How to Stop Making PowerPoint Presentations From Scratch

Over the years, I’ve learned so many things about how to make my PowerPoint workflow better. Some of them were really simple hacks – like using keyboard shortcuts – and others totally blew my mind. If you’ve been using PowerPoint for a while, I think the following tips will fall into the latter category for you. Learning how to stop making PowerPoint presentations from scratch will save you so much time. You’ll look back at the days when you started with that blank, white title slide and think “What the heck was I doing?!”.

Import an Outline From Microsoft Word

This first tip is for my PowerPoint users who are really Microsoft Word lovers at heart. You probably type your notes, draft communications, and brainstorm your presentations in Word before you ever click over to another program. I know quite a few people who feel more comfortable starting in Word and that is a-okay with me.

The great news is that PowerPoint will actually recognize Word’s formatted outlines. You can import your outline into PowerPoint and it will prefill your slide content based on the different “levels” of your outline. Check out the instructions below.

1. In Word, type out your content hitting Enter on your keyboard after each new idea so that it’s placed on a separate line.
2. Once complete, navigate to the top of your window and click the View tab, then click Outline near the top left.
3. Decide which line items you would like to be your PowerPoint slide headers. Select each slide header by clicking the circle to the left of each appropriate line while holding down the CTRL button on your keyboard.
4. While your text is highlighted, navigate to the top of your window and click the dropdown menu next to Show Level. Select level one.
5. Anything that wasn’t selected as a slide header will be slide content. Once again, hold down the CTRL button and select the remaining line items.
6. Navigate to the Show Level dropdown menu again. This time, select level two.
7. Save your Word document and head over to PowerPoint.
8. In PowerPoint, navigate to the Home tab and then click the dropdown menu next to New Slide. At the bottom, select Slides from Outline.
9. Choose your Word file and voila! The pre-filled slides will automatically populate on the screen.

I realize the number of steps can make this one seem a bit intimidating but I promise, it’s easier than it sounds. Don’t believe me? Check out this video from Microsoft. It’s only a minute long!

Import Individual Slides From a Previous Presentation

Another great way to stop making PowerPoint presentations from scratch is to import preexisting slides. Oftentimes, there will be slides you use over and over again, like an agenda slide or a prompt for audience questions. There’s no need to create these slides more than once! Simply, set it and forget it, my friends! (If you got that reference then you’re my new favorite person.) Here’s how to do it.

1. Navigate to the top of your PowerPoint window and select the Home tab.
2. Click the dropdown menu next to New Slide and select Reuse Slides.
3. A window will open that allows you to select the presentation you’d like to pull the slide from. Select the appropriate file and click the arrow to continue.
4. Every slide in that presentation will populate in a window on the left side of the screen.
5. Find the slide you’d like to use and click to add it to the end of your new presentation. You can then adjust the slide placement, as needed.
6. TIP: Before adding the slide, you may choose to right-click the slide (instead of clicking as normal) which will allow you to add your current theme to the old slide. This will help to ensure it matches your new presentation.

Utilize Side-by-Side Presentation Views

This last tip is for those moments when you don’t want to import content directly from another document. In my experience, sometimes you just need to review another presentation for a little inspiration and it helps to see them side-by-side.

You could open two or three presentations and spend a few minutes resizing the windows so that they all show on the screen but why waste the time when PowePoint can do just that with two mouse clicks. Read the super-easy steps below.

1. Make sure that any presentations you want to view are already open on your computer.
2. Next, navigate to the top of your PowerPoint window and click the View tab.
3. Near the top center, click the Arrange All button. That’s it!

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Three simple ways to stop making PowerPoint presentations from scratch. I hope that you never have to create another presentation from scratch as long as you live. That may be a lofty goal but I’m a dreamer. 🙂 Which one will you try first? Let me know in the comments. Know someone else that could benefit from some time-saving tips? Use the “share” buttons below!