Welcome to the After the Analysis: Communicating results from Excel in PowerPoint course. I am glad you have invested in learning how to quickly and effectively take data from Excel and present it in PowerPoint.

Here is an outline of the modules and lessons in this course.

Module 1: Options for using Excel in PowerPoint

In this document I outline the three options for using Excel data in a PowerPoint presentation and when you would want to select each approach.

Module 2: Hyperlinking to Excel

This module covers the first approach for using Excel data in PowerPoint. Once you have decided that hyperlinking to the Excel workbook in your presentation is the best approach, you will go through three steps, each is shown in its own video in this module.

Step 1: Create the hyperlink

You can attach a hyperlink to any object on a PowerPoint slide. The video for this step shows the best ways to create hyperlinks that don’t stand out to the audience. Hidden hyperlinks allow you to activate them if needed, but don’t advertise to the audience that there is the option to go to the spreadsheet, thereby reducing the temptation of some audience members to ask for the details in order to bring up unrelated issues.

Lesson 2-1: Video: Creating hyperlinks

Step 2: Using the hyperlink during the presentation

The video for this step demonstrates the two methods for activating a hyperlink on a PowerPoint slide. Use whichever method is more comfortable for you.

Lesson 2-2: Video: Activating a hyperlink during a presentation

Step 3: Return to the presentation from Excel

If you do use the hyperlink, full Excel runs on top of your PowerPoint presentation. The video for this step shows two methods for exiting Excel and shows how these methods do not lose any changes you may have made to the Excel workbook.

Lesson 2-3: Video: Returning to the presentation after using a hyperlink to Excel

Module 3: Preparing Excel data to be inserted into PowerPoint

Depending on what method you use to insert your Excel content into PowerPoint, you may or may not have the option to make formatting changes once the Excel content is in PowerPoint. The video on formatting cells in this module shows you which of the common cell formatting options you should consider. It includes the Excel conditional formatting feature and when it will or will not copy to PowerPoint. The video on formatting graphs goes through the steps to remove distracting elements from the default graphs and how to add elements that will make the graph easier to understand. Following these steps makes inserting much easier and reduces re-work later.

Lesson 3-1: Video: formatting Excel cells

Lesson 3-2: Video: Cleaning up Excel graphs

Module 4: Inserting Excel data with no link to the source file

One of the biggest decisions you will need to make when inserting Excel data into PowerPoint is whether you want the data in the presentation to change when the data in the source Excel file changes. If you don’t need that link, this approach will be the one you use. The module includes comparisons of the different techniques for cells and for graphs so you can decide which one will work best for your situation. The videos show you four techniques for inserting tables of data and three techniques for inserting graphs. Each video shows only one technique, so it is easy to learn just what you need without having to scroll through a long video.

Lesson 4-1: Comparison of techniques for inserting tables

Lesson 4-2: Video: Default paste of cells

Lesson 4-3: Video: Formatted text paste of cells

Lesson 4-4: Video: Metafile picture paste of cells

Lesson 4-5: Video: Pasting cells as a worksheet object

Lesson 4-6: Comparison of techniques for inserting graphs

Lesson 4-7: Video: Metafile picture paste of a graph

Lesson 4-8: Video: Paste a graph with embed of data

Lesson 4-9: Video: Creating a PowerPoint graph with copied Excel data

Module 5: Linking inserted data to the source Excel file

You will learn how to have the inserted data update when the data in the source Excel file changes in this module that covers the third approach for using Excel data in PowerPoint. The videos show one technique for tables of data and four techniques for graphs. The module includes a comparison of the different techniques for graphs so you can decide which one will work best for your situation.

Lesson 5-1: Video: Linking cells as a worksheet object

Lesson 5-2: Comparison of techniques for inserting graphs

Lesson 5-3: Video: Inserting a graph as an object

Lesson 5-4: Video: Default paste of a graph

Lesson 5-5: Video: Paste link a graph as a chart object

Lesson 5-6: Video: Creating a PowerPoint graph with linked Excel data

Module 6: Keeping your Excel data protected

Depending on which method you use for including Excel data in PowerPoint, confidential data in the Excel file could be released in the PowerPoint file. The videos in this module show how to break links to data that is linked to source Excel files and how to detect if Excel data has been embedded in the PowerPoint file.

Lesson 6-1: Video: Breaking links to source files

Lesson 6-2: Video: Finding if Excel data is embedded in a PowerPoint file

Note before watching the video lessons

The video lessons are like sitting beside me at my computer because you see my screen, hear me narrate what I am doing, and see the exact steps for that method. I demonstrate the steps in PowerPoint 2013/2016, but the steps work pretty much exactly the same in PowerPoint 2007 and later. You can pause the video at any time and try the techniques on your own slides in PowerPoint. Click on the Full Screen icon in the lower right corner of the video to make it larger.