How to Quickly Clear All Text Formatting from PowerPoint Slides

Control Slide Formatting

Use SlideMaster to Control Formatting

One of my clients inherited a “Ransom Note” PowerPoint Presentation. I think that you can visualize what a “Ransom Note” slide looks like: Multiple Fonts at various sizes with multiple colors and effects thrown in for good measure! Ugly and, certainly, not professional.

Steps to Clear All Text Formatting

In my video tutorial, I demonstrate:

  • How to work in PowerPoint’s Outline View
  • How to use Keyboard Shortcuts to expand and collapse the text for each slide
  • How to clear all of the text formatting

Use the SlideMaster to Set Default Settings for Text

In my experience, most of the people who use PowerPoint are either unaware of the SlideMaster or they do not know how to use it. In my tutorial, I demonstrate how Microsoft Office Themes and the SlideMaster work together to set the default setting for formatting your presentation.

Minimize Local Formatting

My goal, in creating this tutorial, is to impress upon you the importance of limiting your use of “local formatting.” The reason that “ransom note” formatting survives is a direct result of applying local formatting rather than using the SlideMaster to help you to maintain a consistent look.

Additional Resources for Learning PowerPoint

I am the author of the best-selling DVD-ROM, “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007.Click on this link to learn more about the 7 1/2 hours of focused video training that I offer on my DVD-ROM.

Watch My Tutorial in High Definition

Follow this link to view my tutorial in High Definition on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

 

 

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20 Tips for Delivering a Successful Presentation

Presenting to Group

Presenting to Group

Have you been asked to speak or deliver a presentation at an upcoming event? Once you have accepted the invitation to speak or present, you need to start preparing. Where do you begin?

Successful presenters follow a process. They have a system which they have developed over the years. They use a checklist of Best Practices to help ensure that they deliver successful presentations every time!

So, you may be asking … “Where do I get a list of tips? Has someone created a checklist that I can use?”

Fortunately, you have come to the right location! I have created a checklist of “20 Tips for a Successful Presentation” that you can download – for free!

Click on this link to download my 20 Tips for a Successful Presentation as an Adobe PDF.

Here is my list of the 20 Tips that I use whenever I speak or deliver a presentation. These are also the tips that I share with my clients when I coach them to deliver successful presentations.  You will learn about:

  • How to discover your “Words-per-Minute” (WPM) Count
  • The “B-L-O-T” (Bottom Line On Top) Technique
  • The “Power of the Pause”

And 17 additional tips. Be sure to download the complete checklist  of  “20 Tips for a Successful Presentation” to get more information about each tip:

Tips While Preparing Your Presentation

  • Tip #1 – Prepare with your audience in mind
  • Tip #2 – Begin your presentation with “The End in Mind”
  • Tip #3 – Use the classic model to structure your presentation
  • Tip #4 – Prepare by writing out your presentation

Click on this link to download your copy of my 20 Tips for a Successful Presentation

Tips for Delivering Your Presentation

  • Tip #5 – Memorize two sections of your presentation
  • Tip #6 – Communicate and confirm your equipment needs in advance
  • Tip #7 – Get comfortable with the physical setting
  • Tip #8 – Your audience will “Tune-in / Tune out” during your presentation
  • Tip #9 – Remember the “Power of the Pause!”
  • Tip #10 – Maintain Eye-contact with your audience
  • Tip #11 – Pace your presentation

Follow this link to download a PDF of my 20 Tips for a Successful Presentation

Tips for PowerPoint

PowerPoint Tips

Tips for Creating PowerPoint Slides

  • Tip #12 – You are the Presentation!
  • Tip #13 – Do not write complete sentences on your slides!
  • Tip #14 – Take advantage of the “White Space” on your slides
  • Tip #15 – Choose appropriate visual images

Want to get a copy of this checklist – complete with details for each of these tips? Click here to download 20 Tips for a Successful Presentation as a PDF.

Do you want to learn how to use PowerPoint effectively? Click on this link to learn more about my DVD-ROM, “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007”

Tips for Engaging Your Audience

  • Tip #16 – Phrases to avoid
  • Tip #17 – Phrases to substitute
  • Tip #18 Encourage audience questions
  • Tip #19 – Audiences remember stories

Get your free copy of this checklist. Click on this link to download 20 Tips for a Successful Presentation

Tip for Delivering a Successful Presentation

  • Tip #20 – Visualize your Successful Presentation!

So, there is the checklist that I use. Be sure to download your copy to learn more about each of these “20 Tips for a Successful Presentation.”

Do you have a favorite tip? What works for you? Add your comment in the area below this article. Or you can send it to me via email: danny@thecompanyrocks.com

Read or Forward this Article from Ezine Articles Website

A variation of this article is purclished on the Ezine Articles Website  – www.ezinearticles.com where you can read it or forward it to your friends and colleagues. Click here for the direct link to the article.

Invitation to Visit My New Online Shopping Website

I have just opened my new, secure online shopping website. I invite you to visit http://shop.thecompanyrocks.com to see all of the products and resources that I offer.

 

 

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How to Embed a PowerPoint Presentation on Your Blog or Website

I am really excited about the capabilities of the new WebApps available for Excel, Word and PowerPoint. While I have been using my Sky Drive on http://www.office.live.com for the past few months, I have just started to “embed” my Excel Workbooks and PowerPoint Presentations here on my website.

How to Embed PowerPoint Presentations on Website or Blog

As you will learn in the video tutorial, you need to follow these steps:

  1. Upload your PowerPoint Presentation to your Sky Drive via Windows Live! – www.office.live.com
  2. Set the properties for “Sharing” this presentation – e.g. View by All.
  3. Select the Presentation on your SkyDrive to open it online.
  4. Select the Title Bar for the Presentation to take you to the “Sharing Options” for the Presentation.
  5. When you select “Embed”, you will see a frame that hold the HTML Coding that you can copy. Copy this HTML Code.
  6. On your Blog or Website, open the HTML Editor for your new posting. Paste the HTML Code that you copied from your Sky Drive.

It is really easy!

Click on My Embedded PowerPoint Presentation

Here is my embedded presentation. You can advance the slides here on my website. You can also click the icon in the lower righ- hand corner to view the Presentation in full screen mode using your Internet Browser.

View This Video Tutorial in High Definition

Follow this link to watch this video tutorial in High Definition on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

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Making Effective Use of “White Space” on PowerPoint Slides

When you hear the term “White Space,” think “Breathing Room.”  As a nation, we tend to scan a document before making the decision to go back and read it – or delete it!.

When you are able to understand the strategic use of creating “white space”  on your PowerPoint Slides, you take the first step towards getting your audience to “pay attention” to what you have to say – to what you have to offer to them!

Use Paragraph Spacing to Make Bullet Points More Effective

In this video tutorial, I demonstrate how to effectively use “paragraph spacing” to make your bullet points more effective during your presentation – by effectively using “white space” between each bullet point.

Do NOT hit the “Enter” key repeatedly to add spacing between bullet points!

Rather, learn how to use the “Paragraph Spacing” dialog box to control the amount of space before and / or after each paragraph.

Each time that you press the ENTER key you create a new paragraph! So, effectively, each Bullet Point is a single paragraph!

Learn how to use this fact  strategiclally to create the message that you want to convey to your audience.

Watch – as I create “Before” and “After” slides to illustrate how creating more “white space” between your bullet points makes each point on the slide more effective.

One great Keyboard Shortcut to use as you fine-tune your paragraph spacing is the F4 key which repeats your last action. This is a powerful time-saver!

SmartArt Diagrams

Watch – as I show you how to convert a series of bullet points into a SmartArt Diagram to more effectively communicate your message to your audience. SmartArt Diagrams offer a welcome relief to an endles – or mindless – parade of bullet point ridden slides.  You can quickly convert a series of bullet points into a Smart Art Diagram as you will see on this video.

View this Video Tutorial In High Definition Mode

Click on this Link to view my video tutorial in High Definition on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksPowerpoint

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The 10 Most Watched Videos at The Company Rocks During 2010

Reminder Note

Reminder Note

I like to look back to review the results of the past year. Which posts, which videos were the most popular, which videos were downloaded most often? As I look at this list of 10 videos, the clear winner – by category – is merging data from multiple worksheets. Three of the top 10 videos that were watch the most fall into this category!

Here is a listing of the 10 Video Lessons that were watched most frequently on my website – www.thecompanyrocks.com – during 2010:

1- Summarize Multiple Excel Worksheets – Consolidate by Position

2- Build an Accounts Receivable Aging Report

3- Use Pivot Tables to Summarize by Year, Quarter and Month

4- Simplify Data Lookups in Excel

5- Perform Break-Even Analysis with Excel’s Goal Seek Tool

6- How to Display Numbers During a PowerPoint Presentation

7- Make Excel Data Come Alive with Visualization Tools

8-  Excel 2003 Basics – Data Entry

9- How to Merge Multiple Excel Workbooks into a Master Budget

10- Consolidate Data from Multiple Excel Worksheets – Part 2 – by Category

If you enjoy these videos, you will enjoy my DVD-ROMs, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” and “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007.” You can use my secure shopping cart to purchase them now.

I have reduced the purchase price of my Individual DVD-ROMs to $29.97 USD. You do not need a coupon to receive this special price. Simply, go to my online store – http://shop.thecompanyrocks.com

You can also watch my videos on iTunes. Click here to go to my Video Podcast, “Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers” at the iTunes Store.

Learn how to “Master Excel in Minutes – Not Months!”

My most recent videos can be viewed in High Definition, Full Screen Mode on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

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The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007 – Download Detailed Content Listing

50 Best Tips

Content Guide

I have created a PDF – that you can download – that details each of the learning concepts for “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007” DVD-ROM. I also include the Run time for each video lesson so that you can schedule a lesson to fit your available time.

Follow this link to download the PDF Detailed Content List for The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007. You can print this out and also forward it to your friends and colleagues.

The PowerPoint DVD-ROM package contains two disks with over 7 hours of focused video training. I teach PowerPoint as a speaker and a trainer, NOT as a “techie.” Yes, you will learn all of the “bells and whistles” for PowerPoint, but more importantly, you will understand how, when and why to use the technique. For example, I show you the steps to take to create custom animation for your bullet points, but I also explain when you should use them and when not to.

Even if you have been using PowerPoint for many years I know that you will pick up many new tips that will make you more productive in producing your slide show and more effective when you make your presentation.

You can purchase the DVD-ROM for “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007”right here on my website. I use a secure shopping cart. I accept all major credit cards and PayPal. I offer a variety of shipping options and ship to all countries. Your satisfaction is important to me. I guarantee my products 100%. If, for any reason, you are not happy with any of my products, I will refund your purchase price with no questions asked.

Click here to start shopping. 

If you received a feed of my post from yesterday – with a link to the PDF for the Excel Detailed Content List –  I have corrected a few errors in the original. Here is the link to the Excel PDF:

The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007 Detailed Content Listing

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My Most Viewed and Downloaded Videos for Excel and PowerPoint

My iTunes Podcast

Danny on iTunes

I began to post my videos as podcasts at the iTunes store this past summer. Since then, my video lessons for Excel and PowerPoint have been viewed and downloaded many times. I am thirlled. And, I thank you for your support and encouragement.

Here are the links – on my website – to the most popular video episodes. I have organized them by category in the order of their popularity. You can click on any link to view or download that video from my website. Or, you can go to my video Podcast by clicking on this link – “Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers” Podcast on iTunes.

Merging and Consolidating Excel Worksheets

 PowerPoint Presentations

Data Visualizations

What-If Analysis in Excel

Importing Data From Other Programs

Pivot Tables

Excel Tables

Social Media

Formula Errors

Please add your comments below – or on my iTunes Channel. I welcome your feedback.

You can learn how to “Master Excel in Minutes – Not Months!”

Sincerely,

Danny Rocks

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5 Tips for Displaying Numbers – Article Published on Indezine

Geetesh Bajaj, Microsoft MVP, started a group discussion, “PowerPoint is Not Excel and Word,”on LinkedIn. I joined the discussion and added a link to one of my PowerPoint Training Videos. Geetesh, in turn, asked me to contribute a written article on this topic for his website – Indezine. Here is the link to the article:

Article on Indezine Website

Published on Indezine

http://www.indezine.com/articles/5tipsfordisplayingnumbers.html

 

I encourage you to visit the Indezine website to find the resources and tips you need to improve your next presentation – whether you use PowerPoint or not.

You will also learn to master PowerPoint by watching my DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007.” The DVD is on sale now – click here to add it to your secure shopping cart.

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My Video Podcast has been downloaded 4,800 times

My iTunes Podcast

Danny on iTunes

OK, so let me brag a little. I launched my Video Podcast, “Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers,” in June 2010 on iTunes. When I looked at the number of downloads and views, I was amazed to see that the number had surpassed 4,800 – I am thrilled.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. And, one viewer has reviewed my podcast:

Customer Reviews

Concise training      

by ChipAv

These are very specific and concise training modules on individual aspects of Excel and Powerpoint. (Also a few on meeting management and social media.) No nonsense, down-to-business, accurate, and professional. If one of these matches the skill you want to quickly acquire, you should like these.

I invite you to view, download, subscribe or review my video podcasts – either individually or as a whole. Here is the link to my iTunes video podcast:

http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/danny-rocks-excel-tips/id374923275 – If you like what you see, then pass this link on to a friend or colleague.

You can add your comments below and feel free to use one of the Social Media Icons at the bottom of this post.

 

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How to Display Numbers During a PowerPoint Presentation

How many presentations do you “sleep through” – where the presenter displays slide after slide packed with numbers? Probably more that you wish – unless you need to catch up on your sleep!

Numbers are powerful – they help to support your point of view; they help to make your case. But, don’t overwhelm your audience with numbers, numbers, numbers. Don’t make the assumption that “the numbers speak for themselves.” If they do, then why do we need to hire you to advance the slides? Just send the numbers to us. Or… include them in your handout.

If you are going to “present” numbers, you need to direct the discussion of those numbers so that the audience can see and understand the trends that you are pointing out. One effective way to do so is to use Custom Animation in PowerPoint to introduce one chart series at a time.

Watch this short 5 minute video as I share my best practice tips for displaying financial numbers during a PowerPoint Presentation.

Bonus: You can read – and download – the article that I published on this topic. Click here to read “Five Tips for Displaying Numbers During a PowerPoint Presentation” on www.exinearticles.com

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