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Power to the People: How PowerPoint Packs a Punch

Softonic Editorial Team

Softonic Editorial Team

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PowerPoint may not be new, but its power is still largely untapped by most users. Since the basic functions are so simple, it’s easy to under-utilize this amazing tool. But by learning just a few of the more advanced secrets, you can power up your PowerPoint presentations like a pro.

Deliver a Professional Design, Even if You Aren’t a Professional Designer

Power to the People: How PowerPoint Packs a Punch

One of the beautiful things about PowerPoint is that it comes packed with professionally-designed templates that you can apply to all of your presentations, making them look sleek and sophisticated. Go to the Formatting tool bar and click on the Slide Design button. (If you are working in PowerPoint 2007, go to Design Group and select a Design Template.)

After you choose a design, that doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind later. At any point, you can select another design using the same steps. Once you select the one you want, it will be applied to all of your slides and none of the content (text, images, and formatting like bold, italics, numbering, or bullet points) will be lost.

Or, you can change the design only for certain slides without changing the template of your whole presentation. Go the Slide Sorter View and pick the thumbnails of the slides you would like to change. Then, click on Apply a Design Template and Apply to Selected Slides. The changes will be made automatically to the selected slides.

Convert a PowerPoint Presentation Into a Word Document to Print

If you need to make handouts to go along with your presentation, PowerPoint only prints views of specific slides. You will need to send the presentation over to Word to make additional enhancements and change the formatting for your handouts. Go to the Office menu and choose Publish. Then pick Create Handouts in Microsoft Office Word. Then click OK.

Now that your PowerPoint presentation is in Word, you can choose the formatting and printing options you would like.

Don’t Forget a Powerful Ending

If you keep clicking during your presentation after the last slide is shown, your audience is likely going to get a behind-the-scenes look at all of your work and it’s better not to end an extraordinary presentation that way. Instead, create a “The End” or “Goodbye” slide that says “Thank You for Participating”, or whatever is most appropriate for the audience and situation. Additionally, consider ending your presentation with a relevant quote, image, or perhaps a slide displaying your company’s logo. Whatever fits, just be sure to end with pizzazz.

Once mastered, PowerPoint can empower you to deliver powerful sales presentations, killer financial reports, extraordinary school projects, and much more.

To learn more, check out this video: App of the Week: Microsoft Office 2016, the Best Office Yet!

Softonic Editorial Team

Softonic Editorial Team

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