Dave Paradi's PowerPoint Tip Newsletter - Issue #188, June 30, 2009
Published & Copyright by Dave Paradi of ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com.  Circulation over 8,100
In this issue
Latest Slide Makeover
Creating Visuals Training Videos
 Keyboard shortcuts for editing slides
Book Dave for a workshop
From the blog
The Visual Slide Revolution book at www.VisualSlideRevolution.com
One of the Top 10 Business Books of 2008
Click on the cover to learn more
Book Dave to do a live program for your group:
1) Transforming Text Slides into Persuasive Visuals
2) Hands-on Creating Persuasive PowerPoint Visuals
3) Cutting Presentation Preparation Time by Using Content Templates and Creating a Slide Library
4) Creating and Delivering Effective Web Presentations
Click here to learn more and book Dave.
Dave's Travel Schedule
June 28-30 - New Orleans, LA (SHRM Conference)
July 22 - Washington, DC (Educators)
August 21 - Toronto, ON (MBA Students)
September 15 - Orangeville, ON (Utility company trainers)
September 21 - Toronto, ON (Purchasing Managers)
October 13-14 - Atlanta, GA (PowerPoint Live conference)
October 17 - Edmonton, AB (CAPS Chapter)
November 25 - Toronto, ON (CSAE National Convention workshop)
December 6-9 - Calgary, AB (CAPS Convention)
 Latest Slide Makeover Video
Sometimes you are restricted in the number of slides you can use and may need to put more than one idea on a slide.  This makeover shows how to put two related ideas on a slide using persuasive visuals.  Click on the video below to play it in your browser via YouTube (or click here to watch it on my web site in QuickTime format at www.ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com/podcasts).

Slide Makeover Video at www.YouTube.com/thinkoutsidetheslide
Training Videos on Creating Visuals

Improve the effectiveness of your slides with step-by-step training on how to:
  • create calendar visuals that visually show date based information clearly
  • work with screen capture images to show the audience exactly what they need to look for and where they need to click
  • break up a single graphic you have been supplied with so you can build it on your slide piece by piece
  • find great photos in the PowerPoint library or on stock photography sites like istockphoto
  • integrate content from Word, Excel, PDF files or the Web seamlessly into your presentation
Click here to learn more at www.CreatingVisuals.com

PowerPoint Tip: Keyboard shortcuts when editing slides

In past issues on the newsletter, I’ve shared some tips on keyboard shortcuts you can use when in Slide Show mode.  If you missed some of the past issues or want to remind yourself of those tips, click here (if this link does not work, copy and paste the full link as follows into your browser: http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/newsletter/cutnov112008.htm).  Today I’ll share a few keyboard shortcuts to use when creating and editing your slides.

One of the tips I share in my workshops that most people tell me is new information to them, is how to break a line at a specific word when writing a headline (or any text).  Just press Shift+Enter (i.e. hold the Shift key down and press Enter).  This is different than simply pressing the Enter key, which gives you a new paragraph.  The Shift+Enter key combination breaks the line and uses the line spacing instead of the paragraph spacing.  It may look pretty darn similar on your screen, but line spacing is smaller than paragraph spacing and that difference will appear much larger when projected to a big screen in a boardroom.

Another tip I share in my workshops is to use the Ctrl+arrow keys to do fine positioning of objects on a slide.  You probably know that you can move objects, such as shapes or text boxes, by clicking on them and dragging them with your mouse.  You can also click on the object and move it using your arrow keys.  But you may have noticed that even when using the arrow keys, you sometimes can’t line up objects exactly where you need them to be.  Here’s where you need the fine positioning that you get when holding the Control key down and using your arrow keys.  This moves the object one pixel at a time, the smallest movement you can make.  This will allow you to get exact positioning when you need it.

The final tip is one that will allow you to locate and edit objects that may be hidden behind other objects or to locate objects that are on the slide but not visible.  You may have objects that are completely behind other objects due to the way you need to build your slide to have the maximum impact from that slide.  You may also inherit other slides that have empty objects on them that are causing problems.  How do you select these hidden objects so that you can edit them or delete them without having to move other objects and mess up your overall slide appearance?  Select a visible object and then press the Tab key to cycle through all the objects on the slide.  Once you have selected the object you want, you can format it by right-clicking on one of the boundary handles.  You can delete it by pressing the Delete key.

The more efficient you get at creating your slides in PowerPoint, the more productive you will be and the more time you will have to rehearse your presentation so it goes as well as it can.


Book Dave for a workshop and your staff will have comments like these recent attendees

"It was great!  Not only did I learn useful shortcuts, how to think beyond text slides and how to get my point across with graphs and pictures instead of text, but I was engaged the whole time.  Proving that Dave’s process really works.  Fantastic workshop!"
"I’ll never look at my PP screen the same again.  Ideas will allow me to produce a far more convincing, interesting and worthwhile presentation.  Thank you very much, fantastic day."
"I’m shocked – way above my expectations which were already high."
"Very informative ….Great real world examples delivered with intelligence."
Click here to learn about how I customize every workshop to deliver exactly what your group needs.

From the Blog at PPtIdeas.blogspot.com: Think before you add slide numbers     

Today I watched two presentations where the presenter had the slide numbers feature turned on, so we saw a slide number in the lower corner of each slide.  And it got me thinking, why were the slide numbers there?  What did they add to the presentation?

The answer was: Nothing.  The slide numbers did not help explain the ideas or help the audience understand the message.  The only time I think slide numbers are useful is when you are presenting using a flipbook (where the slides are printed one per page and the presentation is done flipping through the book of slides).  In this case, it can be helpful to keep everyone on track by referring to what slide number you are on.

But if you are presenting in a room with a projector, slide numbers are not necessary.  If the audience has a handout, they have a copy of your slides or notes and you will refer them to a page number in the handout, not the slide number.  If you don’t have a handout, the slide numbers serve no purpose to the audience.

What do you think?  If you use slide numbers, what benefit do they have for your audience?  Add your thoughts in the comments below.

See all blog posts and add your comments at http://pptideas.blogspot.com
Contact Dave: Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com or call 905-510-4911
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