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

Learn How to Quickly Create Excel Pivot Table Reports

Excel Data Set

Data Set in Excel

Many people are curious about Excel Pivot Tables. They would like to learn how to create a Pivot Table, but they fear that that will take too long and be difficult to learn. 

Here’s the good news! Pivot Tables are one of the most powerful tool in Excel AND Pivot Tables are also one of the easiest Excel Techniques to learn! It sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? 

How would you like to turn this data set – with over 500 rows of data … 

into this Pivot Table Summary Report with @ six clicks of the mouse? 

Pivot Table Row & Column

Pivot Table Summary

 That’s all it takes. With a Pivot Table you turn long lists of data into summarized information that highlights the trends and patterns in your business. 

Special: Save 20% on any purchase! Use Coupon SAVE-20-PCT during Checkout! 

I can teach you how to get started on the road to mastering Excel Pivot Tables. On my DVD-ROM, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007,” I have the following Pivot Table video lessons: 

  • Introducing Pivot Tables – Run time: 8:23
    • Why Use Pivot Tables?
    • How to Create a Pivot Table
    • How to Modify a Pivot Table
    • How to Update a Pivot Table
  • Grouping and Charting in Pivot Tables – Run time: 5:50
    • Grouping Pivot Table Fields by Month, Quarter and Year
    • Grouping Pivot Table Fields by Week
    • Collapsing and Expanding Pivot Table Fields
    • Creating Pivot Charts
  • Using New Pivot Table Features in Excel 2007 – Run time: 7:46
    • Base Your Pivot Table on an Excel Table
    • Adjust Pivot Table Report Layouts
    • Apply Conditional Formatting to Pivot Tables
    • Insert Blank Rows in Your Pivot Table Report
The 50 Best Tips

The 50 Best Tips Series

As you can see from the “Run times,” each lesson is focused on one Excel technique. If you don’t have a lot of time and you want to quickly learn how to create Pivot Tables, my DVD-ROM is the best place to begin. 

Here is a PDF that you can download to see the content and Run times for each of my tips: The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007 Detailed Content Listing 

And, here is a link to my Archive of Free Pivot Table Videos  on The Company Rocks website. 

Learn how to “Quickly Create Excel Pivot Table Reports and Charts” 

Thank you! 

Danny Rocks

How to Create a Pivot Table Year-to-Year Comparison Report

One of my viewers asked for my help in creating and Excel Pivot Table Report. She wants to compare the total number of units shipped during three time periods: the years 2008, 2009 and 2010. The trick to producing this report is to drag the field to be summarized – Units Shipped – to the Values Area three times. Then, you change the Value Field Settings to first Sum the Units, then to compare the change in units year-over-year and finally to express this as a percentage of change. This creates a Year-to-Year Comparison Report.

This is a tip that is best demonstrated visually. So, I invite you to watch this 6 minute and 55 second Excel Video Training Lesson.

If you do not have the time to watch the video now, you can use my RSS Feed to deliver it to your computer or you can subscribe to my Video Podcast on iTunes to watch it later.

Learn how to “Quickly Create Pivot Table Reports and Charts”

How to Create and Modify Excel Pivot Tables

How is it possible that the most powerful tool in Excel is also one of the easiest tools to use? An Excel Pivot Table is, in my opinion, the most powerful tool for analyzing data and presenting it as valuable and actionable information. And, an Excel Pivot Table is also one of the easiest tools to use.  

Summarize Data with Pivot Tables

Create a Pivot Table

Create a Pivot Table in six steps:  

  1. With one cell in the data table selected, I clicked on the Insert Tab of the Ribbon and clicked Pivot Table.
  2. I made one change to the default settings – I clicked a cell on the current worksheet to place my Pivot Table.
  3. On the Pivot Table Field List, I placed the Division Field in the Columns area and the Products Field  in the Rows area,
  4. Also on the Pivot Table Field List, I placed the Sales Field in the Values area.
  5. To format the Sales field Subtotals, I Right-clicked a single number and chose Value Field Settings – Number Format.
  6. I also changed the name from “Sum of Sales” to “Sales Revenue.”

It’s that easy! Try it yourself. You will be amazed at how easy it is to create your first Pivot Table. And… as an added bonus, with a Pivot Table you can not harm the underlying data! Pivot Tables work with a “virtual snapshot” of your actual data. Because a Pivot Table uses a “memory cache”  of your data, you can quickly swap your data fields from Rows to Columns to Filters, etc. This is done quickly and efficiently. 

Learn how to “Quickly Create Excel Pivot Table Reports and Charts.”

Here, on the website of The Company Rocks, I offer many free Excel Training Videos to help you get started to create and modify Excel Pivot Tables. Here are the links to the Introductory set of Pivot Table video lessons: 

You can also search for free Excel Pivot Table Video Lessons by following these links: 

“The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” DVD

Excel Tip List

Excel DVD Tips

You can also purchase my DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007.”It is affordable and it offers over 5 1/2 hours of focused Excel training tips, tricks and techniques. 

Follow this link to start shopping with my secure shopping cart. I guarantee that you will enjoy my Excel Video Tips. If you are not 100% satisfied, I will refund your purchase price with no questions asked!

Two Ways to Create a Frequency Distribution in Excel

What is a “Frequency Distribution?” A good example is to see how frequently daily sales are “under $75.00” or how often they range “between $75.00 and $150.00.” Once you know how frequently a result occurs, you can better focus your attention on that particular segment of your business.

In this short 5 minute and 45 second Excel Training Video Lesson, I demonstrate two approaches to creating a Frequency Distribution Report:

  1. Use the =FREQUENCY() Function – this is an ARRAY Function.
  2. In a Pivot Table, Group the Row Labels to produce a Frequency Distribution.

An ARRAY Function has two “Got’cha steps:”

  1. Select all of the cells that will contain the results before your enter your Array Formula.
  2. Use the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keyboard combination to enter your Array Formula.

You can watch this video here on my website, you can download it via an RSS Feed or you can watch it as a Podcast at the iTunes Store.

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

View My Excel Training Videos on YouTube

DannyRocksExcels on YouTube

YouTube

Two years ago, in August 2010, I started uploading my Excel video training lessons to my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels. Now there are 93 Excel videos available. I was originally reluctant to post my video content on YouTube because I selfishly wanted to restrict my videos to my own website. After a conversation with a colleague, I changed my mind and began to upload all of my Excel videos to YouTube.
Why?
  • YouTube attracts a much more diverse audience than I could ever hope to attract on this website.
  • YouTube makes it easy to download and share my videos with others.
  • YouTube has a great analytics program – Insight – that allows me to gain valuable information about my audience.
  • YouTube is now showing several of my most popular videos as ads automatically (via Google AdSense)
  • I have good interaction with my viewers on YouTube – comments, requests for new videos, etc.

When I look at the numbers on YouTube I am amazed!

Here is a summary:

  • My Excel Videos have been viewed almost 200,000 times over the past two years.
  • One Video (Introduction to Pivot Tables) has been viewed over 20,000 times!
  • My DannyRocksExcels Channel on YouTube now has over 500 subscribers.

I invite you to view, download or subscribe to my YouTube Channel for Excel Training videos by following this link.

Thank you!

Danny Rocks

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

Excel Training Videos by Category

Here is a listing, by category – with hyperlinks – to the free Excel Training Videos that I offer on The Company Rocks website. Simply click on the hyperlink for each Category to go directly to the Archive of Excel videos in that category. 

Note: Some of my Excel Videos are listed in multiple categories.

Excel Tip List

Excel Tips

The companion page to this one is, “Index of Excel Video Training Lessons.” In the Index you will see the title of each Excel Video Tutorial listed beneath the category.

If you like the free videos that I offer, I guarantee that you will enjoy my DVD – “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” – now on sale here on my website.

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

Learn how to quickly “Create Pivot Tables and Charts.”

Excel Training Video Lessons – by Category:

“The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” DVD is now on sale!

Two Ways to Produce an Executive Summary of an Excel List

On one of the technology blogs that I follow, there is a debate over the best way to produce an Executive Summary of the information in an Excel Data List. Some people like the idea of using Excel’s =SUMIF() Function for this while others recommend creating a Pivot Table as the summary.

You decide – after watching this short video demonstration using both approaches. And, add a comment or drop me an email to let me know your thoughts.

This Excel Video Lesson is available for you to download as a Podcast on iTunes.

Follow this link to go to the “Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers” podcast.

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

Show Percentage of Calculations in Pivot Tables

Most people are content to let a Pivot Table Sum, Average, or Count their Values Fields. But what if you want to see individual Products as a percentage of all products sold in a Region – this is a standard request for Excel. And … it is easy to perform this calculation in a Pivot Table. Let me show you how to do this.

Follow this link to subscribe to the Danny Rocks “Tips and Timesavers” Podcast at the iTunes Store.

Learn how to “Quickly Create Pivot Tables and Charts in Excel.”

Dynamically Expand the Source Data for Pivot Tables in Excel 2007

Without question, the new Tables Tools is my favorite feature  in Excel 2007 – this feature, alone, is worth the price to upgrade!

When you format a Data Range as a Table in Excel 2007, you can “append” new data to the table and the Table definition automatically expands to incorporate the new cells! If you create Pivot Tables based on a “Named Range” for your source data, this is GREAT NEWS!

Now, after appending the new data to your “Named Table: in Excel 2007, when you refresh your Pivot Table, you automatically get updated data in your Pivot Table report.

This can save you hours each month – at what – $50.00 per hour? $100.00 per hour? Watch these savings add up each month of the year

(Note: This is a re-post so that I can feed this video to my Podcast at the iTunes store.)

Follow this link, to view and download – for free – the episodes on my Podcast, “Danny Rocks Tips and Timesavers” at the iTunes store.

Learn how to “Quickly Create Excel Pivot Tables and Charts.”