Categories: Articles

PowerPoint Help

I figure I would turn to the community to see if there is something (anything) to help me with two Microsoft PowerPoint issues that I have. You can feel free to leave a message below or email directly. Please keep in mind, that this is for PowerPoint on PC, and I am using PowerPoint 2003 (mostly because when I last updated to the newer PowerPoint, the main font I use in my presentations – Akzidenz Grotesk BE Super – gets garbled up. If you have a fix for that too, I’m listening ;).

Issue #1 – I’ve seen on a Mac (no, I’m not switching to a Mac just yet) that you can have have the main projector screen showing the slide in slideshow mode while the computer screen shows two slides (the current one and the one coming up) as well as a timer and other goodies. Does PowerPoint do this, or is there any software/add-ins that enable you to get the same effect? I’ve often tried the Multiple Monitor and Presenter View to no avail.

Issue #2 – At Podcasters Across Borders, Tod Maffin had a nifty little animation in his presentation that was a countdown timer. This way, when he takes a ten minute break, everyone can see on the screen how much time is left before he starts up again. I’ve seen many "hacks" to get your entire screen to do this, but I liked Tod’s because he could embed the animation in his deck without having to switch styles, etc… Does this exist for PC?

If you can help, I’m listening. In fact, here’s what I’ll do: I have two extra copies of Joseph Jaffe‘s excellent book, Life After The 30-Second Spot, that I will mail to the person who comes up with the best solution for each issue. I’ll also toss in my audio CD, Your Personal Brand Audio Workbook for your troubles.

Help!

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.