5. Editing Your Slideshow -
Viewing Multiple Slides -
Adding, Deleting, and Moving Slides -
Inserting Slides from Other Slideshows -
Editing Slide and Layout Masters -
Adding Headers and Footers If you want to give a great presentation , then you have to practice. But if you're like most folks, every time you fire up PowerPoint, clear your throat, and start rehearsing, you find a few places in your slideshow that need tweaking. For example, you may realize that you've duplicated information on a couple of slides. Or maybe you discover that you've forgotten to cover a critical point, or decide that a small graphic on each slide would reinforce your message. Or, worst of all, you realize that the way you've organized your content is all wrong. FROM THE FIELD
I've Got Good News and Bad News | | Most presentations fit into one of three broad categories, and thinking about which category your message falls into helps you organize your content effectively: good news, bad news , and here's some stuff you should know . -
Good news . The classic example of a good news presentation is the sales pitch, where the good news is that your widget will bring health, wealth, and increased productivity to every customer smart enough to buy it. If you're giving a good news presentation, then consider placing your main pointthe benefit your audience can expectboth at the beginning and end of your presentation. Always finish a good news presentation by telling your audience specifically what they need to do, to receive the benefitfor example, call a certain number to place an order. -
Bad news . Layoffs, budget cuts, and a new freeway displacing a neighborhood's homes are all examples of bad news presentations. To prepare your audience for bad news, state the problem first in the most sober terms possible. "Our company's losing so much money we're nearly out of business," for example. Spend the middle of your presentation elaborating on the problem and describing possible alternatives, and then place your main pointthe bad news you want your audience to acceptat the end of your presentation. Always finish a bad news presentation by reminding your audience how they can salvage some benefit from the bad news you're laying on them. ("The company is offering a generous severance package and help finding a new job," for example.) -
Here's some stuff you should know . This type of presentation isn't likely to engender a strong reaction in your audience, either good or bad. "Human Resources just changed the process for switching HMOs," for example. For neutral, informative topics like these, you need only place your main point at the beginning of your presentation. |
In this chapter, you'll see how to make all these changes and more. You'll learn to reorder your slides as easily as you shuffle a pack of cards. You can add, delete, move, duplicate, and renumber slides, and even copy slides from other slideshows. You'll also see how to control the overall look and feel of your presentation by editing its behind-the-scenes slide masters.  |
