I’ve always wanted to make a PowerPoint presentation where I could enter numbers in a slide, and get the result of a calculation in PowerPoint right then and there. When I tried looking for this feature, I found out that it couldn’t be done in PowerPoint. It seems that PowerPoint does not have native support for this feature yet. But, there is a way to do this using Excel with PowerPoint.

Linking to Excel

Linking allows us to put a hyperlink in a PowerPoint slide. This hyperlink can be set up to open a specific file from the computer (or the web). You can read more about linking an Excel Sheet in PowerPoint 2013 by clicking this link.

Making an Excel Sheet Containing the Calculation

First of all, you’ll need an Excel spreadsheet that contains your formula in it. Apply it to a large cell and use large text. This makes the font big enough for people to read easily. You can also make a graph on the next page or on another sheet in Excel.

Preparing the PowerPoint Presentation

This can be your usual business PowerPoint presentation, but doing some things can improve your demonstration and make the calculation more effective. First of all, when you introduce the topic, let people know that you will be showing showing live calculation on the effectiveness of your product or service.

Also, make sure that the audience understands the formula. Explain the formula to the audience in parts to make it easier to understand. You can break down the calculation to help them understand easily.

Ask The Audience For Their Input

When you get to the slide where you show them the calculation, give the audience an example to get them started. Click the hyperlink to the Excel sheet, and enter the numbers . It should show an automatic calculation and/or graph.

This technique should help you stand out in the crowd. It should be useful for budget, investment, and savings related presentations.

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