7 Microsoft 365 Amazing Secrets You Are Probably Not Using

Do you know some of Melbourne’s hidden secrets?

An underground cheese cellar discreetly located under Spring Street? 

Or, if you were looking for some mid-week drinks? You can quench your thirst at one of the secret bars in “a laneway off another laneway”.

And perhaps the most magical secret of all…a room dedicated to magic and its’ history at the State Library.

Melbourne is full of hidden gems to explore. But it’s only when you take the time to learn from locals to uncover the secrets.

But sometimes you have to be in the know.

That’s why being in the know with popular tools like Microsoft 365 can make getting your work done easier. Microsoft 365 has 48.8% of the global market share, just edging out Google’s apps.

Microsoft 365 is relied upon by individuals, SMEs and large companies across the globe. With an extensive range of apps and tools to help get tasks completed. 

But with such a large platform of apps, it’s often easy to overlook helpful features. 

Here are seven hidden features in Microsoft 365 you need to know:

1. Use Search instead of Menu

Microsoft 365 makes it effortless to find and search for something you want to do. Quickly find what you’re looking for by using the search box at the top. Like Google or Bing, the search box works the same; enter your question, and M365 will help you.

And the best part, it’s not just for help topics. So you can use the search box to locate settings like margin or page orientation, for example.

2. Use free stock images, icons and videos

Finding royalty-free images to use on websites, blogs, brochures, and presentations can be frustrating. In addition, finding quality images to add to your content can be time-consuming and costly. 

Now, with M365, you can discover a range of images that are included in your subscription and royalty-free. No need to worry about copyright as Microsoft has licenced these images’ use. 

Word, Excel and Powerpoint offer an extensive selection of images, videos, icons and 3D models you can include in your work. 

To get started, go to Insert > Pictures > Stock Images.

Use the tab at the top to move between the different media. 

Then you can easily insert the stock image into your document, presentation or spreadsheet. 

 

3. Find the answer and save time with Excel’s data types

Did you know that inside Excel, you can access several databases? 

Sometimes when researching topics, you can spend days looking for an answer. With Excel, you can find information like facts and figures stored inside data types. So, for instance, if you are searching the population of Melbourne or what is the nutritional value of a lamington, you can find those answers inside Excel. 

M365 has included various topics, from chemistry to yoga poses.

Here’s how you can use data types to populate data in seconds:

● First, add your list (e.g. list the menu items like types of Aussie desserts)

● Next, highlight the list you have made

● Then, click the Data tab

● When the Data Types window loads, choose the type of data (e.g. food, population)

● Now click the small database icon at the top

● Select the type of data you want

● Details will populate in the next open column for each list item

 4. “Survey says…”

Microsoft Forms is one of M365’s best-kept secrets, making it effortless to send a survey. You can receive results in real-time as soon as the survey is submitted. 

Once you have received the results, you can download them into Excel. Results can then be used for graphs or uploaded into another software template. 

5. Shake off your nerves with your speaking coach

Naturally, some people experience nerves before a big presentation. Sometimes even presenting to your small team can fill you with nerves. 

But truthfully, many people feel uncomfortable when public speaking, in person or virtual. 

However, presenting to an audience can have a colossal impact on your confidence, whether toasting your daughter’s wedding at Coombe in the Yarra Valley or giving a speech to a conference down at MCEC. 

And now, with M365 introducing a handy AI-powered tool, Presenter Coach in PowerPoint, it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Presenter Coach will give you tips on your pacing, repetitive language, and filler words (like um, oh, ah).

You can try the Presenter Coach now by locating the ‘Rehearse with Coach’ option in the slide show menu.

6. Write less and send emails faster

Are you constantly typing the same paragraphs or text to customers? 

You know, directions to your business’s location or how to contact support. 

Outlook has a tool called Quick Parts that saves blocks of texts you can reuse into an email, saving you time. 

To use in your following email in Outlook:

● Start by creating a Quick Part, highlighting the text you want to save in an email

● Then on the Insert Menu, click Quick Parts

● Select save the Quick Part

Next time you send an email, you can insert that exact text into the email body using the Quick Part.

7. Stop that dreaded copy and paste formatting text issue

A great way to save time is with keyboard shortcuts. But sometimes there’s not always one there when you need it. 

One handy keyboard shortcut to add for Word is to paste as text only. 

By adding this keyboard shortcut, you remove any formatting that the copied text might have had so that you can preserve the existing format of the document. 

Here’s how to make a keyboard shortcut in Word:

● Click File> Options

● Click customise ribbon

● Look to the bottom of the panel, next to keyboard shortcuts, and click Customise

● Scroll in the left pane to all commands

● Find “PasteTextOnly”

● Type your keyboard command, then click Assign.

 Are you a Melbourne SME needing help with Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 has many hidden features to help your business’s productivity. Contact us to show you how we can improve your team’s productivity.