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Getting the most out of PowerPoint
By Kevin Lerner, Exec. Director of The Presentation Team

According to scientists, we humans use less than 10% of our brain's full potential. Likewise, when it comes to using PowerPoint, most people may use less than 10% of that software's full potential. Getting the most out of PowerPoint requires a commitment to learning, and a desire to have fun!

Don't be afraid to try!
As in life, the main reason people don't do more with PowerPoint is fear of the unknown: "I don't know what that button does...I'm not about to press it and mess up my presentation!" Like exploring new roads in a city, studying the menus and learning what each feature does, you can achieve greater creativity and efficiency with PowerPoint. Tinker and experiment! Don't be afraid to try! And if you mess up, there's always "Undo"...Control Z.

Think efficiently and use the keyboard
Ah yes, Control Keys! They're another great way to do more...and do it faster. Rather than inefficiently moving the mouse all over the screen clicking on menu commands, learning a few simple control keys can speed up development and make it easier to use. Beyond the standard cut (CTRL + X) and Paste (CTRL + V), here are a few quickies:
  • Increase Font Size CTRL+ Shift >
  • Decease Font Size CTRL+ Shift <
  • Grid On/Off CTRL+ G
  • New Slide CTRL+ M
  • New Presentation CTRL+ N
  • Save! CTRL+ S
The control, shift and alt keys also provide enhanced functions. For instance, by holding control down when dragging an item, you'll actually make a copy of it. By holding down shift and control when dragging a graphic, you'll make a copy of it, confined to the horizontal or vertical positioning of the original graphic. Try it!

Click, Drag and Drop
No, it's not a new dance routine. "Drag and drop" is a fast and fun way to import items into PowerPoint (or any Windows program). Let's say you're on a web page and you see a graphic you want in your presentation. Simply arrange your windows so PowerPoint and the web browser are showing, then click on the graphic in the browser and drag the image into PowerPoint.

The Right Mouse is in da house
The right mouse button brings up different menus in different places. Click on an image...image related options. Click on a text block...text related options. More options, more power!

The outline view mode is an underutilized mode that's helpful in organizing information. Rather than getting caught up in the graphical oooh-ahh of PowerPoint, the outline view helps users focus on the message.

Hide and Seek with your Slides
Why would you want to hide a slide that you spent all this time creating?! The hide slide feature is helpful in allowing users to create backup slides and info that they may or may not want to use. If in doubt, don't delete it! Move the slide to the end of the presentation and Hide it.

The Power of Plugins
For more functionality, creativity, and effects, consider PowerPoint plugins like Digital Juice for PowerPoint, or Crystal Graphics PowerPlugs, available- you guessed it- at www.presentationteam.com.

Even experienced PowerPoint pros don't know it all! By watching other presentations and chatting with your peers about their presentation techniques, you'll invariably pick up a new tip or idea that you can apply to your presentations. And don't forget...if you can dream it, you can do it!

Get published with The Presentation Team! E-mail your article to Kevin@ presentationteam . com

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