Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

CIO Insight magazine ran a post entitled, Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs. I liked the article so much I've recapped the slide content here:


Plan in Analog

Jobs prepares presentation in the world of pen and paper. He brainstorms, sketches and draws on whiteboards. Exact messages are decided for new products, and used consistently across all platforms: presentations, web sites, advertisments, press releases, an even the banners that are unfurled after keynote presentations.


Create Twitter-friendly Headlines

Can you describe your product or service in 140 characters? Jobs offers a headline, or description, for every product; each fits in a Twitter post. Introducing the MacBook Air in January 2008, he said, "The world's thinnest notebook." More information was available, but you already knew a lot.


Introduce the Antagonist

In every classic story, the hero fights the villain. The same holds true for a Steve Jobs presentation. Before he introduced the famous "1984" ad, Jobs said, "IBM wants it all." Apple would be the only company to stand in its way. A villain allows the audience to rally around the hero - you, your ideas and your product.


Stick to the Rule of Three

The human brain can absorb three or four chunks of information at any one time. Too much information, people won't remember a thing. Every Steve Jobs presentation is divided into three parts. On September 9 2009, Jobs returned after a medical leave. He had three things to discuss: iPhone, iTunes, and iPods.


Strive for Simplicity

Apple chief design architect Jonathan ive said Apple's products eliminate clutter. The same philosophy applies to Apple's marketing and sales material. Most of Steve Jobs' slides are visuals - photographs or images. When there are words, they are astonishingly sparce. Steve Jobs tells the Apple story. The slides complement the story.


Reveal a "Holy Smokes" Moment

People forget words and actions, but now how you made them feel. Jobs creates water-cooler moments that everyone talks about later. These show stoppers are completely scripted. Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air at Macworld 2008 by removing the computer from an inter-office envelope. Everyone who saw it, or read about it, remembered it.


Sell Dreams, Not Products

Great leaders cultivate a sense of mission among their employees and customers. Jobs says he wants to put a "dent in the universe." True evangelists are driven by a zeal to create new experiences. Jobs, launching the iPod: "in our own small way we're going to make the world a better place." Most people saw a music player, Jobs saw a tool to enrich lives. Great products matter, but passion, enthusiasm and emotion set you apart.

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