Faster Smarter Microsoft Office System -- 2003 Edition

Now that you ve had a chance to go through a presentation from start to finish and prepare it to run as you like, you may want to think about a wish list of additional features. Some great ideas might be a bit too much for your budget or schedule ”a professionally produced, custom video showing interviews with all your top salespeople could be a great inspiration for your regional sales staff, but it would also cost a small truckload of money and take months to complete. But there are some enhancements you can easily add that will make your presentation more interesting, more enjoyable, and easier for viewers to navigate. Here are a few of the possibilities:

• Movie Clips Add two or three quick video segments to your presentation at strategic times ”perhaps showing your animated company logo, walking up the steps of your new building, a few smiling faces, and so on.

• Narration You can add voice-over narration to your PowerPoint presentation, welcoming your audience, giving directions on how to use the presentation, or inviting visitors to your Web site.

• Music Clips The music you add to your presentation can be anything from a simple logo jingle to a full-score musical arrangement that plays while your presentation continues on the screen.

You can get clips, templates, and more online by choosing Office on Microsoft.com from the Tools menu. This takes you to the Microsoft Office System site, where you can browse the latest utilities and download files that fit what you re looking for.