Table of Contents
- QAT Shortcuts: The BEST Setup
- Alt, 1 – Align Objects
- Alt, 2 – Font Color
- Alt, 3 – Shape Fill
- Alt, 4 – Shape Outline
- Alt, 5 – More Options
- Alt, 6 – Arrange
- Alt, 7 – Font Size
- Alt, 8 – Collapse All (Sections)
- Alt, 9 – Expand All (Sections)
- Alt, 09 – Draw Rectangle
- Alt, 08 – Draw Line
- Alt, 07 – Draw Text Box
- Alt, 06 – Draw Shapes (dropdown menu)
- Alt, 05 – Merge Shapes
- Alt, 04 – Draw Border (Tables)
- Alt, 03 – Apply Border (Tables)
- Conclusion
QAT Shortcuts: The BEST Setup
In this article, I’ll share with you what I recommend every Investment Banker or Consultant who wants to be the most valuable asset on any project they work on put on their QAT.
If you are not sure what the QAT is, read about the QAT Guide shortcuts.
If you want to build up your shortcut muscle memory with real-world exercises, and download my own customized Quick Access Toolbar, it’s all in my PowerPoint Crash Course.
Below is a picture of my customized QAT and some short explanations of why I recommend each command on it.
Alt, 1 – Align Objects
The Align Objects command is what I call the Million Dollar PowerPoint Shortcut!
Why? Because it’s one of the commands that anyone who uses PowerPoint should be using absolutely all of the time.
The Alignment Tool allows you to quickly align and distribute your objects to ensure that everyone on your slide looks sharp, clean and professional when pitching new clients.
The last thing you want your client to think is that you are not a detailed-oriented person simply because you do not know how to properly align and distribute objects in PowerPoint.
Placing this VIP command in the first position of your QAT guarantees that it takes you almost no time at all to use it. No excuses!
If you missed my video on how to set up the Million Dollar PowerPoint Shortcut, see 5:27 in the video below.
Note: Make sure you understand the difference between the two alignment settings I discuss in my article called Align to Slide vs. Align Selected Objects.
Alt, 2 – Font Color
Changing your Font Color is one of the most repetitive tasks you will perform as you build and edit slides for your clients and bosses to make sure that your presentations are standardized and look professional.
Having it here on your QAT also gives you easy access to the Eyedropper command. That is why I recommend placing it in the second position of your QAT.
Alt, 3 – Shape Fill
Changing the Shape Fill of shapes, tables and charts is another common and repetitive task you’ll be forced to perform when building and editing your slides.
Having the Shape Fill dropdown menu on your QAT also gives you easy access to the Eyedropper, Gradient and Texture options. That is why I recommend putting it in the third position of your QAT.
Alt, 4 – Shape Outline
In addition to the shape fill, you will also frequently need to change your objects’ Outline Color, Weight and/or style.
By adding the Shape Outline command, you can quickly get access to all its additional options, including the Dash options and the Arrow options (for adding and removing arrow heads to your lines).
The combination of the Font Color, Shape Fill and Shape Outline commands is my famous 2-3-4 Formatting Sequence that that I cover in-depth in my PowerPoint Crash Course.
Alt, 5 – More Options
The More Options command opens your Format Shape dialog box pictured above, giving you easy access to your shape’s autofit and interior margin options.
Trust me when I say that you’ll use this command way more than you think you will and it’s a lifesaver when you make it easy to access in your QAT.
The More Options command does not exist in the Ribbon, but you can add it in the Customize Quick Access Toolbar options that I discuss in my article on QAT Guide Shortcuts.
Alt, 6 – Arrange
Adding the Arrange dropdown menu to your QAT is a great example of thinking strategically about what you place on your QAT, as I discussed in my article on 5 Strategies to Maximize your QAT.
This not only gives you access to the Bring to Front and Send to Back commands, it also gives you easy access to the Rotate options too.
To see why I like to using the Bring to Front and Send to Back commands instead of the Bring Forward and Send Backward command, read my article on Shortcuts to Quickly Send Backward and Bring Forward in PowerPoint.
Alt, 7 – Font Size
Putting the Font Size input box on your QAT makes it easy to see what font size you’re working with, regardless of where you’ve navigated to your PowerPoint ribbon.
While you can see the Font Size on the Home tab in your Ribbon, you lose it as soon as you dig into any of your other Ribbon tabs. Because having consistent font sizes is important to standardizing your presentation, that’s why I have it as Alt, 7 on my QAT.
Alt, 8 – Collapse All (Sections)
Sections are a great way to organize slides in large pitch books.
Having the Collapse All command on your QAT allows you to quickly collapse all the sections within a presentation so that you can see all the chunks you have, and even rearrange them if needed.
Alt, 9 – Expand All (Sections)
The opposite of the Collapse All sections command is the Expand All sections command. As its name indicates, this command allows you to open all your sections in a flash, letting you see all the slides in your presentation.
Alt, 09 – Draw Rectangle
Rectangles are some of the most common objects you will be adding to your PowerPoint slides if you are an Investment Banker or a Consultant. That’s why I’ve included it on my QAT so I can quickly grab a rectangle at any time and draw it onto my slide.
How can i add only the rectangle in the QAT? Thanks
Great question, follow these steps:
1. File Tab
2. Options
3. Quick Access Toolbar
4. Open the Choose commands from dropdown and select “Commands Not in the RIbbon”
5. Look for Rectangle
Hope that helps!
Taylor