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Dave Paradi's PowerPoint Tip Issue #139 July 24, 2007
Published & Copyright by Dave Paradi of ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com
Circulation 8,653
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Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who wants to
strategically use PowerPoint visuals to enhance their presentations.
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 .
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In this issue:
Web Site Redesign
PowerPoint Tip - How Many Features Do You Need To Know?
Best of the Blog - Start Your Presentation Right
Dave's Travel Schedule
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Web Site Redesign
Two weeks ago I attended the National Speakers Association
Convention in San Diego with my wife and kids. It was great to have
my wife attend with me because we split up and caught as many of the
sessions that we wanted to. And one of the sessions that she went
to caused me to work like a dog the last week and a half to
completely redesign my web site. It was time and what she heard
just convicted me on the spot. So this past weekend I launched the
redesigned site and it helps focus information for my key target
markets - 1) sales executives and professionals and 2) managers,
trainers and leaders. I invite you to check it out and I am always
open for comments. Not all of the articles or back issues of the
newsletter have been converted to the new design because there are
over 100 of those pages to do. Check it out at
http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com .
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PowerPoint Tip: How Many Features Do You Need To Know?
Recently we had a family picture taken on my wife's side of the
family. We assembled at her parent's house and a photographer we
know, Larry, came to take the picture outside. Everything went
exceedingly well - the weather was perfect and smiles abounded.
After we were done, we all went back into the house for
refreshments.
One of the reasons we have used Larry in the past is his ability to
touch up a photo using Photoshop. He and I were talking about this
in the house after the photo shoot and I had assumed that he was a
Photoshop expert user. Turns out he only really knows the eight or
so functions that he needs to make photos look amazing.
As I thought about it later, that makes perfect sense. I teach that
you don't need to know every feature of PowerPoint, only the ones to
be effective at presenting in your role. That's why most top
presenters only use about 20-25% of the features at most. It's also
why I'll never be Microsoft certified at PowerPoint. All their tests
focus on knowing every esoteric feature, not what you really need to
be an effective user. That's why today I am introducing my
PowerPoint Effectiveness Assessment.
It is an online assessment that will allow you to measure yourself
again 40 best practices and 74 specific skills I have found that
real business presenters need to know. Like Larry, you don't need to
know every feature, just the ones that will help you do what you
need to do in your job.
The big question is which of the hundreds and hundreds of features
do you need to know? Now, with this online assessment, you will get
a personal report listing which areas you are doing well in and
which areas and skills you need to work on. It's like getting a
personal road map to becoming an expert PowerPoint presenter.
To take the assessment, check out the details at
http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/assessment.htm . You'll even
get to see a sample of the extensive report that you will receive
after completing the questionnaire. If you have a team of
colleagues who would benefit from the assessment, such as a team of
sales professionals, e-mail me for group rates.
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Best of the Blog - Start Your Presentation Right
At the convention I was at this past week I saw two presenters make
the same mistake using PowerPoint at the very start of their
presentation. In fact, it was even before they began speaking. What
mistake did they make? Let me explain. Both presenters used a set of
slides to warm up and interest the audience as we were coming in to
the room. One had a rotating set of slides showing pictures of her
family and the other had a countdown set of slides that had
interesting facts and quotes with a little reminder in the corner of
how many minutes there were until the start of the program. Good
ideas both. But when it came time to start the actual presentation,
both dropped out of the introductory set of slides to the PowerPoint
program, switched over to their presentation set of slides and then
started that show. All while the audience watched. Not so good. They
should have linked the two shows so that they could smoothly
transition from one to the other without having to drop to the
program. Remember that it is always about the experience for your
audience. Learn how to use a good idea so that it enhances the
experience not detracts from it.
Other recent blog posts at http://pptideas.blogspot.com :
Use Your Own Remote
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Dave's Travel Schedule
If you have been sitting through too many presentations that did not
relay the key information needed to make critical decisions, you
should schedule an in-house or web based seminar or workshop. 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:
July 6-14 San Diego, CA
July 15-17 Los Angeles, CA
July 24-25 Detroit, MI
August 1-3 Bala & Huntsville, ON
August 9 - Toronto, ON
August 14 Lexington, KY
August 15 Cincinnati, OH
August 17-20 Chicago, IL
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 (tentative)
December 6-9 - Halifax, NS
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.
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Need articles for your newsletter? Check out my many articles
at: http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com.
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Recommended tools I use in my business:
KickStartCart shopping cart system:
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Credit Card Processor PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/row/mrb/pal=8ADSGLU62YXWW
Webinar provider GoToWebinar: http://snipurl.com/webinarhost
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Check out the books, e-books and other learning tools at:
http://www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/resources.htm
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the following link to go to the Archives:
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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.
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