slides, such
as the house icon, to go to your home page. The blank action button
is ideal when you want to add your own labels.
When you give your
presentation, present your home page and use the menu to explain
the information available. If your prospective clients indicate
an interest, go that way. If not, you can use the links to direct
the presentation yourself.
Why not just present your company’s
web site? There are many reasons not to:
” The web site probably doesn’t contain all the
specialized information you want to present and probably contains
lots of information your audience doesn’t need.
” Getting
a fast, reliable Internet connection is tricky. You don’t
want prospects to have to wait for pages to download (or worse,
not download at all).
” Web sites may limit graphics to
improve downloading speed and provide consistency over various
platforms and browsers. In PowerPoint, you can create the compelling
look you want.
” You have easier animation options in PowerPoint.
On a web site, you would have to use third-party software to
animate your content.
Hierarchical presentations take some getting
used to for both the presenter and the audience, but you’ll
soon find that they offer incredible flexibility and power."
Back
Did You Know? The Three Stages of Rehearsing
From Chapter 14: Prepare to Deliver Your Presentation
Before you present, you need to rehearse your presentation until
you are thoroughly familiar with it. You should know your presentation
so well that you almost have it memorized, but not well enough
that you can repeat it by rote.
Practice delivering your presentation
in three stages. The first stage is to talk through the presentation
in front of your computer. You can look directly at your slides,
which is okay for a first run. Repeat this step a couple of times.
Next, attach your mike to your computer and use PowerPoint’s
narration feature to record what you have practiced saying, going
through the entire presentation. (See Chapter 10 for details.)
Now, sit back and run through the presentation again, just listening
to the presentation. How was the tone? Did you speak too fast or
slow? Were you clear? You are sure to find room for improvement.
Make adjustments and go through the cycle of practicing, recording,
and listening until you are happy with the results.
The second
stage is to run through the presentation using the equipment (laptop,
projector, and so on) you will use when you actually deliver the
slide show. New elements to focus on at this stage are becoming
comfortable with the equipment, talking without looking directly
at the slides for more than a second, and standing up, even walking
around a bit, while you talk. You should practice your opening
remarks, when you will turn the lights up and down (if at all),
how you will start and end the presentation (for example, opening
and closing remarks; ending with a final slide or black screen),
answering questions, and so on. If possible, rehearse in front
of a real person to get feedback. If you can videotape yourself,
do so. Just like narration lets you listen to how you sound, video
lets you see how you look as you present.
The final stage is to
run through your presentation in the actual physical environment
you plan to use, if possible. (If you are presenting in-house,
you can combine stages two and three.) If you will use a projector
and screen, set them up and use them. Where will you stand? Check
out the view from the last seat. Can you read the smallest text?
Learn everything you can about the room—where the lights
and thermostat are, where to get more chairs, where the outlets
are, and so on.
Once you have completed these steps, you will be
well rehearsed and ready for anything! The confidence you have
gained from being prepared will shine through."
Back
© Copyright McGraw-Hill/Osborne. All rights reserved.
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