Data is becoming more important in business and government decision-making at all levels to inform strategies, improve operations and evaluate results. However, data is often presented poorly leading to delayed or suboptimal decisions. This program goes beyond communication or presentation training to address the use of data to tell a compelling story that supports any…
Author: Dave Paradi
Dave Paradi has over twenty-two years of experience delivering customized training workshops to help business professionals improve their presentations. He has written ten books and over 600 articles on the topic of effective presentations and his ideas have appeared in publications around the world. His focus is on helping corporate professionals visually communicate the messages in their data so they don't overwhelm and confuse executives. Dave is one of fewer than ten people in North America recognized by Microsoft with the Most Valuable Professional Award for his contributions to the Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams communities. His articles and videos on virtual presenting have been viewed over 4.8 million times and liked over 17,000 times on YouTube.
Put text on any image so it is easy to see in PowerPoint; Step-by-step tutorial
Putting text on top of an image for a caption or other explanation is difficult when the image doesn’t have a single-color background. Since almost every photo or image is this way, use the technique in this video to ensure that your text will be easy for the audience to read. The information in this…
Zoom in and Pan around a website image using Morph; Step-by-step tutorial
If you want to show a website in a presentation, this video shows you how to capture the entire page in the Edge browser, first show the entire page to give the audience context, then zoom in on the important sections so the audience clearly sees what you want them to see. This is an…
Highlight correct answer for a multiple-choice question in PowerPoint; Step-by-step tutorial
When you ask the audience a multiple-choice question to engage them in discussion, use the technique in this video to highlight the correct answer using inking in PowerPoint. This gives a natural organic feel instead of a shape. The information in this video is an example of the practical advice I share in my live…
Half-day virtual session for MBA students (February 6, 2025)
Dave will be delivering a half-day session virtually to the Smith School at Queens University MBA students.
Make text quotes more visual on PowerPoint slides; Step-by-step tutorial
When you have quotes to share with your audience, don’t use bullet points. Instead, make the text more visual using callout shapes as I show in this video. The information in this video is an example of the practical advice I share in my live in-person or virtual training that helps teams improve the effectiveness…
Advanced alignment techniques for shapes in PowerPoint; Step-by-step tutorial
The alignment tools in PowerPoint can save you a lot of time arranging objects on your slides. This video shows you how to take your skills even further with advanced techniques that allow you to go beyond what the built-in features allow. The information in this video is an example of the practical advice I…
Video Beside Slides Built into Zoom Sharing! New Feature January 2024!
Finally! The feature Zoom users have been requesting for over 3 years has now been released. You can now put your video beside your slides (or any shared content). In this video I’ll show you how this works and how to customize it so you can create the experience you want the audience to have.
Smith Business Insight Webinar: Turning Data into Action: Strategies for Clear Communication
“What data do we have to support this?” is likely one of the most common questions asked across organizations today. Whether you’re the one asking or answering this question, the challenge is the same: ensuring the supporting data are communicated clearly, concisely and convincingly. Easier said than done, right? The good news is learnable, repeatable frameworks…
A lesson from Arthur Newman on cropping images in PowerPoint presentations
This past weekend we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario to see an exhibit of photos from renowned photographer Arthur Newman. His photos are well known because of his unique style of portraits that were commissioned by magazines from the 1940s to the 1980s. He carefully constructed the setting for each person based on…