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Tech Bits: Perfect Your Public Speaking with PowerPoint Presenter Coach

Have a big virtual presentation coming up for your department or hosting a lecture in front of Zoom attendees? Want to rehearse your presentation beforehand to perfect your public speaking skills? Try using PowerPoint Presenter Coach.

PowerPoint Presenter Coach is a feature that comes with PowerPoint online, which is available through Temple’s Microsoft 365 offering. The feature allows you to rehearse your presentation as PowerPoint analyzes your public speaking skills to provide helpful feedback.

To use the PowerPoint Presenter Coach:

  1. Open PowerPoint online by going to portal.office.com and logging in with your AccessNet and password. Note that the first time you log in, you may have to first enter your AccessNet username@temple.edu email address and then select work or school account.
  2. Click the PowerPoint icon from the options on the left.
  3. Click on the name of the presentation you would like to rehearse with to open it.
  4. Click the Slide Show tab in the menu at the top.
  5. Click Rehearse with Coach.
    Note you may be prompted to allow PowerPoint to use your computer’s Microphone. Click Allow.
  6. Make sure Show real-time feedback is checked off and click Start Rehearsing in the window that appears in the bottom right corner.
  7. Start rehearsing your presentation.
    As you’re rehearsing, the PowerPoint Presenter Coach will start to provide feedback and tips based on your public speaking abilities. It will identify such things as whether you’re reading off the slides too often, keeping a good pitch in your voice and using unnecessary words.

Once you’re done rehearsing, PowerPoint will provide you with a report that includes a summary of how your presentation went and whether you were on a good pace and kept good pitch throughout. It will also show if you used any sensitive phrases or filler words.