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Upgrade skills and expectations with PowerPoint 2010

There have been times when I’ve seen a PowerPoint presentation, which was heavy on the text. It’s the PowerPoint equivalent to a voice with no oompf.  With my upgrade to 2010 comes the necessary upgrade of my attitude to presentations and how they have moved on.

Upgrading to PowerPoint 2010 includes upgrading expectations and skills.

As an upgrader to PowerPoint 2010, (and a returner to presentations) I need to move on from my old experience of 2003 presentations, which involved, clip art, bullet points and  maybe a picture.  At that time I was living in the paper-driven world of handouts – with visuals limited to what could” come out ok” on a printer or photocopier.

Now presentations can be visually captivating – we can share them online, email them, co-author them, and view them again.  In all those times I received a handout of a presentation, I never looked at the presentation again. Because a handout doesn’t capture the experience of the event.  

With 2010, I now know about recording a narrative in PowerPoint – for my whole presentation or to highlight a message within my presentation.  After the event, my audience can go over a key section they might have missed (we all get distracted at times), or replay a section to a co-worker back at the office.

I can even use my presentation for my own development – spotting where the narrative didn’t work, or use a different technique to get my message across.  I can add notes to my presentation, using the Notes page, to remind myself how I can adjust the presentation for using it at a different event.

Trying something new…Here is a quick exercise to help me on my journey to giving my presentations more impact.

Adding Shapes to slide
PowerPoint 2010 gives you a huge variety of shapes to play with.  From the Shape options, you can add boxes, arrows, create your own process diagram, stars, speech bubble and buttons for action.  Use the Insert tab, and select the down arrow underneath the Shapes icon.

Shapes-microsoft-powerpoint-training
Use the Insert tab to access the shapes…

Click on the shape you want to add to your slide.  The cursor will change to a cross shape, and then click to add to where you want it in the slide.  You can easily change the size and location, using click and drag.

Adding shapes is included in our introduction to PowerPoint.  It’s a simple start to upgrading your presentation skills.  Explore more with our Microsoft PowerPoint Training Courses https://www.stl-training.co.uk/powerpoint-2010-introduction.php

 

 

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Co-authoring in Powerpoint 2010 – what is it and why use it?

If you are used to working in an older version of Powerpoint, you may not be aware of this function – and you are missing out on something rather impressive.

Co-authoring is a fantastic enhancement in Powerpoint 2010 and means that more than one person can contribute to a Powerpoint presentation at the same time.  This nifty function removes the frustration of having to take turns with your colleagues working on the file, then merging the presentation to update the changes.  Taking turns like this, slows down productivity and interrupts the flow of work, costing time and money.

There is an obvious control issue with sharing a presentation…if everyone is contributing, it can be difficult to get a final version unless you have someone to co-ordinate and control the project.  Co-authoring has that sussed.  You can have one core document from which you can then manage the contributions, changes and content, from your colleagues.

There are some things you need to have before you can benefit from this function.   Check if your organisation has Sharepoint Foundation 2010 or Windows Live Sky Drive.  This will allow you to keep one centralised copy of the presentation, and manage input from other colleagues, working at other locations, or even in another time zone.

No-one I know works on one task at a time, without distraction.  Working practices involve flexibility – working on location, using different devices, within the working day and even at home.

Co-authoring fits in with how we work – we can add our contribution to a presentation, and fit in with our working day rather than scheduling our time around a program’s capabilities.

Co-authoring is included in our Powerpoint Advanced course.  Take a look at how co-authoring fits in with some other great enhancements http://www.microsofttraining.net/powerpoint-2010-advanced.php