| ******************************************************************* Dave Paradi's PowerPoint Tip Issue #141 August 21, 2007 Published & Copyright by Dave Paradi of ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com Circulation 8,673 ******************************************************************* Please forward this newsletter to sales executives and professionals who want to achieve greater sales rep productivity and deliver presentations that close more sales. If this newsletter has been sent to you by a friend, sign up to get your own copy at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/newsletter.htm . ******************************************************************* In this issue: Seattle Public Workshop September 28th PowerPoint Live PowerPoint Tip - Create a custom image Best of the Blog - PowerPoint at Trade Shows Dave's Travel Schedule ******************************************************************* Public workshop: Seattle, September 28, 2007 - register now! The public Think Outside The Slide workshop is only five weeks away. If you've been holding off registering, now is the time to take action and reserve your spot. A new bonus is that every participant will get the PowerPoint Effectiveness Assessment included with their registration (a $39 value). Register at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/powerpointseminar.htm . ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerPoint Live - New Orleans Oct 29-31 Would you like to meet other users of PowerPoint in a format where you learn from the true experts and get a chance to exchange ideas with others from around the world? If so, the fifth annual PowerPoint Live conference is for you. I am presenting the keynote address on the final day of this year's conference. Save $75 off the registration with the link at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/powerpointlive.htm . ------------------------------------------------------------------- PowerPoint Tip: Create a custom image As we start to move towards using more visuals in our presentations, we have the desire to create better and better graphics. And this is good, as long as better does not mean more complex. We need to keep them simple and meaningful for the audience. Does this mean we have to hire a graphic designer though? I don't think so. Many times we can create custom images for our slides by combining multiple elements to create a new image that shows exactly what we want to communicate. And combining elements is easier than it sounds. Let me use an example from a recent client presentation. The client wanted to explain how two competing ideas needed to be balanced in order to achieve the optimal result. Instead of stating it simply as text bullet points, I created an image by combining text and a photo. I took a photo of an old balance scale, the type they used in shops a hundred years ago. Then, I added semi- transparent text boxes on each of the platforms for the two competing ideas. The resulting image visually showed a balance of the two ideas. What idea do you have to communicate that could be done visually by creating your own custom image? Perhaps you want to show three options to a client and they are good, better and best options. Why not use a podium like they use at sporting events and show the options as the bronze, silver and gold medal winning options. When you are creating custom images, two techniques will help make it look great. The first is to be deliberate about placing the different elements in layers on the slide. By doing so you can control how much of each element is seen. Second, use semi- transparent backgrounds for text boxes so that any elements underneath the text box can still be partially seen. This keeps the visual continuity of the underlying elements intact. If you want more ideas on how to transform your text slides into visuals, check out the "Transforming Text Slides Into Visual Slides" e-book at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/transformtext.htm . ------------------------------------------------------------------- Best of the Blog - PowerPoint at Trade Shows More and more trade show booths are using PowerPoint shows to attract the delegates into their booth. These slides rotate key messages that hopefully will click with someone passing by and cause them to stop and come in. But setting up the display dooms some booths. One setup is to have a projector beaming the images on to a white board attached to a flipchart stand. This is the cheap way to go and it shows. The image is so slanted that it looks strange and the setup takes up too much space in the booth. Another option is to just place a laptop running the slides on a table near the front of the booth. Another bad idea. The laptop screen is so small that almost no one can read it when they pass by. The best option is to rent an LCD panel and mount it in a visible spot. This gives a large, clear image for those walking by the booth. But if you are going to do this, make sure that the images are running before people come into the exhibit hall. I've seen too many LCD panels that say "No Input Signal" during the trade show hours. What does that say to potential clients? Other recent blog posts at http://pptideas.blogspot.com : ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave's Travel Schedule I work with sales teams who struggle with the quality of their sales presentations and the productivity of the sales reps in creating the presentations. Sales executives would like their sales reps to easily create presentations and deliver a customized and consistent message every time. My research based PowerPoint Presentation Effectiveness System helps my clients achieve greater sales rep productivity and deliver presentations that close more sales. You can save money by booking me to speak to your organization or conference when I am close to your area for other clients. Here's where I will be in the next few months: August 24 Toronto, ON August 28-30 San Diego, CA & Mexico September 7-9 Winnipeg, MB September 17-19 - Mississauga, ON September 28 Seattle, WA one-day public workshop - register at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/powerpointseminar.htm September 27-30 Seattle, WA October 10-12 Washington, DC October 18 Barrie, ON October 25 Ottawa, ON October 26 Huntsville, ON October 29-31 New Orleans, LA at PowerPoint Live - register at http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/powerpointlive.htm November 14 - Toronto, ON December 6-9 - Halifax, NS January 23-24 - Cincinnati, OH E-mail me at Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com to discuss how my Think Outside The Slide(tm) sessions can help your organization be more productive and improve communication throughout the organization. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy Policy: I will never sell or distribute your e-mail or information to anyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Need articles for your newsletter? Check out my many articles at: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Recommended tools I use in my business: KickStartCart shopping cart system: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/default.asp?pr=31&id=42487 Credit Card Processor PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/row/mrb/pal=8ADSGLU62YXWW Webinar provider GoToWebinar: http://snipurl.com/webinarhost ------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the books, e-books and other learning tools at: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/resources.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want to read back issues of this newsletter, click on the following link to go to the Archives: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/archives.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft, PowerPoint, Windows and other terms are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. All books, products and seminars are independent publications and are not affiliated with, nor have they been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. |