When I offer PowerPoint training, most of the time it's for people who already know how to use the software but who want to know more. What is good design? Where do I get photos to use in my presentations? Why do some colors go well together and others don't? How do I tell a story? These are the … [Read more...] about How do I learn PowerPoint?
Learn PowerPoint design by copying great billboards
Like a PowerPoint slide, billboards must be immediately understandable by an audience that's experiencing numerous distractions. Good billboard design is like good slide design If you've ever driven on Interstate 95 from the Virginia/North Carolina to the South Carolina/Georgia state lines, you've … [Read more...] about Learn PowerPoint design by copying great billboards
The secrets of awesome PowerPoint handouts
PowerPoint handouts help people to remember a presentation. But too often, presenters distribute handouts that are totally useless. Here's how to change that. Traditionally, handouts were printed from the Handout View in PowerPoint and looked like this: This layout allows the audience to … [Read more...] about The secrets of awesome PowerPoint handouts
How do you reward loyal customers? Not like this, I hope.
Marketing can be a tricky game. Everybody knows that advertising is designed to get people to spend money on products and services, so savvy companies supplement their advertising with relationship marketing. When a company works to establish good relationships, people are perfectly willing to … [Read more...] about How do you reward loyal customers? Not like this, I hope.
A sales presentation all about yourself misses the point
How much time do you spend talking about yourself or your company during a sales presentation? Shouldn't you be addressing customer needs instead? Time and time again I see presenters taking a "me-centric" approach to sales presentations. They tell the audience all about themselves and their … [Read more...] about A sales presentation all about yourself misses the point
Some people will always cause Death by PowerPoint. Let them.
[box style="quote"]How can we convince the 80% of presenters who are not effectively using PowerPoint to stop using it?[/box] This question was posed to me recently by a Design Dispatch subscriber. We've all seen presenters who just don't get it. No matter what they might have heard about Death by … [Read more...] about Some people will always cause Death by PowerPoint. Let them.
How to conduct live online polls during a presentation
Show of hands, how many of you engage your audience while you're presenting by asking for a show of hands? If you're doing this already, good for you! According to a recent article, 10 Presentation Techniques You Can (And Should) Copy From Apple's WWDC Keynote, by communications coach and keynote … [Read more...] about How to conduct live online polls during a presentation
How to make your own clipart in PowerPoint
It's easy to create your own custom clipart. By using the "save as picture" command on an object or group of objects, you can create a graphic that can be stored on your computer and used in other PowerPoint presentations, blogs, websites, Word docs, etc. Using the Save as Picture command in … [Read more...] about How to make your own clipart in PowerPoint