Software Tips & Tricks Replace Fonts in PowerPoint 97, 2000 & XP

By Laura Noble

Have you ever wanted to replace fonts on multiple slides in a PowerPoint presentation and thought what a time consuming job? Is it worth it? Well, it is! There is a quick and easy method of replacing fonts in PowerPoint slides.

• Open presentation
  
  
• Select from the Format menu, Replace Fonts
  
  
  
• The Replace Fonts box will open From the Replace box click the down arrow and select the font to Replace.
  

  

  
  
  
• From the With box click the down arrow and select the replacement font.
  
  
• Click the Replace button and all text on all slides with the original font will be replaced with the new font.
  
  
• If the replacement does not appeal to you repeat the steps above until a suitable font is found.
  

Stay tuned to Networking Today in the coming months for more Software Tips & Tricks from Noble Software Solutions.

Laura Noble is the owner of Noble Software Solutions. Laura can be contacted at 519-680-2689 or by e-mail at lnoble@noblesoftwaresolutions.com. www.NobleSoftwareSolutions.com

Published in Networking Today, May 2002.

Applying a Background in Word

By Glenda Palmer

Adding a background can enhance Microsoft Word documents when you send the file as an attachment. The background effects explained below will not appear on a printed document.

1. Key in a new document in Microsoft Word or open an existing document. You may want to use the “save as” feature to generate a copy for learning how to add these backgrounds to your file.
   
   
2. Click the Format menu, point to Background and select the colour you want.
   
   
3. To have different background effects, click the Fill Effects option on the Background submenu.
   
   
4. For a gradient effect, the fill varies from light to dark shades of the same colour (One Color) or from one colour to another colour (Two-Color), or in a pre-set pattern of many colours (Preset). You can pick the Shading Style to specify in what direction the gradient should display. The variants are shown in the sample area. There are several choices – try each one to see the effects.
   
   
5. The Pattern tab fills the item with a pattern (dots, crosshatch, diagonal lines, etc.). Alter both foreground and background on various combinations of colours to view the many attractive pattern backgrounds that can be established. Combining blues and greens produce some stunning combinations.
   
   
6. The Texture tab fills the item with texture graphics such as green marble, granite, etc. Check out every sample.
   
   
7. The Picture tab fills the item with repeated copies of a picture you have on file. Go to the folder that contains graphics and check this feature out using some of your pictures.
   
   
8. Click the OK button.
   

Glenda Palmer is the owner of Private-Computer-Tutor, providing customized one-on-one training in London, Ontario. (519) 473-6422 training@glendapalmer.com

Published in Networking Today, May, 2002.

Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill

By Barbara Bartlein

“I just don’t understand why everyone at work is complaining about me,” a woman in my office whined. “The same thing happened at my last job, too.” Though she could not see the cause/effect of her actions, it was clear she was alienating people in the workplace. The most likely reason – her attitude.

Attitude is everything to personal and professional success. It colours our vision of how we see the world and other people. Attitude affects our beliefs and our behaviour. It impacts teamwork, customer relations, motivation, and the ability to deal with change. Attitude makes the difference between a pleasant working environment and a place we dread to go.

We all know a “bad” attitude when we experience it, and perhaps, on occasion, we have one ourselves. But, successful people make a conscious effort for attitude adjustment when theirs is sub par. They also avoid “energy suckers,” people with pessimistic attitudes that suck the life out of a sunny day.

Unfortunately, I have never had any success “adjusting” someone else’s attitude. I learned early in my management experience that it was easier to teach new skills than it was to change attitudes. To find employees with great attitudes, the following guidelines for hiring and staff development are helpful:

• The best you will ever see is the first 90 days. If you have a problem with an employee while he’s still on probation, you might as well cut bait. After all, this is the time that he presumably has his best foot forward. At best, he is a poor performer, at worst; he has poor judgment (even harder to correct than attitude).
  
  
• If they complain about the last boss, they will complain about you too. Exercise great caution in hiring someone who has nothing good to say about his or her last boss or last position. It may be more about them than their employment. In fact, it might always be someone else’s fault. People who blame are very hard to coach.
  
  
• Are they an optimist or pessimist? Ascertain how they appear to see the world. Pessimistic people tend to be energy suckers in the workplace and can breed an institutional pathology that pulls others into their negative energy. Are they able to find the bright side of difficult situations?
  
  
• Do they demonstrate personal insight and a commitment to their development? Those committed to an ongoing program of self-improvement are much more coachable and willing to learn new skills and behaviours. Ask in the interview what areas may need improvement. Inquire about the details of the candidate’s personal plan for development.
  
  
• Are they coachable? How receptive to feedback do they seem to be? It’s easy to assess in an interview; offer some suggestions regarding her résumé. If she is quick to disagree, defend, or actually becomes huffy, she is not likely to welcome your input on more significant matters.
  
  
• Do they listen? You can forget all of the above if the potential employee is not a good listener. He/she will have performance problems, people conflict, and difficulty receiving feedback. Evaluate his ability to understand more than what he simply hears. Listening is an active process that blends patience with understanding.
  

Attitude is a critical factor for success and the one we have the most control over. As Earl Nightingale once said, “Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude toward us.”

Sign up for Barbara's FREE email newsletter at www.barbbartlein.com.

Barbara Bartlein is the PeoplePro™. She helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com.

Published in Networking Today, May 2002.

Trade Show Networking Strategies…16 Ways To Boost Your Bottom Line at Trade Shows

By Karen Susman

According to the Centre for Exhibit Industry Research, it costs 62% less to close a lead generated from a trade show than from one originated in the field. Whether you’re exhibiting or attending, leverage your time and actions.

1. Have a plan. List with whom you want to meet and why. List booths you want to visit and why. Study the exhibit layout and map so you don’t waste time and energy.
   
   
2. Spread out your resources. Don’t roam the room with your co-workers. If you’re exhibiting, rotate staff so energy stays high.
   
   
3. Learn from those who attend as well as from those who exhibit. Talk to people who wander from booth to booth. Find out their interests. Invite them to your booth.
   
   
4. Use the buffet and ubiquitous candy bowls as networking venues, not as troughs. It’s hard to exchange cards when you’ve got dip-covered fingers, besides, heavy food and sweets make you tired.
   
   
5. Carry a small tape recorder or palm pilot. Record things you want to remember to do or the names of people to see. Capture new ideas. Adapt ideas from other industries.
   
   
6. Be ready with case histories of your successes. Help visitors to your booth by painting a picture of how they could use your product.
   
   
7. Speak at an educational session – this positions you as an expert. Invite your contacts to hear you speak. Let your customers know how your presentation went. Send them a list of the ideas you presented. Capture the contact information of your attendees.
   
   
8. Introduce yourself. When you respond to a question in an educational session, say your name, company, or what you do. Seven words ought to do it. One more chance to be shine.
   
   
9. Send a press release. Contact media in the town of the show about your hot new ideas. You could be interviewed in the paper, TV, or radio. Put a press release on your Web site.
   
   
10. Get more business cards than you pass out then you’ll be able to contact people. If they have your card and you don’t have theirs, you lose control of the relationship building.
    
    
11. Be proactive. If you’re working the show, don’t stay behind the table. Ask visitors about their businesses so you can show them appropriate products or information. Listen attentively.
    
    
12. Ask the exhibitor the name of the person you should contact for your specific goals. Write that name on the exhibitor’s card so you can use the exhibitor’s name when you make the contact.
    
    
13. Set up an appointment. If you want to speak more with an exhibitor or attendee, set an appointment. You’ll save time and be able to network with more people.
    
    
14. Be visible. In a sea of exhibitors surrounded by a bigger sea of attendees, it’s hard to stand out. Volunteer to appear on a panel, introduce a speaker, or sponsor an award or contest.
    
    
15. Attend trade shows that your customers attend or are exhibiting at. This is a great way to keep in touch with lots of customers at once.
    

Follow up immediately with important contacts. Separate all the cards and brochures you’ve collected into an A, B, or C pile. Hit the A pile first – even a brief handwritten note will remind them of you and your company. If someone requests information, get right on it.

Karen Susman is a Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Author of 102 Top Dog Networking Secrets. Karen works with organizations that want to maximize performance. Programs include Humour at Work; Balance In Life; Networking Skills; Presentation Skills; and Building Community Involvement. Order new guidebooks on humour, networking, time management, and community involvement by calling 1-888-678-8818 or e-mail Karen@KarenSusman.com.. www.KarenSusman.com Published in Networking Today, May, 2002.

Profile: Epidemic Skate Shop

By Susan Regier

Turning a passion into a thriving business is something most people don’t attempt until “later” on in life. But Ryan Machan is anything but typical. Four years ago, at the age of twenty-three, the master skateboarder cultivated his entrepreneurial spirit and his love of the sport by opening the Epidemic Skate Shop.

Epidemic is the place to shop for everything needed to look cool and perfect skateboard tricks and stunts – clothes, shoes, videos, and boards – for skateboarders aged fifteen and up. “Where people buy their boards – they buy everything else,” explained Machan. Popular brands for sale at Epidemic are 4 Star, Chocolate, Real, TSA, and DC among others – and Machan knows his stuff. If manufacturers won’t honour their warranties, you won’t find their products at Epidemic. Because Machan knows skateboarding, he understands the quality of a product and which product suits individual levels.

Machan discovered the thrill of skateboarding when he was thirteen. Since that time, the Beal Secondary School graduate has filmed four stunt videos in various locations including New York, Detroit, Toronto, and London. The first video was shot when he was eighteen then he went on to make three more videos. He is now working on his fifth video, which will be available for sale at his store this Christmas.

“After working for other businesses, I knew the business too well. The people I was working for were messing things that I wanted to do so I had to make a decision – get out of the business or get into it full time. “ Machan admits his parents were instrumental in getting the business off the ground. They gave him an ultimatum: do the business or go back to school and figure out what you want to do. Once the decision was made, they have supported him one hundred percent.

After completing a business plan at the Small Business Centre in London, his parents co-signed his bank loan to get things rolling. He now owns the building that houses Epidemic, only two blocks from London’s major skate park located at the Carling Heights Optimist Club.

“I should have started the business sooner,” admitted Machan. “I was deep into skateboarding at twenty-one and had just released my third skateboarding video. The timing would have been great. The hardest part of getting started was getting the money to have enough product. I was too scared to go on payment terms with suppliers. I wanted to have cash in the bank before ordering. For the past two years, I’ve gone with term payments so now I have more stock in the store.”

Machan refuses to carry particular lines of skateboards because of the quality or he knows they aren’t suited to his market. With low overhead, Machan can offer a lower mark up on quality products.

Machan still skateboards downtown and at the skate park. He’s often asked about his equipment – a variation to traditional networking. “People trust you for your judgment when you’re doing it yourself. I don’t advertise. My videos are the only advertising that I do – it’s a video version of word of mouth advertising.”

Machan is a member of London’s Skateboarding Committee, which meets with members of City Hall to determine local spending on skateboarding facilities. The first major project was the completion of the skate park at the Carling Heights Optimist Club, an investment of $200,000. They have recently installed skateboarding ledges in Victoria Park and are working toward completion of the Kinsmen Arena project. Future plans are being considered for the White Oaks area.

When asked what he enjoys most about owning his own business Machan answered, “The freedom to do what I want to do and I still have time to skate. I have no plans for the future because I believe when I’m too old to skate I shouldn’t be selling the equipment. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in a few years.”

Epidemic is located at 681 Adelaide Street North, London. (519) 645-8235 Open Noon ‘til 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and Noon ‘til 5:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Closed Mondays.


Susan Regier is the publisher/editor of Networking Today and owner of Vantage One Writing, a professional writing service for businesses. (519) 471-8726 E-mail: regiers@vantageone.ca Web site: www.vantageone.ca Published in Networking Today, May 2002.