Steve Jobs is perhaps the greatest presenter’s of all times! It is not unusual for him to receive a standing ovation after every presentation he makes! They are simply phenomenal – beautifully executed and visually striking. He turns every presentation into a magnificent event that is not only easy to follow but that also entertains and inspires people at the same time.
Listed below are a few tips taken from Steve Job’s presentations on how to be a great presenter:
• Build Tension and Sell the Benefit – Jobs, like a good novelist does not tell the entire story right on the first page, rather he constructs his presentation like a symphony, with buildups and unexpected climaxes; which not only leaves the crowd/audience curious but also excited to know more! Unlike others, Jobs focuses more on the benefits of the product that he is launching rather than going into the statistics. His focus is more on what technology can do for you and less on the technology itself. For example, when he was launching the 30 GB iPod, instead of focusing on the revolutionary technology that it makes use of and mind-numbing statistics, Jobs clearly explained to the audience how exactly will they benefit from it – they would be able to carry 7500 songs, 25000 photos or 75 hours of video!
• Keep it visual – Every slide of his presentation is highly visual. He uses less bullet points and less data and more images in order to keep the audience interested. For example, if he is talking about a new revolutionary chip inside the Mac notebook, a slide in the background will actually show the chip along with the MacBook. Therefore, you should focus more on keeping the slides simple and focused on the key point.
• Practice and practice more – Jobs is known to rehearse his presentation for hours. He takes nothing for granted and reviews each and every slide plenty of time before finally presenting it to the public. You should do the same too. Rehearse your presentation loudly until you are comfortable and confident about presenting it.
• Be honest, exude passion and enthusiasm – If you believe your product is likely to change the world, then say so! Steve Jobs’ never fails to say so! His enthusiasm is infectious! Being a terrific speaker of course helps. But then, Jobs very effectively makes the audience share the same passion that he has for the product he is launching by being enthusiastic, by using plenty of adjectives, like ‘remarkable’, ‘cool’ and finally by being honest.
Steve Jobs never speaks as if he is delivering a lecture, but as if he is telling a proper story, with an introduction and a happy ending. With proper planning and hours of practice, he creates an experience that stays with the audience for a long time. One cannot really be Steve Jobs while giving a presentation; that will only comes with plenty of experience. Probably, he too wasn’t as engaging as he is now a few years back. However, you can try and emulate him. And with time, you too will definitely grow and improve.
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