Present Better with PowerPoint Presenter View

The PowerPoint presenter view is the ideal tool for your presentation.

It allows you to display your speaker notes and slides on your computer while presenting. Meanwhile, your audience will see the presentation without your notes on another screen or projector.

What is PowerPoint Presenter View?

The PowerPoint presenter view is a presentation mode that allows presenters to see a preview of the next slides as well as their speaker notes. The advantage of this mode is that your audience will only see the current slide and nothing else.

Advantages of PowerPoint Presenter View

Presenter view offers a number of features that can help you streamline and improve the flow of your presentations:

1. Speaker Notes: You can add notes to each slide. This gives you more freedom and you won’t have to struggle with clumsy index cards. You can individually design the notes for each slide and, when you switch slides, you’ll see that slide’s notes as well.

2. Slide Overview: You always see the current slide number (e.g., slide 5 of 13). That way, you can begin preparing for the next slide and receive an overview of the entire presentation.

3. Next Slide Preview: A preview image on the side of your presentation always shows you the next slide.

4. Timer: A timer notifies you of how much time has elapsed. This is especially helpful if you have a limited amount of time to present.

5. Pen Tools: You can use the pen tools to mark, highlight, and augment your slide content. These freehand markups can even be saved afterwards.

6. Thumbnail Overview: You can view a thumbnail overview of all your presentation slides, allowing you to choose slides freely and jump from slide to slide.

7. Magnifying Glass: You can use the magnifying glass to enlarge individual sections of the current slide, and the virtual laser pointer allows you to highlight specific points.

8. Black Screen Option: During breaks and discussions, you can fade to a black screen without turning off the projector, allowing you to restart the presentation quickly.

Setting Up PowerPoint Presenter View with a Projector

PowerPoint presenter view requires two separate monitors, which often includes a projector. Here’s how to properly set up a projector:

1. Connect your laptop to the projector. Make sure the laptop isn’t switched on.

2. When you turn on the laptop, the projector will recognize it as a second screen.

3. When you start Microsoft PowerPoint, you should see the same image on both screens.

4. Press the Windows + P key combination and then select Extend. Click on the check mark to the right of Presenter View in the Slide Show tab.

5. You’ll now see the different views on your two monitors. As the presenter, you’ll see the presenter view while your audience will see the current slide.

6. Normally, presenter view is automatically displayed on your monitor. If it still appears on the audience screen, set it to Primary Monitor in the Monitor drop-down menu.

Disabling PowerPoint Presenter View

To disable presenter view during your presentation, simply uncheck the Presenter View box in the Slide Show tab.

Tips for Optimal Use of PowerPoint Speaker View

1. Practice Your Presentation in Advance

To effectively use this tool, you should be confident in using it. Therefore, test it extensively beforehand to be able to operate the tool confidently when it matters. Go through your presentation whilst projecting the speaker view to ensure a fluent delivery.

2. Design Effective Presentation Notes

Keep your notes concise and to the point so you can access them quickly and easily during the presentation. Avoid long paragraphs and focus on bullet points that summarize the main ideas. Highlight key terms or use abbreviations to make your notes easier to read.

3. Manage Time and Breaks

The integrated timeline allows you to keep track of time during the presentation. Plan your presentation carefully and include breaks, if necessary, to give your audience time to process the information. Use pauses deliberately to answer questions or emphasize important points.

4. Integrate Interactive Elements

Interactivity helps keep the audience’s attention. Use the Speaker View to insert media and interactive elements into your presentation, such as videos, audio clips, animations, and interactive polls.

5. Update Slides On-the-Fly

PowerPoint presenter view allows you to update slides during your presentation. This is useful if you’re part of a team still making changes. Go to Set Up Slide Show from the Slide Show tab and select Keep slides updated.

Pro Tip: Use Shortcuts During Your Presentation

Shortcuts are keyboard combinations that allow you to quickly access certain PowerPoint functions. Here are five useful shortcuts:

• Fade to the next slide with the Enter key or the right/down arrow keys.
• Go back to the previous slide with the up or left arrow key.
• Jump to the last slide with the End key.
• Skip slides by pressing the slide number + Enter.
• Make your screen appear white or black using W or the comma key for white and B or the period key for black.

Conclusion

Utilizing PowerPoint presenter view can greatly enhance your presentation experience. With its myriad features, you can ensure a smooth and engaging delivery that captivates your audience.