To create engaging PowerPoint presentations, a speaker needs to have full control over the presentation which includes the slides as well as how the audience interacts with him or her. In all settings ranging from slides that require personalization to presentations that demand interactivity or even deciding the portions you want to speak in during your presentation, PowerPoint offers a variety of options to help you give an excellent presentation. This article will focus on changing the slideshow as well as designing interactive presentations and utilizing slideshow timings to enhance your presentation.
Changing The Slideshow
Custom slideshows are a great way to show selected slides in a specified order without changing the presentation as a whole. This feature allows a speaker to shift the order of the slides as they see fit so that the presentation is delivered exactly how they want while still keeping the original presentation intact.
How To Change Your Slideshow:
- Go to the “Slideshow” tab in PowerPoint.
- Select “New” to create a new presentation from “Custom Slide Show” menu.
- There will be two columns written with “Slides in Presentation” and “Slides in Custom Shows.”
- Click the “Add” button to import the slides you want to use in the custom presentation. The main presentation gets unaffected while you select which slides you want to show in your desired order.
- Once you have arranged the slides, name your custom presentation and click “OK.”
- Click “Show” to see your custom presentation.
By adjusting the slideshow, you can make it ideal for different audiences or focus on certain parts of a wider presentation. A customized slideshow is perfect for the above discussed scenarios.
Adding Interactivity To Your Presentation
Enhancing the way you present through greater engagement and visual impact can be achieved through the use of interactivity in your PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint comes with various tools that can be used to highlight, explain or walk your audience through the material.
How do you prepare an interactive presentation?
- Start the presentation by clicking on “Slideshow” tab followed by “From Beginning.”
- Click on “Laser Pointer” button at the bottom of the screen and use it to highlight content.
- Use the “Pen” tool to make sketches on the slides or the “Highlighter” tool to capture the key phrases. The “Eraser” can also be used to delete or undo as marks when needed.
- To further increase mobility, select any of the pen colors in “Colors” option.
- After the end of your presentation, a prompt will ask you to save, choose “Keep” to store your notes or markings.
This approach allows you to interactively work with your slides and make sure that important aspects are underscored during the delivery of your presentation.
Control of Slide Show Timings
Knowing how much time to allocate for every single slide is essential for a structured presentation. There is a feature of “Rehearse Timings” in PowerPoint which is very helpful. It allows you to present with the PowerPoint and record each individual slide time.
Instructions on How to Set Slide Show Timings:
- Click on the “Slideshow” tab and on “Rehearse Timings.”
- A pop-up asking for the saving of the timings should appear, click on “OK. “
- While you are going through the slides, PowerPoint keeps a log of how much time you spend on each slide.
- After you are done the data will be logged, and you will be able to see the amount of time allocated to each slide while practicing.
Rehearsing the schedule of your presentation is one of the most important things to do in order to make sure that you do not exceed the time limits set. This feature is particularly useful in preventing you from spending too much time on a particular slide and for making sure that the speech flows smoothly.
In Essence
PowerPoint’s capabilities in customizing slide shows and incorporating even more interactivity and control over timing allow you to improve your presentation skills enormously. By using tailored slides, capturing the audience’s attention with interactive options, and practicing the timing of your presentation, you are guaranteed to provide a polished and perfectly delivered presentation every time, be it a business proposal, educational presentation, or team meeting. Learning these skills in PowerPoint will drastically improve your ability to engage and communicate with your audience effectively.
Hot Tips:
- Make a presentation unique by selecting specific slides that cater to the audience.
- Use the pen, highlighter, speech bubble, and laser pointer to engage the audience with interactive tools.
- Rehearse using the slideshow so that you can control the time you spend on each slide, and present the content smoothly.
These various preset options will help increase the level of professionalism and detail in your PowerPoint presentations.
