How To Make Your Audience Tune Into Your Presentation
Music is often an afterthought when it comes to designing and delivering a PowerPoint presentation, and it’s frequently used for nothing more than background noise. However, by giving some thought about how music is going to be used in your PowerPoint presentation, you can help create a number of benefits for you and your audience.
Some of us use sounds in our presentations to grab attention – that well-known gun fire, or exploding bomb noise, or the round of applause. But adding in music from a CD can deliver more impact and help create the perfect ambiance. Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 has a range of functions that enable you to add in sounds to your presentation.
There may be times when you will have the undivided attention of your audience – and there will be times when people’s attention starts to drift away. We are capable of concentrating completely on a delivery for not more than 10 minutes without any thought interruption. During your presentation you may be sharing new information; so try to deliver this after the settling in and before the switching off period.
The first step in planning music for your presentation is to identify different learning stages during your slide show. This helps you to plan out any music you are going to include in your presentation. For example, focus music is a good way to get your audience’s attention while selling them your initial pitch. A good example of focus music would be a piece in the Classical-style, but not too slow a tempo. And music can also create a sense of energy and help stimulate some of your audience.
It’s good to identify the mood you want to evoke at each stage of your PowerPoint presentation. Then you can select the music to create this mood. Sounds that work on your presentation can be as simple as a sound effect or more content-specific such as recorded speech. Three types of sound files that can be added to your PowerPoint presentation include audio files stored on your computer, sound files included with PowerPoint, and audio tracks from an audio CD.
You might decide to only add music to certain sections of your presentation, or to just a few slides. Think about using music only when it will have a positive impact on how your audience will view, listen, learn and remember your presentation. Remember that slower tempo music is good for when new information is being given. Faster tempo music is suited to activities that require more input from your audience. And instrumental music distracts less than music with vocals.
To play an audio CD track during a presentation, click the slide (in either Slide or Outline view) to which you want to add an audio file. Then insert an audio CD in your computer’s drive. Click the Insert tab, and then click the down-pointing arrow underneath the Sound icon in the Media Clips group. A pull-down menu will appear and you can choose Play the CD Audio Track. The Insert CD Audio dialog box appears to enable you to choose which CD track to play. Click in the Start at Track and End at Track text boxes to choose one or more tracks to play. Click in the Seconds text boxes to define the time to start playing the audio track and the time to end it, then click OK.
PowerPoint adds your audio track to the currently displayed slide (represented as a horn icon) and displays a dialog box, asking whether you want the sound to play automatically or when you click the mouse. Just click automatically or When Clicked. PowerPoint displays your audio file as a sound icon on your slide. You may want to move the sound icon on your slide so it doesn’t obscure part of your slide.
You won’t hear your sound file play until you view your slide show by pressing F5. And remember, if you copy your presentation to play on another computer, you must have access to the audio CD, too. Be careful of copyright infringement when using audio CDs. Make sure that you have the necessary permission to use copyrighted material. As well as your own collections, you can access free music downloads from different websites. If your presentation is intended for commercial use, you must get permission from the copyright owner for both the words and music.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on powerpoint training courses uk, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net
How To Curb Fears Related To Public Speaking
There is an affliction which is affecting the lives of millions of employees…it is known scientifically as glossophobia but the layman will recognise it as a fear of public speaking. This does not necessarily mean a fear of talking to an auditorium filled with 5000 people; it could mean talking to a small group of staff or even team members.
One of the most important ways to overcome this fear is to focus on what will hold the interest of your audience. The aim is to make people nod, smile and listen. When you have your audience gripped in this manner, your nerves start to relax and you can deliver a speech with ease.
If you are one of the many who recognise those feelings of queasiness in the stomach, sweaty palms and a mind which goes blank then you know how much more emphasised those feelings become when you finally walk onto the stage. How do you ‘wow’ that audience when you become paralysed on the spot?
Why do we suffer from this fear? Believe it or not, public speaking is not something which comes natural to us. Even the most confident looking speakers suffer pangs of nervousness before facing their audience.
When it comes down to the bare bones of it…our speech will never be as we imagine it to be. We all dream of an audience eating out of the palm of our hand. They love us and want us to keep talking, we feel good, we look good and our voice reaches all of those ultimate tones and textures to fit the emotions that we are trying to convey. We see heads nodding in agreement and we do not falter once.
Sounds good…but it is rarely going to happen…However, some of the best speeches actually occur when every line has not been memorised and our own skill and personality shines through. When we accept the fact that our speech is never going to be perfect, we are halfway to overcoming our fear.
One way to build confidence is to emanate it by using some clever tricks to re-programme the mind. Never tell your audience that you are nervous, they do not need to know this. Most of the time, fear does not show on our faces.
Another good way to improve your performance is to ask someone to record you on video. Looking back at yourself, you will probably be quite amazed at the way your nerves do not show and how well you conducted yourself. You could build on those qualities by noting areas which you can perfect in future.
Smile. When you smile the body releases endorphins that make you feel good inside. There is nothing more appealing than a speaker with a pleasant smile. Remember when you feel good, the audience will feel the same way!
Practise some breathing exercises to stop the blood pressure from soaring through the roof. Slow, deep breaths will help to keep you calm both mentally and physically. Stand calmly and clearly. Ensure that you have a glass of water by your side to stop your mouth from becoming dry.
Nervous energy can be used in a positive way. Bring it to the speech centre and front of the brain by pressing and massaging the forehead. This will help to convert negative waves into enthusiasm and passion when you speak.
One other way of dealing with a fear of public speaking is to relate with your audience the way that you would respond to a speaker. Talk to your listeners, not down to them and stop focussing on yourself. The audience is sat waiting to receive some useful information from you, it is your job to ensure that they go away satisfied with what you had to say and not how you performed.
You can gain rapport by looking into the eyes of individual members, even if there are over 300 sets of peepers in the room. When you address someone with eye contact, you single them out as being important which is something people respect and admire. This form of contact also helps the speaker because for a few split seconds it turns a room full of strangers into a one to one conversation rather than a group gathering.
Don’t be afraid to repeat important points, repetition is the perfect way to instil in people your key points. Accentuate a happy, joyful personality in your voice using lots of high notes, refreshing silent pauses and speak more slowly than you would in usual conversation.
Why not counteract those nerves by practising your speech with friends or family members and feel the satisfaction of being able to educate and enlighten them with your ideas. You can see the way that your friends are intrigued by your speech and you feel good. With this feeling already programmed inside of you, the mind is accustomed to talking in front of people and you will face your audience with that same confidence you felt in front of your family.
Try out some or all of the techniques above and you are sure to find a way of converting those nerves into positive energy which can be used to enhance your speech. These tips will help to decrease the amount of uncertainty that you have and replace it with confidence. When you stop your nerves from becoming your enemy, you stop your fear of public speaking and will amaze not only yourself but your entire audience with your calm, cool delivery.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on presentation skills london, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net
Insert An Excel Chart Into Your PowerPoint Presentation
Billy’s PowerPoint presentation was generally agreed to have been amazing. It had everything, from stirring rock music to slick animations, and bullets on a scale not seen since Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed. There were stunning photographs and enough sound effects for a remake of Star Wars. In fact, one impressed viewer likened it to a trip to the cinema.
Yet in the cafeteria, where those who had viewed Billy’s presentation retired to discuss what they had just seen, the main topic of conversation was the style of the presentation and the effects used, rather than the actual message that was being relayed. To coin a couple of culinary idioms, Billy had over egged the pudding and the resulting presentation was all sizzle and no sausage. In other words, Billy had made the common mistake of trying to cram too much into his presentation and the actual substance was lost among the effects.
PowerPoint has many useful functions that can add brighten up the communication of what is often rather humdrum information, but the main priority should always be to get the message across. Getting the content of your slides right is a fine balancing act; you need to produce slides that grab the attention of your viewers without overloading their senses.
One effective way to achieve this is with the use of a chart. While bullet points are useful for delivering short sharp bursts of information, they are not always the best option. For example, if you wanted to emphasise the fact that takings increased by sixteen percent over a twelve month period, then the visual impact of a bar chart would get your message across more clearly and directly than text relayed via a bullet point.
It is easy to convert data from an Excel worksheet into a chart in PowerPoint. This is one of the many ways that Office applications are able to share information. To get an idea of how this works, you could type up a small amount of data in Excel and then convert it to a bar graph in PowerPoint. As this is for demonstration purposes only, a small amount of data will do the trick. A good example would be to make column headers from January to June and insert a random figure to represent imaginary sales figures under each one.
Back in PowerPoint, select a placeholder (the rectangle with a dotted border that will take text or graphics) and click on the Insert Chart icon, which is a picture of a column chart. A chart will now appear on the page, with an Excel sheet below. Right click on the chart and select Chart Type and then click on Bar Chart (but take some time to explore the other options and see how some chart types are better suited to certain types of data).
Delete the existing contents of the Excel sheet and then copy and paste the data from your new sheet, selecting cell A1 before you paste. This will ensure that the information in your chart will fit snugly into place. Close the Presentation 1 Datasheet box and your Excel data will now appear as a bar graph on your PowerPoint slide.
PowerPoint is a widely-used application with a whole host of effects and tricks that enable the operator to produce stylish presentations. Learn how to use it well, and you too will be able to create stunning displays, enhanced by audio, animation and graphics, only somewhat more sparingly than in Billy’s presentation.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on powerpoint training london, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net
Working Together To Create The Perfect PowerPoint Presentation
Leigh, Sebastian and Brian are rather more than mere salespeople, although at heart it’s salespeople they are. The (fictional) brand they sell goes by the name of Intran Solutions, and its product a variety of public transport schemes that have been established successfully across Europe; the target audience is comprised predominantly of local authorities with a medium- to long-term need to improve their local transport provision. The authorities are always obliged to invite tenders and proposals from a number of different companies, so Intran’s success is inextricably linked to the strength of the business in putting its plans across, in persuading and convincing the decision-makers. That’s where Leigh, Sebastian and Brian come in, more than mere salespeople, experts at promoting projects that run to many millions in costs and value – and the tool they always turn to is Microsoft PowerPoint.
The three between them have to travel far and wide, and have to make many presentations applying the company’s principles and schemes to a diverse range of different circumstances. However, although there will never be a shortage of specific local details to include, many of the key messages remain much the same from one presentation to another, and ideas that one of the group will come up with are usually transferable to another. Fortunately, PowerPoint has ideal solutions – allowing easy co-authorship between colleagues, pooling of resources, storing of reusable slides and easy sharing of the finished presentation.
Creating together
Public transport is a rapidly changing industry, with no end of new technical, economic, environmental and political circumstances to take on board. Sebastian, Brian and Leigh need to make sure that their presentations are as up-to-date as can be, and PowerPoint makes it easy for them to work together on new developments, wherever they may be.
Intrans keep their staff connected using Microsoft’s SharePoint server, through which Brian, Leigh and Sebastian can easily co-author their presentations. All three can work on individual slides, and they can do so separately or together: using either Office Communicator or Windows instant messaging software, any of them can instantly see whether their colleagues are currently available, and talk to them directly from within PowerPoint itself – and even if their employer didn’t use SharePoint, they could still work together just as easily using a free Windows Live account. By cooperating so closely, and regardless of the distance between them, the three can insure that no new knowledge, improvements or ideas are wasted, and that no presentation is ever behind the times.
Storing and reusing
These new ideas and understandings may well be suitable for multiple presentations, along with standard company principles and logos; if our three intrepid presenters could combine existing, transferable content with location-specific details, they could save a great deal of time and effort without reducing the effectiveness of their work. For this, PowerPoint provides slide libraries.
These libraries do very much what the name suggests – they provide a repository for the storage and withdrawal of PowerPoint slides, and just as with a regular library, the time and date when each slide was taken out and returned is clearly marked. The library also records previous versions of a slide, so if Leigh updates a slide for a new scheme, but Brian needs to use an earlier edit to fit an existing plan, he can filter out all newer updates immediately. Similarly, if Sebastian wants to ensure that every slide he’s using is the latest version, PowerPoint can easily provide him with that too.
Sharing creations
Leigh has been working on a presentation aimed at a growing industrial town in the north. This is a crucial bid for the company, and head office want to examine the slideshow she’s created before the local authority get to see it. Not a problem: PowerPoint’s slideshow broadcast tool allows Leigh to present her work through an ordinary web browser, to anyone she chooses. And of course, this makes it easy for her to move her presentation beyond the immediate audience, and share it with anyone who would benefit from seeing it, but who wasn’t there at the time.
Intrans Solutions benefit from their staff using PowerPoint because, as a large multinational organisation, they don’t want geography to restrict them when it comes to presenting their proposals. Indeed, for any business – large or small – where more than one person might be involved in making presentations, PowerPoint can be every bit as useful. It’s certainly worth considering a short training course for you or your staff, to get to grips with all that this versatile and powerful program has to offer – and no matter how many people you have making, creating and supporting those key presentations, you can be sure that, with PowerPoint, your organisation will be seen in the best possible light.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on powerpoint courses london, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net
The Greatest Pleasure In The World Is Doing What People Say You Cannot Do
So you’ve been longing for that break which will finally get you noticed and launch you onto that promotion pad which you have been yearning for. Suddenly, out of the blue you have a Eureka moment and the perfect idea springs into mind. You can’t wait to share it with the powers that be and go out of your way to make your presentation as enthralling as possible…However, two or three of the big wigs have it in for you and you suddenly find yourself under attack from every direction with a thousand and one reasons why that ‘Jewel in the Crown’ will not work.
Often, these negative criticisms appear sugar-coated with bitter sentiments and can be recognised in one of four forms:
Mocking: Comments will come in the form of sarcasm aimed directly at you. Seeds of doubt will become firmly planted even in your own mind so as your idea is thrown to the dogs and you are torn to pieces.
Scare mongering: Watch as your idea is turned into a nightmare as those annoying two or three elevate the pitfalls which could arise.
Crossed Wires: Look out for those who decide to interrupt your discussion at every given opportunity to throw you off track and water down your proposal.
Long silences: Those long pauses which seem to keep cropping up whenever an idea has to be further discussed and never seems to happen.
These are some of the most common forms of attack used to stir up doubts so as every step of your plan is thwarted with “what ifs” and negative connotations. The aim is to portray your idea as being laden with hidden risks and something which is really not worth the time of day.
The problem you face is trying to defend yourself from these onslaughts. Once the mental barriers have been erected, it is often difficult to break them down even if you can back them up with facts or analytical/logical proof. Negativity is such a powerful force that even the most strong minded of people can be made doubtful by some well chosen words from a colleague or two…Here is where you are faced with a stampede of negativity which can spread like the flu virus. Watch as interested faces start to turn away as they aire on the side of caution and you watch your vision dissolve in front of you.
So let’s take a more in depth look at the way each of these four attack modes can thwart your idea…
Mock ye not
These are verbal arrows which are aimed directly at you, comments are raised in such a way as to belittle you and make the whole idea look ridiculous. Your abilities and competence may be questioned as sly questions slur your character. These subtle digs are often disguised by a subtle choice of innocent sounding comments.
The attacker may appear to be actually laughing at your idea with his/her choice of words. This is one of the most trickiest forms of attack as the perpetrator has to tinsel wrap his words so as to disguise the razor sharp sarcasm within. If tactfully approached, the proposer will feel, intimidated and beaten down. He may even find it impossible to be taken seriously for any other ideas he may have in the future.
I’m sorry you’ve lost me
Those subtle deviations where a straightforward idea is marred by interrupters who dilute the idea by requesting irrelevant information or using any means to sabotage your chance of being able to sell the vision. When you are constantly trying to justify the “what about” scenarios, it is easy for side discussions to take place. This can make the idea look as though it has been merely thrown together rather than analysed in depth. It can also be difficult for others to completely grasp an idea if you have to constantly address other people’s concerns. This can stir agitation and anger in some people and your idea is more likely to be rejected out of sheer exasperation or boredom.
We’ll get back to you
This is one of the most effective forms of attack. The proposer is lead to believe that the idea is worth pursuing but constant delays or excuses stop it from coming into fruition. The proposer will start off by accepting a logical reason why the idea cannot go ahead but one excuse will lead into another. The aim is to stall plans from developing by concocting a crisis which needs to be addressed before plans can be put into place. This takes the ripeness away from your idea and enthusiasm starts to dwindle. By creating the illusion that the company has more pressing issues to deal with before your proposal can begin, your idea is put on the back burner never to see the time of day.
The kiss of death
There are many subtle ways to instil fear in someone. The art of being able to push the buttons of doubt in someone is a powerful force as we all have the “don’t do it” voice inside of us. Often, it can take very little for a good idea to spiral into a pit of doom and gloom just by planting a few well chosen negative thoughts or words into someone’s mind. When faced with such a scene, the mind will often revert back to other instances where things have taken a turn for the worse. With some people, it may be easy to play mind games and direct their thoughts accordingly.
And it gets worse…some clever ‘so and so’ is likely to use a combination of two or three of these tactics to achieve the desired results.
Now, let’s fight back….
Defence strategy number one: Win over the attention of people by welcoming your attackers into the room to do their worse…Yes, it sounds bizarre but usher them in with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Allow them to ‘bring it on’. This way, the main focus is on you and you are centre stage. No-one is distracted by phone calls or emails and the world is your oyster.
Okay, so now you have the undivided attention of everyone in the room, allow them to openly air their thoughts and opinions, including those who you know have it in for you. These are the ones who can stir the emotions and make the proposal interesting. Those power hungry moguls, the self-centred and the sceptics who add a bit of drama, catch the eye and draw the attention. When people are focussed on a situation, they are listening; they are intrigued and therefore more likely to understand the concept behind your idea and its advantages. Make it a point to address every hand that is raised and answer every single question, even the ones which seem to be ridiculing or negative.
Defence strategy number two: First, edit any lengthy introductory scripts and cut straight to the chase. Keep your answers short and to the point. This way everyone has a chance to state their views and be a part of the discussion so splice out any long drawn out examples, complicated data or lists of reasons why you can justify an answer. In essence, if you know your idea inside out, you can provide, short, sharp answers to fend off those verbal arrows. Lengthy facts and figures will make the mind wander and people will lose interest.
If you need to back up a statement, try using common sense examples rather than percentages and ratios. If you see eyes starting to glaze over or people doodling, they are losing interest. Keep your answers quick, concise, to the point and the mind is constantly alert. This approach helps to clear the fog and prevents those confusion statements from flying at you. By dealing with the confusion mongerers, you can continue to elevate your idea to its fullest. Just look at some of the great leaders in history…they have all taken complicated subjects and turned them into something that people from all walks of life can easily understand and appreciate.
Defence Strategy number three: Though it may be tempting, don’t respond to condescending attackers in the same way. By pointing out to an attacker that only a fool would refuse to accept change, you could be attacking two or three other members who are also a bit reluctant to change. Treat all of your attackers with the same respect and courtesy as you would everyone else. Respect can win over even the most condescending of hearts. It really does work! This way, you can reveal the ones who are the mudslingers and stirrers and it is their character which will be under question, not yours. Treat them with respect and you will earn the emotional respect of everyone else in the room.
Defence strategy number four: Portray a sense of calm self-confidence when dealing with these bullies. Do not allow them to leach into too much of your time. It is not your intention to win over every single member of the team but instead, win over the majority. Therefore your eyes should be focused on those who are interested rather than those who are out to watch you crash and burn. This way you stop Dave from being confused and quash Joan’s negativity with a few friendly, clear, concise sentences. Keep a lookout for anyone who may look remotely bored and draw them in.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on presentation skills london, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net