September 9th, 2009, marked the return of the world’s greatest salesman. For more than three decades, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has raised product launches to an art form. Whether you’re a CEO launching a new product, an entrepreneur pitching investors, a sales professional closing a deal or a trainer inspiring a class, Jobs has something to teach you. Here are seven tips from The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs for selling ideas, products, or services the Steve Jobs way.
Create Twitter-Friendly Headlines. Steve Jobs unveils a headline—a description—for every new product. The headlines fit well within a Twitter post with its maximum of 140 characters. For example, when Jobs introduced the MacBook Air, Apple’s ultra-thin computer, he simply said, “It’s the world’s thinnest notebook.” Create a headline for your product or service that fits in a Twitter post. Use it consistently in all of your business communications.
Introduce the Antagonist. In every classic story, the hero fights the villain. In 1984, the “villain” was IBM. Before Steve Jobs introduced the famous 1984 television ad, he set it by enveloping it in a story. IBM wants to dominate the computer industry, he said. Apple was the last company that could stand in its way. The audience ate it up and went nuts. This technique of introducing a common enemy attracts fans and followers. Identify a villain in your presentations so your audience can rally around the hero—you.
Eliminate Clutter. There are no bullet points in a Steve Jobs presentation. Neuroscientists are finding that the best way to communicate information is through text and pictures, not text alone. If information is presented orally, people remember 10%. The figure goes up to 65% if you add a picture. Lose the bullet points and start using more images in your presentations.
Sell Dreams, Not Products. True evangelists like Steve Jobs are driven by an almost messianic zeal to create new experiences. When he launched the iPod in 2001, Jobs said, “In our own small way we’re going to make the world a better place.” Where most people see the iPod as a music player, Jobs sees it as tool to enrich people’s lives. Most people are uncomfortable expressing emotion, but passion and emotion attracts and motivates.
Rehearse Like Crazy. Jobs is not a “natural” presenter. He works at it. He and his team spend hundreds of hours to prepare for a ninety minute keynote. Jobs himself will spend hours on stage for several days before the event walking through every facet of the presentation. He makes it look effortless after hours of grueling practice.
Obey the 10 minute rule. Scientists have found that the brain gets tired after ten minutes. People will actually tune out mentally after that length of time. A Jobs presentation lasts about ninety minutes but every ten to fifteen minutes it’s broken up by video, demonstrations or guest speakers. Don’t give your prospect time to get bored.
Reveal a Holy Smokes moment. There’s always one moment in a Steve Jobs presentation that is the water cooler moment, the one part that everyone will be talking about. For example, when Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air, most people remember the image of Jobs removing the computer from an inter-office envelope. When Jobs introduced the iPod he built up the drama by saying it could hold 1,000 songs (not that novel at the time). “Oh,” he added, “Did I mention that it fits in your pocket?” as he pulled one out of his trademark blue jeans. People want to be informed, educated and entertained. Don’t forget the “entertainment” part.
One More Thing…Have fun! Always have fun. Once the content is written, the slides are done and you’ve practiced, then let go, put a smile on your face and enjoy telling your story. Despite Apple’s best efforts, sometimes things go wrong on stage and technical glitches arise. Jobs doesn’t let anything bother him. He’ll laugh, make a joke about it, tell a funny story and move on. He doesn’t sweat the small stuff because he’s having too much fun!
To learn more about creating and delivering your ideas the Steve Jobs way, pick up a copy of Carmine Gallo’s new book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. It’s as close as you’ll ever get to having the master himself guide you through your next presentation.