Tip of the Week: How to Use Presenter View for Presentations

If you’re worried about presentation anxiety, or if you’ve ever experienced dry mouth, sweaty palms, or a sudden loss for words while on the spot, then you’ll be happy to know about some of the options available in modern presentation tools. One in particular, Presenter View, comes to mind, and it’s a great way to kick presentation anxiety to the curb. We’ll go over how to use Presenter View in Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.

Explaining Presenter View

Simply put, Presenter View lets you distinguish between what you see as the presenter and what you share with the audience.

It’s a great way to stop relying on your slides as you guide your audience through your presentation, and best of all, Presenter View lets you use dashboard tools to improve your presentation in general. If you have multiple screens, like with a laptop connected to a projector or multiple monitors, you can extend your display to show both while only sharing what you want the audience to see.

This helps you keep notes to yourself while keeping the presentation streamlined and informative on the display side of things.

How Does Presenter View Enhance Your Presentation?

• Access to your notes - You can cover every point you want to make by preparing and referring back to your presentation notes.
• A look ahead - In addition to your current slide, you get a preview of the slide coming up next, allowing you to lead from one to the other.
• A time clock - Presenter View has a built-in timer to help you keep track of your time and pacing.
• Audience engagement in Google Slides - If using Google’s presentation software, you have access to Audience Tools that allow you to address questions in real time.
• On-Screen Tools in PowerPoint - If you’re using PowerPoint, you also have access to tools like a digital laser pointer, a highlighter, and pen to direct the attention of your audience.

How to Use Presenter View

For Microsoft PowerPoint

First, connect your second display and have it ready to go. Access the Slide Show tab, then go to Monitors and select the Use Presenter View option. You can make the choice to start the presentation From Beginning or From Current Slide.

Here’s some other information for how to use this view:

• The current slide will be viewable in the Main Window.
• The Preview Pane will show the next slide.
• The Speaker Notes Pane features your notes with adjustable font size capabilities.
• The Top Bar, which features your timer and display settings.
• The Bottom Toolbar, where you can access the built-in laser pointer, your slide overview, and zoom capabilities.

For Google Slides

Again, you’ll want your second display connected first, then when you’re ready, click the Slideshow option in the top-right corner of the menu. From here, click on Presenter view. Your browser should open a new tab with your presentation, plus a Presenter View window for you to use.

You’ll also have access to these capabilities:

• A separate window to control your presentation.
• Simple Slide Navigation tools that also enable you to jump slides.
• A timer tab that allows you to keep pace.
• Your speaker notes, fully scrollable, for the active slide.
• A tab of Audience Tools, allowing you to collect questions in real-time and answer them appropriately.

Plan Ahead with Better Technology

Knowing how to use Presenter View is helpful, but so too will having technology that can effectively run a presentation. We can help to make sure your IT is ready for the presentations your business needs to close deals, train employees, and share information with important stakeholders.

To learn more about how we can help your business adopt reliable technology solutions, reach out to us at 708-781-7110.