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Choose and Customize View Panes in PowerPoint 2013

Posted on by Rick E

Ribbons? Tabs? Status Bar? Views? Familiarize yourself with PowerPoint’s layout so you won’t get lost. A little customization can help make you feel at home.

We’ll cover basic information on the different kinds of views in PowerPoint under the View tab. There are eight available views in this tab plus the two additional views, the Slide Show view and the Presenter view.

It’s overwhelming to see these features for the first time, even more so when you don’t know what they’re for. These views are meant to make your PowerPoint experience faster and easier. Find out which view works best for your tasks.

PowerPoint 2013 Basics

Customize View Panes in PowerPoint 2013: PowerPoint basic tabsUnder the View tab, you will find eight views: Normal, Outline View, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Master, Handout Master, and Notes Master.

1. Normal View is the default view, and therefore the most familiar type of view. It has three areas, The Slides pane, the Slide area and the Notes.

The Slides pane is where you can preview a thumbnail-sized image of your slide. The Slide area is the largest area where you directly add elements to your slide. The Notes pane is where you can add your notes. This can also be expanded or collapsed by clicking and dragging the thin border above it.

2. Outline View is similar to Normal View, except it replaces the visual thumbnail views in the Slides pane with a textual, outlined list of the slide’s content. You’ll only see the text in your slide when you use this view, helping you focus only on the text instead of the visual elements on your slide.

3. Slide Sorter Don’t be alarmed, the Slide area hasn’t disappeared. This view is a single area that shows all your slides as thumbnails. It’s a great view to use when you need an overview of your deck.

Group your slides much easier with Slide Sorter.

4. Notes Page shows a vertical view of your slide. The page has two sections: the upper section that contains your slide, and the lower section that contains your notes.

Use the notes page to focus on adding notes to your deck.

5. Reading View is very similar to the Slide Show view since both display your slide in full-screen mode. The difference is that Reading View shows the title bar and status bar of PowerPoint to help you keep track of which slide you’re currently viewing.

6. Slide Master has a similar layout to Normal view. Changes in this slide affect all the slides under it. It’s the perfect view when you need to apply plenty of elements to many slides quickly.

Apply your company’s logo consistently and in perfect alignment by placing it in this view.

7. Handout Master provides a single, vertical view of your work area similar to the Notes page. But this view groups your slides into one page.

Print materials from PowerPoint using this view to leave spaces for notes and compress enough slides in one page for easier viewing.

8. Notes Master is a printer-friendly version of your Notes page. Every change you make in the Notes Master also affects the Notes page view. If providing more notes is your priority, the vertical orientation of the page gives you more area for writing down notes.

Additional Views

Customize View Panes in PowerPoint 2013: Slide Show Tab Additional View

Access the Slide Show view from the ribbon. It contains four commands under the Start Slide Show category and four commands under the Set Up category. These two categories help you synchronize your slide timings.

Customize View Panes in PowerPoint 2013

The Presenter View is a special setting that gives you more control of your slides.  This view pops up once you start your slide show.

Presenter View only runs on computers with dual screen capabilities, so make sure you have a projector plugged in. The main monitor displays the Presenter view, while the screen the audience sees is projected on your other monitor or projector.

The Presenter View has four areas as shown in the image above:

1. The Toolbar (1) menu on top has a button that allows for the toolbar to expand or collapse, another button that swaps the presenter view and the slide show, and a button to end the slide show which closes the Presenter view.

2. The Timer, Slide Preview, Slide Navigation (2) are all located in the second area highlighted in the image above. More of these are explained in our article on how to be more organized using the Presenter view.

The extra tools underneath the Slide Preview give more slide options for the presenter. These options include the pen and laser pointer, see all slides, zoom into slide, black or white-out screen and even more slide options.

The Timer displays the duration of a slide, and the Slide Navigation lets you move from slide to slide by clicking on the forward and backward arrows. It also tells you what slide you’re on, and displays the number of slides in total.

3. A small area on the upper right previews the next slide and is called the Next Slide Preview (3).

4. The Notes (4) area exists below the next slide preview box and displays the notes for the current slide if there are any available. You can change the text size of your notes if you’re viewing them from a distance.

Change Your Views

The View panes in PowerPoint presents many options for you to manage your workspace for slide creation.

You can get better insight and control of your presentation with the help of these additional views. Choose the Normal view for a balanced layout perfect for slide creation.

Outline View helps you focus on the content and structure of your slides by doing away with thumbnails.

Slide Sorter, Slide Master, Handout Master, Notes Master are perfect for slide management while the Slide Show and Presenter View helps you to rehearse for the final touches in your presentation.

Arrange your slides and append notes faster and easier using these views.

 

References

Bajaj, Geetesh. “PowerPoint 2013 Views for Windows.” Indezine. June 6, 2013. Accessed December 18, 2015. www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/learn/interface/powerpoint2013-views.html
“Get A Change Of View With PowerPoint.” Microsofttraining.net. May 24, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2015. www.microsofttraining.net/article-1698-change-view-with-powerpoint.html

PowerPoint Etiquette for Presentations

Posted on by Rick E

The do’s and don’ts of PowerPoint etiquette aren’t explicitly laid out. Good manners are handed down to us by family, which we build on as we learn life’s lessons. Everyone is expected to conduct themselves appropriately and treat each other reasonably.

Unsurprisingly, this also applies when delivering a pitch. PowerPoint is more than two decades old and it’s become a staple in corporate life. But common sense still isn’t so common when it comes to PowerPoint etiquette. There’s a simple code of conduct when giving a presentation.

Speakers who pay attention to protocol show how professional and respectable they are. Here are a few tips to help you become a credible presenter:

Get a Head Start

Make a good first impression by arriving on time. There’s nothing fashionable about being late. It results in a domino effect of delays and inconveniences, and the time lost can’t be brought back. Arriving ahead of time is always better, so you can check the equipment for your presentation.

Technical difficulties can be avoided by checking for hardware problems and by having a backup plan. People also appreciate feeling that their time is valued. The longer it takes you to finish, the more of someone else’s time you’re taking. This makes them feel grateful, and even more likely to tune into your performance.

So make sure to start and end on time.

Call Attention

Begin your speech with a smile. Even if you’re having a bad day, don’t project your mood to your audience. Ask everyone how their day was and spread a positive vibe. You can then ask the audience to help you trim down other sources of distraction, the most notorious being the smartphone.

Politely ask if your listeners can put their smartphone on silent. It’s distracting for both the audience and the speaker when it’s being used in the middle of a presentation. Even if not all of them put away their phones, at least you were polite enough to ask.

Their focus is already split between you and your slides. Help yourself and the audience by simply asking for distractions to be put away.

PowerPoint Etiquette

You are the center of the presentation, and your deck is simply there to complement your content. Don’t let your deck be the point of distraction between you and your audience.

At the same time, precisely because it’s a visual tool, you need to consider other things as well. According to bestselling author, Michael Hyatt, readability is crucial in a PowerPoint. Take note that your slide will be projected from a distance. Not all projectors are the same, some aren’t powerful enough to render small fonts properly.

Take the necessary precaution and choose a font no smaller than 30pt. Very few words can fit on a slide with a font size reaching triple digits. Using little to no words on a slide isn’t rude towards the audience. In fact, the opposite is true.

This just shows that you’re prepared to explain the material without having to rely on your slides.

Be Mindful

We can’t always be aware of how we behave, especially on stage. Having good manners is important in leaving a good impression. Punctuality takes practice, so make it a habit to develop good time management skills. Be courteous to others and smile.

Appreciate people’s time by making sure your presentation starts and ends as scheduled. You can also reduce the amount of distractions so that you and the audience can focus. Lastly, your deck is there as a complement, not a substitute.

So make sure to prepare your deck thoroughly and exercise good PowerPoint etiquette.

 

References

Hyatt, Michael. “5 Rules for More Effective Presentations.” Michael Hyatt. July 10, 2012. Accessed October 13, 2015. www.michaelhyatt.com/5-rules-for-more-effective-presentations.html

 

Featured Image: “Serious for Some” by Lachlan Hardy on flickr.com

3 Ways to Combat Noise in Your Business Presentation

Posted on by Rick E

Have you wondered why it seems difficult to deliver your message clearly and effectively? Things such as noise can negatively affect your business presentation, making it impossible to get your message across since they can’t easily understand what you’re trying to say. According to eHow contributor, Damon Verial, noise also acts as a communication barrier that stumps your overall performance.

Learn how noise disrupts your success as a presenter, preventing you from conveying your point clearly.

Two Types of Noise

Your job doesn’t end after preparing your PowerPoint slides and crafting your pitch. In fact, your actual performance begins when you might experience unexpected slip-ups. One of those is noise. There are two kinds of noise which presenters often face:

1. External Noise

This includes distracting sounds such as:

  • audiences laughing
  • background noise
  • any accidents that affect your overall performance

This type of noise is sometimes unavoidable, since these are outside factors beyond your control.

2. Internal Noise

This kind of noise involves your own thinking and that of your audience’s. It includes being uncomfortable about your topic, worrying about how your audiences perceive you, or failing to recognize their needs. While these can be controlled with careful practice before you present, mistakes are still possible even with the strictest rehearsal.

There are three ways to combat this kind of noise and effectively communicate with your audience:

a. Determine the Cause of Noise

Internal and even external noise can be controlled to a certain extent. Identify its source to find an immediate solution. If the problem is in the venue, you can adjust by politely telling the organizer to resolve the particular distraction.

For example, if it’s technical problems or any physical noise, ask them to fix it so you can proceed with your message. You might not be able to remove it entirely, but you can prevent further distractions that may affect your performance.

b. Enhance Your Listening Skills

As a speaker, you need to understand that speaking isn’t your only job. Since your objective is to make your audience understand your message, listening is part of the process. Keep them engaged by asking them to participate and giving them a chance to speak up.

It also prevents any misunderstandings, which are also considered as noise.

c. Use Repetition for Emphasis

This reminds your audience of significant ideas from your pitch, especially if they were unable to understand your point. Reiterating your thoughts enables you to highlight what you want them to learn and to focus on providing them with memorable information.

This shows that you respect the time they spent listening to your pitch, and you want to give them something in return.

Conclusion

Noise prevents you from giving your message clearly. While it’s true that it can be controlled to a certain extent, learning how to fight this distraction will help you communicate effectively with your audience. By identifying the source of noise, you’ll be able to solve that particular problem and lessen any negative effects.

Listening also helps you to easily understand your audience and avoid being misunderstood. Repeating your points allows you to emphasize what you want them to learn. It also shows that you care about your audience.

Applying these will give you a more effective and successful presentation. To help you with your PowerPoint presentation needs, let SlideGenius experts assist you!

 

References

“Check Out The Room Before You Speak.” Total Communicator. Accessed September 11, 2015.
“Overcome Anxiety Like Presentation Expert Warren Buffett.” SlideGenius, Inc. May 04, 2015. Accessed September 11, 2015.
Verial, Damon. “How to Overcome Noise Barriers in Communication.” eHow. Accessed September 11, 2015.

 

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