Handouts are an opportunity to expand upon and reinforce the key points of your presentation. Did you know that you can design your handouts to include your logo, tagline, and other important information by formatting the Handout Master? In PowerPoint 2007 and 2010, click on the View tab and under the Presentation Views section click on the Handouts Master button. In PowerPoint 2003 Choose View | Master | Handout Master. From the master you can add your logo, branding or positioning statement or copyright information.
Handouts That Tell the Whole Story
Typically people produce handouts that are simply a copy of the presentation; I believe this to be a missed opportunity. By that I mean your slides should be your visual aid. Experts agree that we should not read our slides to the audience. I recommend that handouts relay most of what you say rather than just what you project. In other words your handout should be a reflection of the full manuscript from your presentation. A manuscript handout goes beyond your visual aid (the PowerPoint) to provide the essence of the oral presentation.
Exporting Handouts to Word
Many presenters prepare a full manuscript in the speaker's notes section. PowerPoint gives us the option of sending the presentation and notes to Microsoft Word, where you can edit and change the layout to suit your needs. In PowerPoint 2010 click on File |Save and Send| Create Handout | and choose your preference. In PowerPoint 2007, click on the Microsoft button on the top left corner of your window. Under Publish, go to Create Handouts in Microsoft Office Word. In PowerPoint 2003 Choose File | Send To | Microsoft Word. In the Send To Microsoft Word dialog box, choose one of the options and click OK. You even have the option to create a link (choose Paste Link) so that the Word document is updated if you change your presentation. I caution you that this feature will create very large Word files, therefore if you want to share it electronically with others create a PDF version to minimize file size. Furthermore before using this feature I suggest closing all applications other than PowerPoint as this will tax the resources of most computers.
If you are using a MAC and require assistance with sending your handouts to Word, please give us a call and we will be glad to help you.
Creating Handouts and sending them to Word is one example of a change that occurred from PowerPoint 2007 to PowerPoint 2010. At any given time, if you require assistance with using PowerPoint, we encourage you to give us a call, or write us your questions by email and we will do our best to help!
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