Background Information - Presentations - Articles about Computing

Tips for Presentations ===============================================================

SET UP A BLANK FINAL SCREEN IN A POWERPOINT SLIDE SHOW

Setting the last screen to black (or another color) in a PowerPoint slide show is a good way to signal the end of a presentation

To set the last slide to black, open your slide show and choose Tools, Options. When the Options dialog box opens, click the View tab. Now select the check box labeled End With Black Slide and click OK to close the dialog box and save your selection.

If you want to end with some other color, simply create a blank slide at the end of your slide show and set its background color to whatever you want. Now choose Format, Background. When the Background dialog box opens, click the arrow at the right side of the list box and select More Colors. Select your color from the Colors dialog box and click OK to close the box. Back in Background, click Apply to apply your selection to the current slide ONLY.

When you reach your last slide, you can just leave it onscreen until your audience has departed.

AUTOMATIC SLIDE SHOWS

Here is some advice from reader Jerry K.:

"Don't use automatic slide shows. If you're making a presentation, you owe your audience your full attention. To stand by and make comments as a slide show runs itself insults your audience. It leaves no time at all for interaction. The slide show moves on and you're its prisoner.

"The only reason I can see to use an automatic slide show is in a kiosk-type arrangement, where the show loops forever."

BLANK THE SCREEN DURING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

If you simply press B (the case doesn't matter), PowerPoint will display a completely black screen. To display the slide again, press any key.

CAREFUL WITH YOUR COLOR SCHEMES

"At a recent series of meetings, I witnessed some presentations obviously designed to take advantage of high-color graphics--but the projector in the room could display only 256 colors, which nearly ruined the show. Some colors showed up as patterns and tended to obscure text.

"When developing a presentation, if you don't know the properties of the presentation projector, it is always best to stick with simpler color schemes. As long as you're not using photos in a slide show, you can design a perfectly good show using 256 colors."

CHANGING BULLET SIZE IN POWERPOINT

In the last tip, we talked about how to change the bullet size in a Corel Presentations bulleted list. If you need to change the bullet size in a PowerPoint list, the method is much the same. However, PowerPoint will allow you to set the bullet size to 400 percent of the text size.

To do this, right-click the bulleted list and choose Bullets And Numbering. When the Bullets And Numbering dialog box opens, use the Size spin box to set the bullet size relative to the font size. When you finish, click OK to close the dialog box and apply your changes.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

"I have seen numerous presentations made less effective simply because the presenter failed to stick to a single heading type in a slide show. For example, if your first slide heading is Gatherings, don't use Group on the next slide. It would be far better to use Groupings and stay with a consistent type of heading. I realize this may not always be possible, but it is a goal worth striving for. Consistent headings give the impression that the presenter is a careful, thorough person--and first impressions do count."

COPING WITH QUESTIONS

"I attended an excellent presentation this summer--at least, it was excellent until we got to the questions. In response to the first question, the presenter said, 'That is a great question.' I thought that was an excellent move on the presenter's part. But when he responded in almost exactly the same way to every question people asked, I decided it was a poor idea on his part.

"The problem with this is that you can sound sincere if you compliment a few questioners in this way. But when you complement all questioners, you sound like the world's biggest liar. Don't do this. You will ruin your presentation and annoy your audience."

Whether you wait until the end to answer questions or on the spot. Depends on the time, audience, formality, size of the audience, rules of the moderator.

SPOTS

"It happens to all of us--when we're just about to make a point, the brain goes blank. I have learned to prepare (to an extent, anyway) for these blank moments. What I suggest is that you move to another point if possible. When you do this, most of the audience will never know what happened. If the blank space becomes a little too long to cover with something you can think of, simply comment, 'I'm sorry, I seem to have gone blank for a few seconds.' Your audience will understand because they have all had the same experience--even if only in a personal conversation."

We agree, but we prefer the apology method. It's usually too risky to try to cover up because a blank spot interferes with the rhythm of your presentation and the audience usually notices.

TODAY'S TIP: CREATE AN ANIMATED INTERMISSION SLIDE IN POWERPOINT

"I like to use some kind of animated slide show before the presentation begins, and then again at intermission. I have used several of the animated slides you've discussed in the past. However, I wanted to see what I could do with a single slide. I had to make a presentation at a photographic arts company, so I decided to show a few figures taking pictures on my intermission slide. If you would like to try it, this is how I created the slide.

"Run PowerPoint and open a blank slide. Now choose Insert, Picture, ClipArt. I selected a cartoon picture of a woman. At this point, I inserted a camera image from one of my ClipArt discs. (I did not see a camera in the PowerPoint Clip Gallery.) Next I located a cartoon of the sun in the Microsoft Office Clip Gallery and placed it in front of the camera's flash unit.

"What I wanted to do was have the camera flash (along with the sound of a camera clicking), then have the flash appear to illuminate the cartoon person. To do this, I decided to make a copy of the ClipArt person and then have the figure flash lighter when the camera took a picture.

"To do this, right-click the picture and choose Copy. Press Ctrl-V to paste the copy onto the slide. When you select the copy, the floating Picture toolbar will appear. In the toolbar, click the Image Control button (the second button from the left side) and choose Watermark. This makes the picture appear washed out.

"Now move the copy over the original picture. Click the new picture, then press Shift and click the flash (the sun cartoon). Choose Draw, Group to group the two. Right-click the new group and choose Custom Animation. When the dialog box opens, click the Effects tab and select Flash Once, Medium from the Entry Animation list box. From the Sound list box, select Camera.

"Click the Timing tab, and select the Animate and Automatically radio buttons. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

"Choose Slide Show, Slide Transition. When the Slide Transition dialog box opens, select the Automatically After check box and enter 2 or 3 seconds. Click Apply to apply your selection and close the dialog box.

"Finally, choose Slide Show, Set Up Show and select the radio buttons labeled Browsed At A Kiosk (Full Screen) and Using Timings, If Present. Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

"Now you can choose Slide Show, View Show to start the show. The animation will repeat over and over again until you press Esc to stop it."

TODAY'S TIP: CREATE CUSTOM SOUNDS FOR POWERPOINT SLIDES

Have you run into problems while trying to record sounds to insert into a new PowerPoint slide show? Say you have a microphone attached to the sound card, but when you try to record sounds, you get nothing but a blank WAV file.

The most likely reason for this problem is that you haven't activated the microphone input. Double-click the speaker icon at the bottom right of the Windows taskbar. When the Volume Control dialog box opens, choose Options, Properties. Scroll through the list and locate Microphone. Select the check box to its left and then click OK.

Now the Microphone volume control will appear in the Volume Control dialog box. In the Microphone area of the dialog box, deselect the check box labeled Mute and choose Options, Exit to close the dialog box. You can now run Sound Recorder (c:\Windows\sndrec32.exe). When the Sound Recorder opens, click the Record button (the button with the red dot) and speak into the microphone. Note the pattern in the scope screen. If the pattern is very small, increase the Microphone volume in the Volume Control dialog box. If the pattern is too large (flattening out), open the Volume Control dialog box and reduce the Microphone volume. With the volume set correctly, you can run PowerPoint and open the slide to which you want to add the sound. Choose Insert, Movies And Sounds, Record Sound. When the Record Sound dialog box opens, name your new sound and click the Record button. After you finish recording the sound, click the Stop button. You may encounter some variations in these instructions, depending on your particular sound card. CREATING POWERPOINT TEMPLATES "I have discovered that I use several basic PowerPoint designs over and over. If you do the same, the easiest way to handle this is to create templates. "To create a template, put all the basic stuff you want on a slide--background and all--and then choose File, Save As. When the Save As dialog box opens, click the arrow at the right side of the Save As Type list box and select Presentation Template. Your folder should now change to \Templates. Type a name for the template and click Save. "The next time you need to use one of your saved templates, choose File, New. When the New Presentation dialog box opens, you'll see your new templates in the list." DECIDE ON YOUR PURPOSE Here is some presentation advice from reader Hugh H.: "When you start working on a new presentation, decide on the purpose of the presentation before you start working. I know this might sound strange, but many presenters don't seem to know what the purpose really is, and some seem to have no purpose at all. To decide on a purpose, keep in mind that all presentations will fit one of three primary purposes--to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. For most of us, the purpose will be either to inform or to persuade. "This isn't quite as clear-cut as it sounds. You need to decide on one of the two. I strongly suggest that you not mix the two. I realize that you may want to inform a group of what you've been doing and then persuade them to let you keep doing it. This would fall into the 'persuade' group because that is really your primary purpose. "If you really want to inform, then your approach is different than if you want to persuade. Think about this. Once you decide which group your presentation falls into, you can begin to think about how to make the most effective presentation." DESIGNING SLIDE SHOWS Reader Beryl A. has some slide show design tips for new presenters: "I realize the current trend is toward more graphics, but it's a mistake to substitute graphics for words. The idea that a picture is worth a thousand words doesn't always apply. "Your slides should provide a framework for your presentation, not act as your ENTIRE presentation. I suggest keeping the graphics to a minimum and making sure you explain each graphic in your presentation. "Don't place entire sentences on your slides. If you do, you'll find yourself reading them to the audience. If you limit the text on your slides to key phrases, you can then develop and explain your ideas to the audience as they view the slides. "Just in case someone thinks I would rather go back to the old days before computers, this is not the case. I use PowerPoint for my presentations and I would hate to do without it. All I'm really suggesting is that you take care not to put too much emphasis on fancy graphics when a simple sentence or two from you would work much better." GOOD GESTURES "I have noticed that many presenters are too stiff during a presentation. Although you need to maintain eye contact with your audience, you should not stand perfectly still. Move around. Make gestures that show how enthusiastic you are about your topic. In the long run, your enthusiasm can have more to do with a sale than all the facts you can muster." HANDLING AN AUDIENCE Here are some tips from reader Steve A. about how to work with an audience during a question-and-answer period: "For most presenters, the question-and-answer period is the most difficult part. Here are a few points I always try to keep in mind as I'm going into a question-and-answer period. "Make sure you answer all questions as directly and simply as possible. Don't allow one questioner to tie up the entire time period. Suggest that you meet after the presentation for a more detailed discussion, if necessary. "Always try to tie your answers to major points in your presentation. This helps to reinforce what you've said. "Never lose your temper. If a question is openly hostile, remain friendly and calm. If you join a battle of sarcasm and putdowns, you are inevitably the loser. "Finally, never lie about anything. No matter how weak your current position, always tell the truth. Even a slight bending of the truth will come back to haunt you later. "Watch your physical position. Remain as relaxed as you were during the presentation. Never put your hands on your hips or stare at the questioner--people always interpret these actions as confrontational." HAVE A BACKUP PLAN Here is some good advice from reader Diana F.: "Always have a paper backup of presentations. About six months ago, I traveled 2000 miles for an important presentation. When I got there, the only computer I could use for the presentation had failed. The technicians worked on it for about 30 minutes, and then the department head declared that we couldn't spend any more time on the computer and suggested that I go ahead using the whiteboard. Since that time, I have always prepared,and rehearsed two presentations--one with the computer and one without. "I know that getting up two presentations might seem extreme just to prepare for an unlikely event. But if the presentation is very important to you, the extra work may well prove worthwhile." HOW TO USE CHARTS IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS It is often very tempting to use fancy charts in a presentation. For example, you may decide to use a radar chart because you think it looks impressive. Or you might decide to create your own chart, using boxes to represent sales volume. The entire purpose of a chart is to help the audience understand what you have to present. Before you use any chart, standard or nonstandard, make sure it will actually help the audience see your point. If you use something like a radar chart for an audience of engineers, you may have no problems at all. Perhaps it's just what the engineers need. But if you expect to present the same slides to a management audience, you are probably better off using a simple column chart. We attended a presentation a few years ago in which the presenter made heavy use of radar (and other) charts. You could see the audience pondering the charts, struggling to see the point. KEEP IT SIMPLE "I have seen people spend many hours creating nearly perfect drawings. Although these drawings look good and may well impress an audience, this is not usually the point of a presentation. I have found that very simple figures work very well in most presentations. "If you need to show people, you can use stick figures, or figures made up of a series of ovals. Buildings can be boxes with windows and a triangle for the roof. A few rectangles and circles make an acceptable automobile. "The goal, in my opinion, is to convey your message to the audience. I have had very good luck doing this with simple figures." It's a good point. However, you need to be careful about mixing various types of drawings. For example, if you use very detailed ClipArt for most of your slide, a simple automobile may not fit in well. KEEP ON SMILING "When I first started giving presentations, the person who taught me said I should always keep a smile on my face. I made a point of doing just that for the first year or so of my presentation apprenticeship. The company that I work for decided to make a video tape to show at the next board meeting. Part of what they taped was a portion of one of my presentations. When I saw the tape later, I was floored. I was smiling like a fool. No matter what I said, or how serious it was, I was grinning. Needless to say, I soon changed my method of presenting. "The point of all this is--don't overdo it. No matter what it is. Believe me, it is possible to smile too much. Consider this the voice of experience." LABELING PRESENTATION CHARTS "When you use charts in a presentation, label chart components carefully. You need to either use labels the audience can read, or not use labels at all. I sometimes just tag chart elements A, B, C, and so forth, then explain them during the presentation. "Another point about labels: Always use horizontal labels in a presentation. Vertical labels are distracting and very difficult to read." LEARNING HOW TO PRESENT Subscriber Gladys P. submitted the following suggestion: "When I was learning to design presentations, I made it a point to get myself invited to every presentation available to me--even if I had no comprehension of the subject. If you work for a large company and have the opportunity to do this, it really helps. "As you listen to the presentation, make notes about the slides, the way the presenter talks, stands, and so forth. Note anything you would change if you were making the presentation. "Even if you don't understand the topic, you will soon begin to recognize which presentations are best. You will eventually end up mixing your own ideas with those of others. I think this helps make you the best presenter you can be." MAKE POWERPOINT SLIDES FROM AN OUTLINE Here is a PowerPoint tip from reader Sue W.: "You can create a PowerPoint slide show from a Word outline. Just create your outline using a standard outline format. Then run PowerPoint and open a blank slide. Choose Insert, Slides From Outline. When the Insert Outline dialog box appears, find your Word file and double-click it. Each Heading 1 title becomes the title of a slide. "With the slides created, you can now supply the graphics and any additional text you require." MAKING PRESENTATIONS FOR WEB BROWSERS Here is a question from reader Kyle P.: "I have just started my own consulting business, and I don't want to invest money in presentation software right now. Could you please explain how I would go about creating an HTML presentation that will run in any Web browser? My system is a Pentium III 500MHz running Windows 98 SE." We can't explain all the steps in detail. Since you're running Windows 98, you have FrontPage Express on your computer. We suggest that you start with FrontPage Express and use copy and paste to enter pictures and so on. To make sure any browser can work with your files, don't use special commands that work only with Microsoft Internet Explorer. One way to make sure your file will work is to download a copy of Netscape, then test your files in both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape. MOVE TO A NEW WINDOW IN POWERPOINT "I often have two or three different slide shows loaded in PowerPoint. To switch between them, I choose Windows and then select the file I want to use. But I just discovered that you can move to a new window in PowerPoint by simply pressing Ctrl-Tab. I consider this a great timesaver and thought you might like to pass it along." PASS OUT WRITTEN MATERIALS AT THE END We recently attended a presentation on how to deal with stress in the workplace. The presentation was excellent, but the presenter spoiled everything by passing out copies of the entire presentation before the slide show began. The audience began reading the handouts before the slide show even started and continued to read during the entire presentation. Nobody paid the slightest attention to the presenter. Don't make this mistake. Whenever possible, don't pass out any written material until the end of your presentation. PRESENTATION COLORS "Too many new presenters go wild with color. Just because you have 16 million or so colors available doesn't mean you have to use them all. I use the following list as my color guide. - Take care with colors--when you use too many, you lessen the impact of each one. - Be aware of the positive and negative connotations of colors and the emotional responses certain colors invoke. As an example, for many people, red indicates deficits and financial failure. - Red backgrounds heighten the emotions of the audience. - Blue backgrounds tend to indicate a conservative approach. - Black backgrounds are good for financial presentations because black represents what happened in the past. Since it's all in the past, you can't change it. - Green stimulates audience interaction." RUN A SLIDE SHOW WITHOUT OPENING PROGRAMS "I have several slide shows I would like to run without first opening PowerPoint. If I double-click the show's icon, PowerPoint opens and displays the first slide in development mode. I don't want my audience to see this. Can you suggest something?" Try this: Run Windows Explorer and locate your slide show file. Right-click the icon and choose Show. PowerPoint opens and runs your slide show. When the show finishes, PowerPoint closes. Your audience never sees the PowerPoint working window at all. If you don't want your audience to see Explorer running, place a shortcut to the file on your desktop. Then, when you're ready to start the show, right-click the shortcut and choose Show. SELECTING A TYPEFACE "When you select a typeface to use in your slides, try to avoid serif typefaces. Serifs are the small decorative scrollwork you see in typefaces such as Times New Roman. For people viewing the slide at a distance, such typefaces can look blurred. An excellent sans serif (without serifs) typeface that everyone has is Arial. Most people find Arial easy to read, even at a distance." STARTING YOUR PRESENTATION "It seems to me I am always hearing about starting off a presentation with a joke. If I read a book on presenting, I see this comment there as well. I never start with a joke. I'm an engineer, not a comedian. "In my opinion, the best way to start a presentation is to just say hello, I'm Larry and I'm here to discuss....I have been on both sides of the fence, and I'm not interested in hearing presentations filled with jokes. If I want jokes, I'll go to a comedy club. Sorry if this looks like a tirade. I simply believe that getting down to business is the best way to get started." You have a point, Larry. We have heard people start off with jokes or stories that went quite well. We have also heard people start with tasteless, unfunny jokes that all but ruined the presentation. If in doubt, leave it out. TODAY'S TIP: STORING A POWERPOINT SLIDE SHOW ON CD "I just bought a new computer with a HP CD-ROM recorder. It seems to me this would be an ideal way to carry a slide show to a remote location, since CDs are more reliable than floppy disks and all computers now come equipped with a CD-ROM drive. Do you see any problem with recording a slide show to a CD to take to another location for a presentation?" We have tried this and see no problems. As you say, a CD is safer than a floppy. We suggest that you use CD-R disks (recordable discs) rather than CD-RWs (rewritable discs). Many CD-ROM drives can't read rewritable discs. We also suggest that you take some backup floppy disks with you, since some of the older CD-ROM drives won't read the recorded discs. You probably won't encounter this problem, but a backup is always a good idea. SUPPORT YOUR PRESENTATION WITH DATA Here is a tip from reader Julia C.: "One thing new presenters need to keep in mind is that one should always have data to support any assertion. Never say something is true unless you can prove it. "This sounds simple, but what often happens is that people will make a statement they believe is common knowledge. This is acceptable only if you're absolutely sure every audience member understands the statement and agrees it is true. If you can't be sure of that, be prepared to prove your statement." THE POWERPOINT SLIDE METER Here is a PowerPoint tip from reader Lou S.: "Although most people ignore the PowerPoint Slide Meter, I personally find it an indispensable tool. When you develop a slide show, you usually know how much time you have to use. If you set up the slides to match the time required, then you can use the Slide Meter to rehearse your presentation. This will help you adjust the slide duration and your presentation to fit in the allotted time period. "To use the PowerPoint Slide Meter, open your slide show and choose View, Slide Sorter. Right-click the first slide and choose Slide Transition. Select the Automatically After check box and enter the time period for this slide to remain on screen. I usually enter a longer time than I really expect to use. Click Apply to close the dialog box and apply your selection. You'll need to repeat this procedure for each slide in the show. "Now right-click the first slide and choose Slide Meter. As you rehearse the show, click to navigate to the next slide. The Slide Meter will show how your time compares to your original estimate. After you've run through your presentation several times using the Slide Meter, you can set the slide durations to match your presentation speed." THE RIGHT INTRODUCTION "I often give presentations to unknown audiences--people who travel to our location for these presentations. Their business is very important to us, so I want to do the best possible job. "My suggestion is this: Always make a point of having someone in your organization introduce you. The higher the level of the introducer, the better. This introduction should tell the audience why you are the right person to give this presentation. The audience needs to know what you do that makes you the best qualified person to explain the product to it. "If you can get the president of the company to introduce you, go for it. You'd better first fill in the president about where you work and what you do, though." USE A GOOD TITLE Reader Susan W. has a presentation tip. "We all tend to devote very little time to titles. Titles are very important, and we really should spend more time coming up with good, attention-grabbing ones. "I like to first get my slide show together without titles--I just put in some marker text. Then I go through my slide show and start working on coming up with titles that really match my presentation well. "Another approach I often use is to ask a trial audience to comment on my titles. Often someone more detached from the presentation will have some excellent title suggestions." also humorous titles USE UPPERCASE WITH CAUTION IN SLIDE-SHOW TEXT Be very careful of how much you use capitalization in your slide presentations. We saw a presentation a few weeks ago that was ruined because the presenter used uppercase for all the text. Text placed in all caps is harder to read and often conveys the impression that one is trying to shout at the audience. When you want to emphasize certain text, you are almost always better off if you select another color or use boldface--anything but all caps. USING ANIMATION IN HTML POWERPOINT SLIDE SHOWS "I would like to create a slide show in PowerPoint for viewing in Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01. I will be using this on one computer in our conference room. I know how to save the files as HTML, but how do I get the animation to work?" You need the Microsoft Animation Player. To download this file, go to http://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/DP2039.ASP Close Microsoft Internet Explorer and double-click the download file to install it. load the slide show you want to run in Explorer and choose File, Save As HTML. When the Save As HTML wizard opens, click Next. Since this is a new layout, select the New Layout button and click Next. In the next page, select the Standard radio button and click Next. In this page, select the radio button labeled PowerPoint Animation and click Next. Now set your screen size and the width you want for your graphics and click Next again. Click Next in this page (you don't really need anything here at this point). Click Next again. Select the button you want to use and click Next. Now select the button placement and again click Next. Select a folder for your HTML files and click Next. Finally, you can click Finish to create your HTML presentation. You can now use animation in your HTML slide show. Please note--we have found that not all animation works as expected. You'll need to experiment with this feature. USING GRAPHICS IN A PRESENTATION "When you use any graphic in a presentation, the graphic should have a purpose. That is, it should help the viewer remember or better understand the information presented. As the author or designer, it is your task to visualize your information. How can you make your ideas concrete for the learner? "As an example, I recently completed a presentation where I introduced the concept of reverse engineering information for instruction. How does one represent reverse engineering so the audience will remember the term as used in a new context, and focus on the task? After some thought, I added a train engine (with an engineer) that backed across the bottom of the slide. "We can help our viewers by anchoring our ideas with concrete images rather than randomly selecting pictures." USING TRANSPARENT LABELS IN POWERPOINT "If you would like to use some cool-looking labels in your PowerPoint slides, try semitransparent ones. To create a semitransparent label, click the Rectangle tool in the Drawing toolbar and draw a small rectangle. Double-click the rectangle to open the Format AutoShape dialog box. When the dialog box opens, click the Color And Lines tab. Under Fill, click the arrow at the right side of the Color list box. Select the color you'd like to use and then select the check box labeled Semitransparent. Click OK to close the dialog box and continue working on your label. "Right-click your new label again and choose Add Text. Type the text you want to use, and you're all set to place your label anywhere on the slide." WATCH WHAT YOU DRINK DURING A PRESENTATION "One thing all presenters learn over the years is that you should watch what you drink before and during a presentation. "If you have a very long presentation, you should try to hold down the amount of liquid you drink before the presentation begins. It goes without saying that alcoholic beverages are a very bad idea. "During a lengthy presentation, you will probably suffer from a dry throat. Keep a small glass of water handy and sip only a small amount as needed. Avoid any kind of carbonated beverage. As many presenters can testify from embarrassing experience, carbonated beverages will make you burp." WATCH YOUR STANCE IN A PRESENTATION "When you are presenting, you need to watch your posture. You should always stand straight and keep your feet very slightly apart. If your feet are too close together, you appear stiff and formal. On the other hand, if your feet are too far apart, you may appear confrontational. Placing the feet too far apart is something more likely in men than in women. When men stand with their feet too far apart, it always makes me think of John Wayne in the midst of a gunfight." Shelly is correct--many men habitually stand with their feet too far apart when making presentations. The audience may very well interpret this as an aggressive posture. WATERMARKS IN POWERPOINT SLIDES "I have looked all over for a way to turn a ClipArt picture into a watermark in PowerPoint. I know how to make a watermark in Word, but PowerPoint eludes me. Is it possible?" Yes, it is possible. Run PowerPoint and choose Insert, Picture, ClipArt. Double-click a picture to insert it. At this point, the floating Picture toolbar should appear. If it doesn't, choose View, Toolbars, Picture to enable it. Now click the Image Control button in the Picture toolbar (second from the left) and choose Watermark. TODAY'S TIP: WHAT TO WEAR A rule of thumb I teach my students in a 'Techniques of Presentation' class is that you should be as well dressed as your audience (or one step up). You are the one in charge and, since you are the presenter, your dress must show this. I agree that you must wear comfortable clothes, but you still need to be dressed as well as your audience." WHAT TO WEAR TO A PRESENTATION "When I first started in my present position, I was advised to always dress up for a presentation. I still consider that good advice, but I have also decided that I should be comfortable. I tend to wear suits that have seen some use. These suits look fine, understand, but they aren't too stiff. "I also make a point of wearing comfortable shirts and shoes. Again, the shoes should look nice and be well polished, but they need not be full dress shoes. I often wear rubber-soled wing tips. Very few people notice and these shoes are very comfortable. I am not trying to encourage people to dress down. All I'm saying is that you should dress nicely but comfortably." A good idea. If you are not comfortable, you won't do as good a job. Of course, some of this also depends on your audience. TODAY'S TIP: WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT TO WEAR "Although some people seem to think you should try to dress the same as your audience, I don't agree. A suit for a male or female presenter is never out of place. And don't wear running shoes with your suit. "Even if your audience is dressed in jeans, you are not likely to offend them because you're wearing a suit. Most audiences expect that a salesperson or consultant will dress more formally." We agree--you can't really go wrong with a conservative suit.