When
Apple CEO Steve Jobs kicked off Macworld 2008, he once again raised the bar for
presenters everywhere. While most deliver information, Jobs inspires the audience.
The 10 most motivating elements to incite listeners are
1.
Set the tone.
."There is something in
the air today," Jobs projected to the crowd to open the Macworld conference.
By doing so, he set the tone for his presentation and hinted at the key product
announcement- the ultrathin MacBook Air laptop. While every presentation needs
an angle, it doesn't have to be unveiled right away. Last year, Jobs waited until
the 20-minute mark. When the time was right, he noted, "Today Apple reinvents
the phone." Once you identify your angle, make sure to weave it throughout
your presentation.
2.Demonstrate
enthusiasm.
It's impossible to deny Jobs' passion for computer
design. Next time you're crafting or delivering a presentation, think about infusing
it with your personality. Most speakers get into presentation mode and feel as
though they have to strip the talk of any character. Remember, your audience wants
to be vowed, not put to sleep. The audience will follow your lead. So set an enthusiastic
example
3. Provide an outline.
Jobs set expectations by noting,
"There are four things I want to talk about today. So let's get started..."
Verbally opening and closing each of the four sections helped to make clear transitions
between talking points. For example, after revealing several new iPhone features,
he said, "That [the iPhone] was the second thing I wanted to talk about today.
Number three is about iTunes." Make lists and provide your audience with
guideposts along the way.
4.
Make numbers meaningful.
When Jobs announced that Apple had sold 4 million
iPhones to date, he provided context for the figure. "That's 20,000 iPhones
every day, on average," Jobs explained, "What does that mean to the
overall market?" Numbers don't mean much unless they are placed in perspective.
Connect the dots for your listeners.
5.Try
for an unforgettable moment.
This is the moment in your presentation that everyone
will be talking about. Every Steve Jobs presentation builds up to one big scene.
In this year's Macworld keynote, it was the announcement of MacBook Air. To demonstrate
just how thin it is, Jobs said it would fit in an envelope. Jobs drew cheers by
opening a manila interoffice envelope and holding the laptop for everyone to see.
What is the one memorable moment of your presentation? Identify it ahead of time
and build up to it.
6.
Create visual slides.
While most speakers fill
their slides with data, text, and charts, great presenters do the opposite. There
is very little text on a Steve Jobs slide. Most of the slides present one idea
for the audience to walk away with. This is further supported by see-and-say syncing.
For example, when outlining, "The first thing I want to talk to you about
today," was accompanied by a slide with the numeral I. When he discussed
a specific product like the iPhone, the audience saw a slide with an image of
the product. Inspiring presenters are short on bullet points and big on graphics.
7.
Give 'em a show.
A Job's presentation has ebbs and flows, themes and transitions.
Including video clips, demonstrations, and guests creates the feeling that the
presentation is more of a show than a lecture. Enhance your presentations by incorporating
multimedia, product demonstrations, or giving others the chance to say a few words.
8. Don't
sweat the small stuff
. Despite your best preparation, something might
go wrong as it did during the Apple CEO's keynote. Upon attempting to show a few
photographs from a live Web site, the screen went black. Jobs smiled and said,
"Well, I guess Flickr isn't serving up the photos today." By moving
forward and recapping the new features he just introduced, it was no big deal.
Don't sweat minor mishaps. Have fun.
9. Sell the benefit.
While most presenters
promote product features, Jobs sells benefits. When introducing iTunes movie rentals,
Jobs said, "We've never offered a rental model in music because people want
to own their music. You listen to your favorite song thousands of times in your
life. But most of us watch movies once, maybe a few times. And renting is a great
way to do it. It's less expensive, doesn't take up space on our hard drive..."
Your listeners are always asking themselves, "What's in it for me?"
Answer the question. Don't make them guess. Clearly state the benefit of every
service, feature, or product.
10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
Steve Jobs
cannot pull off an intricate presentation with video clips, demonstrations, and
outside speakers without hours of rehearsal. Jobs rehearses the entire presentation
aloud for many hours. You can see he rehearsed the Macworld presentation because
his words were often perfectly synchronized with the images and text on the slides.
A Steve Jobs presentation looks effortless because it is well-rehearsed.
Use
this 10-part framework to wow your audiences. Many observers claim Steve Jobs
has charisma. True. But he works at it. Nothing in his presentations is taken
for granted. He studies the art of telling a story to inspire his audience. You
must do the same to electrify your listeners.
[About the Author: Carmine Gallo is a communications coach for the world's most
admired brands. His book, Fire Them Up!, contains insights from top business leaders
who inspire through the language of motivation.]