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10 OpenOffice Tips and Tricks to Improve Productivity

Apache OpenOffice is a free, open-source office suite that supports user privacy and stores all your work in OpenDocument format (ODF). The software is compatible with popular closed-source office alternatives, such as Microsoft Office, and covers word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics and database applications. Here’s a list of OpenOffice tips that you need to know.

1. Get Acquainted With Extensions

2. change the ui language in openoffice, 3. enable writing aids, 4. customize keyboard shortcuts, 5. create a table of contents, 6. write formulas and expressions, 7. print handouts from your presentation, 8. search the web, 9. send your document as email, 10. try an alternate way of inserting tables, frequently asked questions.

Also read: How to Insert the Degree Symbol in Microsoft Word

If there are features you’d like to use that OpenOffice doesn’t have by default, consider installing an extension for added functionality. Follow the steps below to access the OpenOffice’s extension library from Writer.

Note : some of these extensions haven’t received updates in a while, so they might not be compatible with the latest version of OpenOffice.

• Go to “Tools -> Extension Manager.”

• From the pop-up window that shows up, click the “Get more extensions online” option.

• You’ll be taken to the OpenOffice extension library/ where you can search for various extensions using keywords. Alternatively, you can simply browse.

If you don’t know what to download first, we have a few suggestions:

• Professional Template Pack : with the Pro Template Pack , you get access to a library of professional templates that cover everything from business documents and presentations to posters and press releases. It’s really useful to have around.
• BasicCommentHelper : enable the comments functionality in OpenOffice with the BasicCommentHelper extension. Once installed, add your observations throughout a document, just as you would in Microsoft Word.
• Language Libraries : OpenOffice comes with a large collection of dictionaries that allows you to add more languages so that you can type in your native language.

Also read: How to Convert Google Docs to Microsoft Word (and Vice Versa)

OpenOffice comes with English as its default UI language. However, you can change it to your native language very easily.

• Go to the OpenOffice download page and select your language pack from the drop-down menu. Press “Download language pack.”

• Install it on your device.
• Navigate to “Tools -> Options.”

• From the left side menu, select “Language Settings -> Languages.”

• Select another UI language from the “User interface” drop-down menu on the right.
• Restart the Apache OpenOffice software to have the UI language changed.

If you’re not using your native language in OpenOffice, you might need spellcheck, hyphenation, a thesaurus and other similar features to help you with your writing.

• Navigate to “Tools -> Options -> Language Settings -> Writing Aids” for a list of available language modules.

• Click the top Edit button for “Available language modules” to see which tools are installed for the current language.
• Use the drop-down list to see which languages are installed.

• If you’re not seeing your language, click “Get more dictionaries online.”

Also read: How to Add Your Own Custom Color in LibreOffice

OpenOffice offers a wide range of predefined keyboard shortcuts, but you can also make your own. Assign different keys for different functionalities and get the job done without touching the mouse.

• Open a document in OpenOffice.
• Navigate to “Tools -> Customize.”
• Switch to the “Keyboard” tab at the top to find a list of shortcuts.

• Select individual software such as Writer or apply it globally using the OpenOffice option at the top.
• To change what a key combination does, find it in the list and press the “Modify” button.

• From the “Functions” section select what the key combination will trigger instead. For instance, you can have Shift + 8 trigger the creation of an HTML document.

Also read: How to Change Margins on Google Docs

If you’re working on a lengthy document, having a table of contents may come in handy, as it will allow readers to skim through the document quickly. Using OpenOffice, you can create a table of contents with a click of a button.

Before creating a table of contents, add some headings to your document to create a structure.

• Locate heading styles by going to “Format -> Styles and Formatting.”

• Double-click on one of the options that appear in the pop-up window to add your headings.

• Click where you want the table of contents to appear.
• Navigate to the “Insert -> Indexes and Tables” option.

• On the “Insert Index/Table” page, set the number of levels (or heading numbers) you want to include. Change the “Evaluate up to level” setting if you do not want all of them.

• Ensure that the “Outline” checkbox is marked and click the “…” button next to it. If the button appears grayed out, check the “Additional Styles” option.

• Select one of the various styles to customize your table of contents.
• Click “OK” in the main tab, and your table of contents should appear in your document.
• If you decide to add new content to your document later, the table of contents won’t update automatically. To update it, right-click on your table of contents and select the “Update Index/Table” option. The new headings should populate your table.

Also read: How to Add a Written Signature to Google Docs

OpenOffice has very robust support for writing special characters and formulas, and inserting them into a document is very simple.

• Navigate to “Insert -> Special Character.”

• Find the special character you want in the small window that pops up. If you select several, you will see them all displayed at the bottom of the window, and they will all be inserted.

• Writing formulas is a bit more complex than adding special characters. First, go to “Insert -> Object -> Formula.”

• This will open an editing window at the bottom, a box where you’ll be writing your equation in the document, and the “Floating” windows where you will add your elements.

• Select from the various items in “Elements” to add functions, multiplications, operators, and operations such as addition, subtraction or Boolean.
• To change the “a” and “b” variables, click on each in the equation box in the document. Once you’re finished writing your equation, click anywhere outside.

Tip : use the Formula Reference Tables to type in your equations quickly and efficiently.

Also read: How to Password Protect Your Excel Workbook or File

Handouts can offer a quick overview of your presentation. If you print your presentation directly, each slide will take a page, which is inefficient. With handouts, however, you can get two to six slides on a page.

• Open a presentation and click on the “Handout” tab above the slide view.

• In the “Layouts” tab on the right side, choose the number of slides you want per page.

• The default page layout is Landscape. If you want Portrait (vertical), choose “Format -> Page” and select “Portrait.”
• To add horizontal lines for people to take notes, you can use the line tool to draw a set of three to four lines by the first slide.

• To add a page number at the bottom of each piece of paper (not every slide), use the “Text” tool to draw a text box at the bottom of the page and type the word “Page.”

• Go to “Insert -> Fields -> Page Number” to add an automatically incrementing page number.

Also read: How to Move a Column in Microsoft Excel

You can use OpenOffice to search for any URL and keyword from your document.

• Navigate to “View -> Toolbars -> Hyperlink Bar.” Click on it, and you should see a new bar appear at the top of your document.

• Whenever you want to search the Web for a certain term that appears in your document, highlight the word(s) in the text.

• Press on the binoculars icon in the toolbar and select a search engine. You only get a few options, but Google is included.
• This will open search results of your highlighted keyword(s) in your default browser.
• Alternatively, you can use the URL bar at the top to go to a site directly from OpenOffice.

Also read: How to Find and Remove Duplicates in Excel

You can use OpenOffice to send documents directly from the program. This feature will be convenient if you need to send multiple emails a day.

• Click on “Files -> Send.”

• You have several options, including sending “Document as e-mail” and “E-mail as OpenDocument text.”

• After clicking any of the options above, OpenOffice will open your default mail client with the document as an attachment. This technique doesn’t work if you have a web-based email client like Gmail. You must install a native email client like Thunderbird or Mailspring to solve the issue.

In OpenOffice, you can also insert tables by using a series of hyphens (-) or tabs separated by plus (+) signs. The plus signs are used to indicate column dividers, while hyphens (or tabs) are used to outline the width of a column.

To make sure this trick works, check that the function is enabled.

• Go to “Tools -> Autocorrect,” and in the “Options” tab, make sure the “Create table” option is checked.

• Go to “Format -> AutoCorrect” and if “While Typing” is not enabled, click on it.

• Write (or copy/paste) something like this in OpenOffice: +—————–+—————+——+

• Press Enter and to instantly create the table.

Also read: How to Change Gmail Name on Mobile and PC

Does OpenOffice Impress support animations?

Yes. OpenOffice Impress has excellent support for element animation and page transitions. Do note that if you import a Microsoft Office presentation file, Impress may not recognize the animation.

Can OpenOffice fully replace Microsoft Office?

Depending on your needs, the OpenOffice suite might offer just enough for you to complete your tasks. However, you should keep in mind that some Microsoft Office features don’t have a substitute in OpenOffice. On the bright side, you might be able to add some of these missing options to OpenOffice via extensions.

How do I convert a Word document to OpenOffice format?

Right-click on the Word document in question and find “Open with.” Select OpenOffice to open the Word file. If the document is not formatted properly, you can format it manually. Next, click on the “File -> Save As” option, then select ODF text document (.odt) to save it as such. Alternatively, you can use one of the many online file converters, such as Convertio .

Image credit: Amy Hirschi via Unsplash . All screenshots taken by Hrishikesh Pathak.

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• Creating a new presentation
• Formatting a presentation
• Building a presentation
• Running the presentation

This section describes how to set up a new presentation. The settings selected here are general/they apply to all the slides. The section Working with slides explains how to apply settings to specific slides. These explanations can also apply to some of the general settings.

Planning a presentation

The first thing to do is to decide what you are going to do with the presentation. For example, putting a group of digital photos together in a presentation requires very little planning. However, using a presentation to increase the knowledge of others about your topic requires much more planning.

You need to ask and answer many questions before you begin creating a presentation. If you are not acquainted with creating presentations, the answers will be more general. Those who have created a variety of presentations in the past will want to have more specific answers.

Who is to see the presentation? How will it be used? What is the subject matter? What should be in its outline? How detailed should the outline be? Will an audio file be played? Is animation desirable? How should the transition between slides be handled? These are some of the many questions that should be asked, answered, and written down before creating the presentation. Sound and animation are more advanced topics and are explained in the Impress Guide .

Again, it is not always necessary at this point to have specific answers to every question. Making an outline is extremely important. You may already know exactly what some of the slides will contain. You may only have a general idea of what you want on some of the slides. That is alright. You can make some changes as you go. Change your outline to match the changes you make in your slides.

The important part is that you have a general idea of what you want and how to get it. Put that information on paper. That makes it much easier to create the presentation.

Top of page

Starting the Presentation Wizard

You can start Impress in either of two ways:

• Click the triangle to the right of the New Icon and select Presentation from the drop-down menu.
• Choose File > New > Presentation from the menu bar.

When you start Impress, the Presentation Wizard appears.

Select Empty Presentation under Type . It creates a presentation from scratch.

Click Next . The Presentation Wizard step 2 appears. The illustration below shows the Wizard as it appears if you selected Empty Presentation at step 1. If you selected From Template , an example slide is shown in the Preview box.

Choose a design under Select a slide design . The slide design section gives you two main choices: Presentation Backgrounds and Presentations . Each one has a list of choices for slide designs. If you want to use one of these other than <Original>, click it to select it.

The types of Presentation Backgrounds are shown in Figure 2. By clicking an item, you will see a preview of the slide design in the Preview window. Impress contains three choices under Presentations : < Original >, Introducing a New Product , and Recommendation of a Strategy .

• <Original> is for a blank presentation slide design.
• Both Introducing a New Product and Recommendation of a Strategy have their own prepackaged slide designs. Each design appears in the Preview window when its name is clicked.

Select how the presentation will be used under Select an output medium . Most often, presentations are created for computer screen display. Select Screen .

Click Next . The Presentation Wizard step 3 appears.

Choose the desired option from the Effect drop-down menu.

Select the desired speed for the transition between the different slides in the presentation from the Speed drop-down menu. Medium is a good choice for now.

Click Create . A new presentation is created.

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• This page was last modified on 14 July 2018, at 16:58.
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FREE tutorials anyone learning, teaching or using OpenOffice.

Please click here for information about our tutorials., click the links below to see our tutorial offerings.

• How to use our tutorials If you have not used our tutorials before, please read this first.
• Install Install OpenOffice either by downloading a file or from a CD
• Writer This is the word processing feature in OpenOffice (similar to MS Word)
• Calc This is the spreadsheet feature in OpenOffice (similar to MS Excel)
• Impress This is the presentation feature in OpenOffice (similar to MS PowerPoint)
• Draw This is the drawing feature in OpenOffice (similar to MS Draw)
• Base This is OpenOffice database feature.

There are additional support and learning resources listed on our " Links " page

How to create a modern presentation in Open Office Impress

• Post author: outside contributor
• Post published: September 8, 2020
• Post category: Reviews
• Post comments: 0 Comments

Presentations are used everywhere. Whether the goal is sharing a personal experience, telling a story or educating the audience, presentations are the best way forward. Modern presentations clearly and effectively get the message across and help you reach out to the audience engagingly. Presentations are used in almost every field. From teaching, marketing, selling, business development to human resources, healthcare or legal. Presentations help in developing a superior range of communication with the audience. A good presentation guides its viewers like a story. It is important to storyline your presentation so that your audience doesn’t lose interest in the subject.

Modern presentations make use of innovative templates, out of the box structure design to provide never seen before presentation experience to viewers. We all have watched several presentations in our lives. One should note that the goal of your presentation is to garner as much attention as possible and get the audience to react. You can make use of SlideModel designs to create professional presentations in no time. In this post, we will talk about how you can create astounding and modern presentations in Open Office Impress.

Read:  How to Install Microsoft Office on Ubuntu 22.04

What is Open Office Impress?

Open Office Impress is one of many popular light-weight presentation software in the market. It enables presenters to transform their thoughts into slides. The software is free to use and comes pre-packed with the OpenOffice package.

Open Office Impress can be used for personal, classrooms and business purposes. You can create out of the box slides and include components such as tables, images, lists, charts, clip arts and other visual aids.

Entrepreneurs are often required to come up with quick presentations. Open Office Impress can come handy for almost any business or personal purpose. Now that we know about Open Office Impress, let’s move ahead and know how to create a presentation.

Empty Presentation Template:

As soon as you start Open Office Impress, you’d be presented with two major options. You can either start from scratch by clicking on Empty presentation or you can choose a readymade template. For those who wish to craft their presentations from scratch, starting with ‘Empty Presentation’ option is the way forward. You can design every visual element, define and define places for texts, visuals, animations and more.

Moving forward, you will be asked to pick a background for your presentation. There are multiple output media available on Open Office Impress namely Original, Paper, Slide, Screen and Overhead.

When you reach the third stage, you can pick slide transitions. You can set the timing of the slides, alter animation speed and more. You can also control and specify the duration of the page, how much the slides should pause, assign different animation to different visual elements etc. Creating your presentation from an Empty template is a suitable choice for those who have experience in creating engaging presentations. Starting for scratch can be difficult for those who don’t have a knack for professional design.

Read:  How to use Microsoft Word on Ubuntu

Presentation Template:

You can kickstart your presentation making by using a ready to use PowerPoint template. Let’s say you’re creating a presentation to pitch your company’s marketing plan in the cyber technology domain. Rather than coming up with a design from scratch, you can simply download and leverage a cyber technology PowerPoint template. Readymade templates make life easier. These are easy to format, offer 100% customization and provide a premium design to the templates. A presentation can only be successful if the audience can relate to it. Gone are the days when you could woo your audience with ordinary stock slides.

The audience of today demands a customized presentation experience. The best part of a PowerPoint template is branding. You can boost the integrity of your business presentation by including branding guidelines in your slides. This makes your audience attune better to your slides. Consistency in design is imperative if you wish to get hold of your audience’s attention throughout the presentation. PowerPoint templates feature a constant design right from the beginning slide to the end. Moreover, a consistent design schema makes it easy for your audience to comprehend the content and draw conclusions.

Read:  Best Apps for Ubuntu 22.04 to enhance productivity, security and entertainment

Charts and Graphs:

Every presentation is incomplete without visuals. People often clutter their presentations with text and make it overwhelming for their audience to digest the content. Using charts and graphs in your slides can be a game-changer for your presentation goals. When you have a plethora of critical information to be presented to a large audience, it’s always better to go with charts, graphs and infographics. Open Office Impress offers superior charts and graphs. Under the AutoLayout option, you can find various charts and graphs which might suit your specific business case. Charts help you give a third-dimension to your data, plus your audience can understand the information at an eye’s glance.

Rather than creating charts or graphs from scratch, you can include a template for the job. You can easily edit the metrics, add your data and provide a multi-dimensional look to the data. Open Office Impress supports various chart types such as Bar charts, Pie charts, Donut charts, Column charts etc. Including infographics is also an amazing option to make your visuals self-explanatory. Infographics help you consolidate numbers and text while making sure the visual looks attractive. It is only then you can avoid ‘Death by PowerPoint ’ and make your presentation an amazing experience for the participants.

Open Office Impress also supports out of the box animations, background styles and diagrams. If you have a ready-made template, you can create your presentation within minutes. Open Office Impress reduces the presentation complexities and offers a simplistic presentation approach.

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14 Practical Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

• The Speaker Lab
• May 11, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever felt complete dread and fear at the thought of stepping up to deliver a presentation? If so, you’re not alone. The fear of public speaking is more common than you might think, but with the right presentation skills , it’s a hurdle that can be overcome.

In this article, we’ll help you master basic confidence-building techniques and conquer advanced communication strategies for engaging presentations. We’ll explore how body language and eye contact can make or break your connection with your audience; delve into preparation techniques like dealing with filler words and nervous habits; discuss tailoring content for different audiences; and much more.

Whether you’re prepping for job interviews or gearing up for big presentations, being prepared is key. With adequate practice and the proper attitude, you can crush your speech or presentation!

Mastering the Basics of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are not just about speaking in front of a crowd. It’s also about effective communication, audience engagement, and clarity. Mastering these skills can be transformative for everyone, from students to corporate trainers.

Building Confidence in Presentations

Becoming confident when presenting is no small feat. But fear not. Even those who feel jittery at the mere thought of public speaking can become masters with practice and patience. Just remember: stage fright is common and overcoming it is part of the process towards becoming an effective presenter.

Taking deep breaths before you start helps calm nerves while visualizing success aids in building confidence. Also, know that nobody minds if you take a moment to gather your thoughts during your presentation—everybody minds more if they cannot understand what you’re saying because you’re rushing.

The Role of Practice in Enhancing Presentation Skills

In line with old wisdom, practice indeed makes perfect, especially when improving presentation skills. Consistent rehearsals allow us to fine-tune our delivery methods like maintaining eye contact or controlling body language effectively.

You’ll learn better control over filler words through repeated drills. Plus, the extra practice can help you troubleshoot any technical glitches beforehand, saving you the sudden panic during your actual presentations.

Remember that great presenters were once beginners too. Continuous effort will get you there sooner rather than later.

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Body Language and Eye Contact in Presentations

The effectiveness of your presentation can hinge on more than just the words you say. Just as important is your body language .

Impact of Posture on Presentations

Your posture speaks volumes before you utter a word. Standing tall exudes confidence while slouching could signal nervousness or lack of preparation.

If there’s one lesson to take away from our YouTube channel , it’s this: good presenters know their message but great ones feel it through every fiber (or muscle) of their being. The audience can sense that energy when they see open body language rather than crossed arms.

Maintaining Eye Contact During Your Presentation

Eyes are often called windows to the soul for a reason. They’re communication powerhouses. Making eye contact helps build trust with your audience members and keeps them engaged throughout your speech.

Avoid staring at note cards or visual aids too much as this might give an impression that you’re unprepared or uncertain about your chosen topic. Instead, aim to maintain eye contact between 50% of the time during presentations. This commonly accepted “50/70 rule” will help you exhibit adequate confidence to your audience.

If stage fright has gotten a hold on you, take deep breaths before you start speaking in order to stay calm. Make sure that fear doesn’t disrupt your ability to maintain eye-contact during presentations.

If body language and eye contact still feel like a lot to manage during your big presentation, remember our golden rule: nobody minds small mistakes. It’s how you handle questions or mishaps that truly makes a difference—so stay positive and enthusiastic.

Preparation Techniques for Successful Presentations

Presentation skills are like a craft that requires meticulous preparation and practice. Aspects like visual aids and time management contribute to the overall effectiveness of your delivery.

The first step towards delivering an impactful presentation is research and organization. The content should be well-researched, structured logically, and presented in simple language. This will make sure you deliver clear messages without any room for misinterpretation.

Dealing with Filler Words and Nervous Habits

Nervous habits such as excessive use of filler words can distract from your message. Luckily, there are plenty of strategies that can address these issues. For instance, try taking deep breaths before speaking or using note cards until fluency is achieved. In addition, practice regularly to work on eliminating these verbal stumbling blocks.

Avoiding Distractions During Presentations

In a digital age where distractions abound, maintaining focus during presentations has become an even more crucial part of the preparation process. This video by motivational speaker Brain Tracy provides insights on how one could achieve this level of focus required for effective presentations.

Maintaining Confidence Throughout Your Presentation

Confidence comes from thorough understanding of the chosen topic combined with regular practice sessions before the big day arrives. Make use of note cards or cue cards as needed but avoid reading from them verbatim.

Taking control over stage fright starts by arriving early at the venue so that you familiarize yourself with the surroundings, which generally calms nerves down considerably. So next time you feel nervous before a big presentation, remember—thorough preparation can make all the difference.

Engaging Your Audience During Presentations

Connecting with your audience during presentations is an art, and mastering it can take your presentation skills to the next level. Making the message conveyed reach an emotional level is essential, not just conveying facts.

Understanding Your Target Audience

The first step towards engaging your audience is understanding them. Tailor the content of your presentation to their needs and interests. Speak in their language—whether that be professional jargon or everyday slang—to establish rapport and ensure comprehension.

An effective presenter understands who they’re speaking to, what those individuals care about, and how best to communicate complex ideas understandably.

Making Complex Information Understandable

Dense data or complicated concepts can lose even the most interested listener if presented ineffectively. Breaking your key points down into manageable chunks helps maintain attention while promoting retention. Analogies are especially useful for this purpose as they make unfamiliar topics more relatable.

Audience Participation & Questions: A Two-Way Street

Incorporating opportunities for audience participation encourages engagement at another level. It allows listeners to become active participants rather than passive receivers of knowledge.

Consider techniques like live polls or interactive Q&A sessions where you invite questions from attendees mid-presentation instead of saving all queries until the end.

This gives you a chance not only engage but also address any misunderstandings right on spot.

• Treat each question asked as an opportunity—it’s evidence someone has been paying attention. Even challenging questions should be welcomed as they demonstrate an engaged, thoughtful audience.
• Encourage participation. It can be as simple as a show of hands or the use of interactive technologies for live polling during your presentation. This keeps your audience active and invested in the content.

Remember, your presentation isn’t just about putting on a show—it’s about meaningful interaction.

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Presentation Skills in Specific Contexts

Whether you’re nailing your next job interview, presenting an exciting marketing campaign, or delivering insightful educational content, the context matters. Let’s take a look.

The Art of Job Interviews

A successful job interview often hinges on effective communication and confidence. Here, the target audience is usually small but holds significant influence over your future prospects. Body language plays a crucial role; maintain eye contact to show sincerity and interest while open body language communicates approachability.

Bullet points summarizing key experiences are also helpful for quick recall under pressure. This allows you to present your chosen topic with clarity and positive enthusiasm without relying heavily on note or cue cards.

Pitching in Public Relations & Marketing

In public relations (PR) and marketing contexts, presentations need to capture attention quickly yet hold it long enough to deliver key messages effectively. Visual aids are valuable tools here—they help emphasize points while keeping the audience engaged.

Your aim should be highlighting presentation benefits that resonate with potential clients or partners, making them feel as though ignoring such opportunities would mean missing out big time.

Educational Presentations

An educational setting demands its own unique set of presentation skills where deep understanding trumps flashy visuals. You must make complex information understandable without oversimplifying essential details—the use of analogies can be beneficial here.

Keeping the audience’s attention is critical. Encourage questions and participation to foster a more interactive environment, enhancing learning outcomes for all audience members.

Tips for Becoming a Great Presenter

No single method is suitable for everyone when it comes to speaking in public. However, incorporating continuous improvement and practice into your routine can make you an exceptional presenter.

Tailor Your Presentation to Your Audience

Becoming an excellent speaker isn’t just about delivering information; it’s also about making a connection with the audience. So make sure that you’re taking setting, audience, and topic into consideration when crafting your presentation. What works for one audience may not work for another, so be sure to adapt your presentation styles according to the occasion in order to be truly effective.

The Power of Practice

The art of mastering public speaking skills requires practice —and lots of it . To become a great presenter, focus on improving communication skills through practice and feedback from peers or mentors. Try to seek feedback on every speech delivered and incorporate those pointers in your future presentations. Over time, this cycle of delivery-feedback-improvement significantly enhances your ability to connect with audiences and convey ideas effectively.

If you’re looking for examples of good speakers, our speech breakdowns on YouTube provide excellent examples of experienced presenters who masterfully utilize speaking techniques. Analyzing their strategies could give you great ideas for enhancing your own style.

Finding Your Style

A crucial part of captivating any audience lies in how you deliver the message rather than the message itself. Developing a unique presentation style lets you stand out as an engaging speaker who commands attention throughout their talk. Through — you guessed it — practice, you can develop a personal presentation style that resonates with listeners while showcasing your expertise on the chosen topic.

Your body language plays a pivotal role here: open gestures communicate confidence and enthusiasm towards your subject matter, two qualities essential for keeping audiences hooked. Similarly, using vocal variety adds dynamism to speeches by emphasizing points when needed or creating suspense during storytelling parts of your talk.

Cultivating Passion & Enthusiasm

Showcasing genuine passion for the subject helps keep listeners engaged throughout even lengthy presentations. Sharing stories related to the topic or expressing excitement about sharing knowledge tends to draw people in more than mere data recitation ever could.

Recognize that everybody is distinctive; don’t expect identical results from every speaker. The path to becoming a great presenter involves recognizing your strengths and working tirelessly on areas that need improvement.

FAQs on Presentation Skills

What are good presentation skills.

Good presentation skills include a clear message, confident delivery, engaging body language, audience understanding, and interaction. They also involve effective preparation and practice.

What are the 5 steps of presentation skills?

The five steps of presenting include: planning your content, preparing visual aids if needed, practicing the delivery aloud, performing it with confidence, and finally post-presentation reflection for improvements.

What are the 5 P’s of presentation skills?

The five P’s stand for Preparation (researching your topic), Practice (rehearsing your talk), Performance (delivering with confidence), Posture (standing tall), and Projection (using a strong voice).

What are your presentation skills?

Your personal set of abilities to deliver information effectively is what we call your presentation skill. It can encompass public speaking ability, clarity in speech or writing as well as visual communication talent.

Mastering presentation skills isn’t an overnight process, but practice and perseverance will put you well on your way to becoming an effective speaker.

You’ve learned that confidence plays a crucial role in effective presentations, so take deep breaths, make eye contact, and keep your body language open. As always, preparation is key. Tackle filler words head-on and get comfortable with visual aids for impactful storytelling.

Remember the importance of audience engagement — it’s all about understanding their needs and tailoring your content accordingly. This way, complex information turns into digestible insights.

Above all else: practice! After all, nothing beats experience when it comes to improving public speaking abilities.

• Last Updated: May 9, 2024

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A simple guide to slideshows

Learn what slideshows are, how they’re used, common features, and how to choose a slideshow maker. Get started creating your own slideshows today with Microsoft PowerPoint.

What is a slideshow?

What are slideshows used for.

Meetings and presentations

Slideshows are most frequently used to create professional presentations for business meetings, conferences, and educational purposes. A  slideshow program  allows people to organize content, include visuals, and enhance the overall impact of their message.

Visual storytelling

Because slideshows sequentially display engaging visuals, text, and other multimedia, they’re a strong way to tell a cohesive and compelling narrative from start to finish.

Content creation

Slideshows give content creators a versatile and efficient way to organize information, increase visual appeal, and communicate effectively across different contexts.

Photo and video sharing

Slideshow makers are popular for creating photo and video presentations, especially for events like weddings, birthdays, and vacations. People can add transitions, music, and captions to fully bring the photo-sharing experience to life.

Training and tutorials

Slideshows help break down complex information into digestible chunks with the support of visuals and text, making them ideal for instructional materials, tutorials, and training modules.

Collaborative projects

In collaborative settings, teams use slideshow makers to create joint presentations or reports. The best slideshow makers enable multiple contributors to add their content simultaneously, which helps ensure a cohesive and unified presentation.

What are the features of a slideshow creator?

Slideshow creators vary in what they offer but ideally include:

A library of templates, themes, and images.

If you’re not a designer, this feature is huge. Simply browse the options available in your slideshow maker library to create a polished, professionally designed presentation in a flash. Be sure to confirm that access to the library is free and the images are approved for unrestricted usage.

Audio and video compatibility.

Keeping your audience engaged is key to any successful slideshow presentation. To mix things up, being able to add a multimedia element—like a song or a video clip—will help people stay focused and interested.

Presentation tools.

Handy presenter tools go a long way toward making your slideshow experience seamless. For example, straightforward slide navigation, slideshow keyboard shortcuts, pen and highlighter markup, and adjustable resolution settings.

AI assistance.

With AI revolutionizing content creation, using a slideshow maker that has AI capabilities will enhance efficiency and innovation. Depending on the slideshow app you have, creating an entire slideshow could be as easy as a quick prompt, like “Make a presentation about the benefits of sustainable fashion that has 15 slides.” 

Animations.

Like audio and video, animations give your audience a bit of sensory surprise that can capture their attention. 

Slide transitions.

Add some pizzazz to how you change slides with visual effects like fading, wiping, and zooming. 

Screen recording.

Being able to record your screen in a slideshow maker is helpful when giving an instructional talk, software demonstration, and other types of presentations that require visual aids.

A place to put speaker notes.

Having somewhere to jot a few notes down will help remind you of everything you want to cover as you present.

Different viewing options.

Looking at different views—for example, a presenter view, an audience view, and a high-level view of slide order—is useful when organizing your slideshow’s structure and understanding and preparing for what you’ll see versus what your audience will see.

How do I choose the right slideshow maker?

When choosing a slideshow maker, keep the following questions in mind to make sure you get the most for your money:

Is it scalable with your business?

As your organization grows and changes, it’s important to have flexible technology that adapts to new needs. Having certain features—such as cloud-based collaboration, compatibility with other work apps, and a mobile app—will help ensure that no matter how your business changes, the slideshow maker is up to the task. This also applies to pricing plans. Consider choosing a slideshow app that has a subscription plan (so the software is always up to date), volume-based pricing, or enterprise-level pricing.

Does it have a variety of visual elements?

It’s pretty much a given that a slideshow maker will allow you to add images, but think outside the JPEG box—what other visual elements are available to you? Features like preset themes, free templates, SmartArt, a built-in clip art library, shape tools, background styles, 3D models, and charts and graphs provide diverse ways to switch up how a slideshow looks without relying solely on adding your own images.

Is it easy to use?

You could have the most feature-rich slideshow maker on the market, but if it isn’t easy to use, you probably won’t use it. Or you will, but you’ll be frustrated, waste valuable time, and have difficulty convincing people you work with to use it. As you research slideshow makers, look for videos that show the apps’ interfaces in action to help you decide if they’re intuitive and will have a shorter learning curve.

Does it have collaboration and sharing options?

Because making a slideshow is often a collaborative effort, it’s worthwhile to find a slideshow creator that was designed with this in mind. Pick one that offers editing controls and commenting, as well as the ability to work on a slideshow at the same time as someone else. Having a cloud-based slideshow maker will be key here. You’ll not only save yourself time but also keep things simple by not having multiple versions of the same slideshow.

Explore more about slideshows and slideshow makers

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Get free PowerPoint templates

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Slideshows that reach all learners

Explore the different ways that people learn and how to include all learning styles in your presentations.

Frequently asked questions

How do i make a good slideshow.

Making a good slideshow in PowerPoint is easy:

Plan what you’d like to include in your slideshow.

Launch your slideshow creator.

Choose the theme you’d like.

Import media.

Add text, music, and transitions.

Record, save, and share your slideshow.

Learn more about how to make a slideshow .

How do I add music to a slideshow?

To add music to a slideshow, first make sure that you’re using a slideshow maker with music compatibility. In PowerPoint, follow these steps:

Open your PowerPoint presentation and select the slide where you want to add music.

Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon menu.

Click on the Audio button and select Audio on My PC.

Browse to the folder on your computer where the audio file is located and select it.

Click on the Insert button.

How do I record a slideshow?

The steps for recording a slideshow in PowerPoint will vary depending on the version that you own. Get help with slideshow recording based on your version. 

What types of files can I add to a slideshow?

File compatibility in PowerPoint includes the use of JPEGs, PNGs, TIFFs, GIFs, PDFs, MP3s, WAVs, MIDIs, MPEG-4 Videos, and Windows Media Videos.  

How do I share my slideshow?

To share your PowerPoint slideshow, follow these steps:

Open your presentation and click Share at the top right of your screen.

If your presentation isn't already stored on OneDrive, select where to save your presentation to the cloud.

Choose a permission level, like Anyone with a link , or maybe just people in your company. You can also control if people can edit or just view the doc. 

Select Apply.

Enter names and a message.

Select Send.

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