People commonly use Microsoft® PowerPoint® to create presentations for work meetings and other business-related purposes. It is likely that you will give a presentation that will contain sales figures, budgetary information, or other financial data. Or, perhaps you will need to give a presentation containing scientific data related to a study. When given the task of presenting financial information and other data in a presentation, you will need a way to display the information to the audience without endless slides of figure-dense content.

You typically don't have the time available during a presentation for people to spend analyzing complex tables. And, quite frankly, that can make for a boring presentation. You need a way to quickly show the audience members why all of this information matters to them. Microsoft® PowerPoint® provides you with the ability to create eye-catching charts that show the meaning behind complex strings of data.

Multimedia content surrounds us almost constantly. To an extent, this has increased the expectation among audiences for some type of sophisticated, multimedia experience during presentations. This means you may be called upon to add audio, video, and other media content to your presentations. Microsoft® PowerPoint® provides you with robust capabilities for adding, editing, and customizing audio, video, and screen recordings.

Graphics, tables, and charts can help you convey your message visually. Sometimes you need more energy or emphasis at certain points in your presentation. Using animations and transitions in Microsoft® PowerPoint® can add energy and excitement to a presentation.

When designing a presentation, you often need to collaborate with others. Microsoft® PowerPoint® contains robust functionality to help you work together so that everyone's contributions are included, no one is performing unnecessary work, and nothing gets lost in the mix.

Once you have finalized your content, you need to determine what kind of presentation delivery will be required so you can modify the file to best meet those needs. Presentations are sometimes delivered in real time, with the presenter there to make adjustments to the delivery. But other times you need to have the presentation stand on its own, with recorded narration and timed transitions.

Microsoft® PowerPoint® provides you with the ability to tailor your presentations to suit the exact needs of your audience. Understanding how to take advantage of these options means that you will be ready to deliver your message regardless of the situation, without a lot of rework.

You have done a lot of work to create the perfect presentation. It is important to secure that file so others can't make changes. And you might need to distribute it electronically. Microsoft® PowerPoint® provides features to help you with both tasks.

You'll wrap things up and then validate what you've learned in this course by taking an assessment.