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.