I recently stumble upon The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs – How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience at KLIA. My first thought was – “what – another one of these ‘How to’ book…” Upon enquiring further, I was told that this is apparently a best seller and I decided to buy a copy to read.
It has been an interesting read and it is not meant to be used just as a presentation tool – it fact it has many key sales technique that I find refreshing – from Steve Jobs angle.
“A person can have the greatest idea in the world – completely different and novel – but if that person can’t convince enough other people, it doesn’t matter.”
- Gregory Burns
There is no doubt that Steve Jobs is the most captivating communicator on the world stage. No one else comes close. In fact, a Steve Jobs keynote presentation is an extraordinary experience. Some people go to great length just to hear him, even spending the night in freezing temperatures to ensure the best seat at one of this presentation.
This book captures the best of Jobs’ presentations and reveals for the first time, the exact techniques he uses to inspire his audience. Best of all, you can learn his skills and adopt his techniques to blow away your audience, giving people a high they will crave again and again. It is authored by Carmine Gallo, Columnist – Businessweek.
The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is structured like one of Jobs’ favourite presentation metaphors : a three part play. In fact, a Steve Jobs presentation is very much like a dramatic play – a finely crafted and well-rehearsed performance that informs, entertains, and inspires.
In keeping with Job’s metaphor of a presentation as a classic story, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is divided into three acts :
Ø Act 1 : Create the story
The seven chapters – or scenes – in this section will give you practical tools to craft an exciting story behind your brand. A strong story will give you the confidence and ability to win over your audience.
Ø Act 2 : Deliver the Experience
In these six scenes, you will learn practical tips to turn your presentations into visually appealing and “must-have” experiences.
Ø Act 3 : Refine and Rehearse
The remaining five scenes will tackle topics such as body language, verbal delivery, and making “scripted” presentations sound natural and conversational. Even the choice of wardrobe will be addressed. You will learn why mock turtlenecks, jeans, and running shoes are suitable for Jobs but could mean the end of your career.
Gallo also mention three other CEOs that have been inspiring – one of them is Cisco’s john Chambers. I have personally met with Chambers during my time in Cisco as the Country Manager, a few years ago. Chambers does not sell routers and switches that make up the backbone of Internet. What Chambers does sell is human connections that change the way we live, work, play and learn.
Act 1 : Create the story
Creating the story, the plot, is the first step to selling your ideas.
Most people fail to think through their story. Effective communicators plan effectively, developing compelling messages and headlines, make it easy for their listeners to follow.
There are seven chapters – or scenes – in Act 1.
I will not go through all the scenes - but I would like to share some of the key techniques that I have found to be useful.
The first step is to plan your story. Most of us spend a lot of our time developing the powerpoint. However, as Gallo mentioned, start planning before you open the presentation software. Sketch ideas on paper or whiteboards. According to Nancy Duarte – the genius behind Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth you should spend two third of your time planning your presentations and only one third building the slides.
“You’ve got to start with customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.”
Steve Jobs, 25 May 1997 WWDC
Part of creating the story is to answer the One question that matters most. The listeners in your audience are asking themselves one question – “why should I care?” Another pointer in creating the story is to have a road map. Steve Jobs makes his argument easy to follow by adopting one of the most powerful principle of persuasion : the rule of three.
An example was on 9 January 2007, Jobs delivered an electrifying announcement using the rule of three. Before revealing the iPhone, he announced that Apple will introduce not one but three revolutionary products. He identified the first one as a wide-screen iPod with touch control – then a mobile phone – later a breakthrough internet communications device. Jobs continued – so three things… “These are not three separate devices. This is one device, and we are calling it iPhone.” The crowd went wild!
Act 2 : Deliver the experience
Steve Jobs does not deliver a presentation. He offers an experience. Simplification is a key feature in all Apple’s designs. Jobs applies the same approach to the way he creates his slides. Every slide is simple, visual and engaging.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Steve Jobs, quoting Leonardo Da Vinci
Simplicity is one of the most important concepts in all Apple designs – from computers to music players, to phones, and every to the retail store experience.
“We have sold four million iPhones to date. If you divide four million by two hundred days, that’s twenty thousand iPhones everyday on average.”
Steve Jobs, 200 days after the iPhone was launched
Another key technique that Steve Jobs deploys is in dressing up the numbers. This does not mean presenting a fake number but on the contrary explaining the numbers in its context. When the numbers are presented in the proper context – you are helping your audience understand the message and making it relevant.
Act 3 : Refine and rehearse
The whole book on The Presentation Secret of Steve Jobs has finally come down to earth when Gallo reveals that even Steve Jobs spends plenty of time refining and rehearsing. You may ask – “What? Steve Jobs has to rehearse his slides?” Yes, he does. Now I feel much better…
Jobs can make solid eye contact with his listeners because he practices his presentations for weeks ahead of time. He knows exactly what’s on each slide and what he’s going to say when the slide appears. The more Jobs rehearses, the more he has internalized the content, and easier it is for him to connect with his listeners. The majority of presenters fail to practice and it shows. In fact, the practice regime does not apply only to Jobs but to others such as Chambers of Cisco – it is a fact that Chambers’ confidence is the result of hours of relentless practice. He knows every word on each of his slides!
Most people are amazed at Jobs’ presentation as he seems to make his presentation look effortless. Again, the secret is that Jobs rehearses for hours. To be precise : many, many hours over many, many days. Jobs considers his keynote a competitive weapon.
In concluding the book, Gallo mentioned that we must have fun and genuine passion for our message. Find the one thing you love to do so much that you can’t wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again.
“Stay hungry, stay foolish”
Steve Jobs
Job’s speech reveals the secret to his success as a business leader and communicator : do what you love, view setbacks as opportunities, and dedicate yourself to the passionate pursuit of excellence. Whether it’s designing a new computer, introducing new gadgets, running Apple, overseeing Pixar, or giving a presentation, Jobs believes in his life’s work. This is the last and most important lesson Jobs can teach – the power of believing in yourself and your story. Jobs has followed his heart his whole life. Follow yours to captivate your audience. You’ll be one step closer to delivering insanely great presentation.
JUST ONE MORE THING
This is my first attempt is writing a book review and I hope I have managed to inspire more Malaysians to read. Reading is a habit that needs to be inculcated in all of us. This will equip us to compete more effectively with others.
