Get to the point with your powerPoint Laser Pointer
Recently, we wrote about how you can turn off your mouse pointer when you’re giving a presentation.
In many cases, having your cursor suddenly appear on the screen while you present can be really distracting for your audience. It can also be annoying when you accidentally nudge your mouse and it pops up in the middle of your slide.
However, there are some instances when having a visible mouse pointer can be really useful. But there’s no need to use your cursor. With just a few clicks, you can turn your mouse into a laser pointer in PowerPoint.
To point or not to point
There are pros and cons of using a laser pointer. If they’re used too frequently, they can be quite distracting. This is especially true if the presenter forgets to turn it off and starts blasting the laser into the audience or all over the ceiling.
On the other hand, they can be a great way to emphasise certain areas of a slide, image or graph. For example, a laser pointer is perfect if you want to draw attention to a specific bar in a bar graph, or a funny man in the background of an image.
Suavely pointing to these areas with your laser is a lot more graceful than trying to reach them with your hand, particularly if you’re presenting in a larger venue.
Let’s get digital
Real, handheld lasers can sometimes be problematic. One problem is that they expose the natural tremor of our hands, often leading to a slightly wobbly point on the screen. If you’re nervous and prone to getting shaky hands, this problem will be amplified.
Also, as we mentioned, they’re a great way to blind members of your audience if they’re used incorrectly.
Using a virtual laser pointer on screen allows you to avoid both of these issues, ensuring the spot on the screen remains stationary and your audience members maintain their eyesight.
Turn your mouse into a laser pointer
Turning your mouse into a laser pointer is easy. On a PC, start your Slide Show, right-click anywhere on the screen, hover over Pointer Options, then select Laser Pointer.
Now, you can easily direct your audience’s focus to a specific part of the slide.
On a Mac, start your Slide Show, click the pen icon in the bottom left corner, then select ‘Laser Pointer‘. It’s as easy as that! You can even change the colour of the laser.
Direct your audience’s focus
Utilising PowerPoint’s laser pointer option is a great way to direct your audience’s focus to areas of your presentation that cannot be highlighted with animations alone.
Making the most of this relatively unknown feature is a great way to add clarity to your presentation and to demonstrate your PowerPoint expertise. Make the most of it.
Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you put together that killer presentation.
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