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Here is the latest newsletter - enjoy and pass it on to others.
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Communicating Using Technology
Vol. 4 Issue 11 May 31, 2005
Published and Copyright by Dave Paradi
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In this issue: Announcements 1. PPT - Save Prep Time 2. Sending large files 3. Useful Resource - Google Maps -------------------------------------------- Privacy Policy: I will never sell or distribute your e-mail or information to anyone. -------------------------------------------- If you like the tips, pass it on! If you have received this as a forward from a friend, sign up for your own copy at: http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/newsletter.htm --------------------------------------------
Public Seminars in June Group registrations have come in for both Chicago and Washington seminars since the last newsletter and each room is beginning to fill up (Chicago is over half full already). Get the details at http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/resources.htm and sign up soon to avoid disappointment. Forward notice of this seminar to others who could benefit from creating and delivering better PowerPoint presentations. If you can't make the place or dates, you can order the live seminar recording through the same link.
Save Money - Book me where I am travelling I am travelling quite a bit in the next few months and this is a great opportunity for you to save the travel costs for an in- house workshop or one on one consulting appointment. Here is where I will be and the dates: May 30-31 in Ottawa, ON; June 24 in Washington DC; July 7 in Atlanta, GA; August 2-3 in Victoria, BC; August 19-23 in the San Francisco/San Jose, CA area. If you want to save some money and book some time with me on one of these dates, just e-mail me at Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com.
A Personal Note Although e-mail is in many ways anonymous, I feel that I share a special relationship with my subscribers because you trust me to deliver useful ideas every two weeks. And I am grateful for the kind comments that come in about the tips in the newsletter. So I feel comfortable in sharing something that is happening on June 10th in the life of my family. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia at the end of last year and next Friday we are doing a 5 km walk to raise money for leukemia research. The family is walking as a team and there is a website that will accept donations. If you would like to support this cause, you can visit: http://www.active.com/donate/ltnto/ltnSParadi. Thanks for letting me share this with you.
1. PPT - Save Prep Time If there is one thing that I see more than anything else when reviewing PowerPoint presentations it is the failure to use the proper tools in setting up a master slide to make creating and editing the presentation easier. So many times I see each slide having the background, colors, fonts and layout individually set. Not only is this time better spent on something else, it almost always causes the slides to look inconsistent when displayed because the alignment of graphics or text boxes is slightly different each slide. When people are paying me to improve their presentation, this is one area I end up spending a chunk of time on. How can you solve this issue? Simple, spend time setting up the master slide first. Click on View->Master to display the slide master. Here is where you can set the color scheme (click on Format->Slide Design and click on Color Schemes), the fonts (select the text in the placeholder and click Format->Font) and the layout (you can size or move the text placeholders by selecting an edge and dragging it or resizing it). Spend some time getting the basic slide design elements right first, before you start creating any slides. If you are going to have a logo on each slide (like I do for my slides), put it on the master instead of inserting it on every slide individually. Then, for each slide you create, all you need to do is select the layout (by clicking Format->Slide Layout if it does not prompt you automatically) and start entering your ideas. This can save you a lot of time and make your slides look more professional.
-------------------------------------------- Learn to use PowerPoint in under 2 hrs Why wade through a big book - get a 13 step process that teaches you the 20% you REALLY need to know. "The step-by-step guide for these functions is far easier to follow than the PowerPoint for Dummies book I had!" -Randy Maples "Dave, many people go over the top with claims as to how great their product is - you know the sort - but I can definitely say that your e-book on Powerpoint is a no-frills, punchy and very helpful tool." - Tom Webb Go to this link: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=45805 --------------------------------------------
2. Sending large files In the past I have talked about how to send large files to someone else when the file is too large for an e-mail system to handle. Most files over about 4 MB will be stripped in e-mail systems today because the risk of them being a virus or other nasty file is too great. In addition to the previous service I recommended, http://www.dropload.com, I have a new one for you to check out. It is http://www.yousendit.com. It allows you to send a file of up to 1 GB (dropload allows 100 MB) without requiring you to register as a member (dropload does require you to open an account). Both systems work in the same basic way. You upload the file to their server and they send an e-mail to the other party indicating that a file is on the server to download. Both keep the file only for a limited time (4-7 days) and allow only one or a few downloads. YouSendIt also gives you a URL to download the file so you can send it to the other person in an e-mail as a backup if required (dropload does not offer this feature). If you need to send large presentations or media files, these services are the best way to go.
------------------------------------------------------- Make Your Next PowerPoint Presentation Compelling Do you have an important presentation coming up? Would you like to make it so compelling that people sit on the edge of their seats listening to you? If you do, let me help you with my ten step PowerPoint presentation consulting approach. This is way more than just slide design, this is professional input on the structure, design and delivery of your PowerPoint presentation. One of my consulting clients wrote "I can confidently say my sales have already increased as a result of this astounding presentation." If you are interested, go to this link: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=85889 -------------------------------------------------------
3. Useful Resource - Google Maps Google is constantly introducing new services and one of their latest ones I think is better than other similar services. It is the new Google mapping service at http://maps.google.com. I find the scrolling and zooming features easier to use (which are two critical features of a mapping site). It also includes a satellite view that allows you to see a satellite photo of the area you are mapping (if it is in their database). This can be helpful if you are driving to a new place and want to find landmarks along the way. Check it out at http://maps.google.com.
-------------------------------------------- Tools I use to sell my products: 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 Credit Card Processor 2checkout.com: http://www.2checkout.com/cgi-bin/aff.2c?affid=90267 -------------------------------------------- Would you like me to speak to your professional association or chapter event? I am always looking for opportunities to share my information with others and would love to explore speaking to your group. Just e-mail me at: Dave@ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com for more info. -------------------------------------------- Check out the books, e-books and other learning tools at: http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/resources.htm ******************************************** This newsletter is: CUT May 31/05 [PPT Save Prep Time, Send Large Files] If you want to read back issues of this newsletter, click on the following link to go to the Archives: http://tinyurl.com/nhgl ********************************************