steve jobs presentation skills

Presenting like Steve Jobs: Using 6 of His Proven Techniques – Here’s How It Works!

The art of presenting has gained transformative significance in today’s business world. A presentation is no longer just a sequence of slides; it’s a way to communicate ideas, establish connections, and inspire the audience.

When discussing inspiring presentations, the name Steve Jobs inevitably comes up. He elevated the art of presenting to a new level. Today, we’ll showcase the techniques Steve Jobs utilized and how you can apply them to your own presentations.

Who is Steve Jobs?

Born in 1955 in California, Steve Jobs is renowned as one of the co-founders of Apple. He is considered one of the m ost prominent figures in the computer industry.

Steve Jobs is equally renowned for his exceptional presentation skills . His presentations are enduringly memorable. They were not only informative but also captivating events that held the audience spellbound. His charismatic presence, persuasive rhetoric, and minimalist design fundamentally transformed the way we present.

Why Steve Jobs Is a Model for Successful Presentations

As the presenter of Apple’s products, Steve Jobs amassed a wealth of experience. Over time, he established a reputation as a master of presentation . Through specific techniques, he managed to do more than convey information; he left an impression, stirred emotions, and enthused the audience . His presentations were more than mere business demonstrations; they were powerful performances that captivated the audience.

Behind every “One more thing” by Steve Jobs lies an array of techniques with the potential to elevate presentations to a new level. His charismatic presence, storytelling prowess, and distinctive presentation style have set a benchmark for modern presenting. The way he engaged the audience and conveyed his messages has made him an exemplar from which presenters worldwide can learn.

The Impact of Steve Jobs’ Presentations on the Technology and Business World

The influence of Steve Jobs’ presentations extends far beyond the technology industry. The styles he used revolutionized entire presentation formats. His innovative approaches and techniques set standards that go well beyond the stage. His charisma, storytelling abilities, and captivating audience engagement transformed the understanding of what makes a compelling presentation, ushering in a new era of presenting.

Jobs’ presentation philosophy demonstrated that a well-crafted presentation is not just about conveying information; it’s an opportunity to captivate, inspire, and persuade the audience.

6 Techniques from Steve Jobs for Captivating and Convincing Presentations

Steve Jobs employed the following techniques to his advantage:

1. Simplicity and Clarity

Simplicity and clarity are crucial factors for all types of presentations. Nobody wants to hear complex content delivered in the most convoluted way. Steve Jobs had the ability to transcend complexity through simplicity.

He understood that cluttered slides and confusing information overwhelm the audience and blur the messages. Instead, Steve Jobs embraced minimalism and clarity by reducing his presentations to the essentials.

This minimalism was reflected in his slides, often composed of just a few words or an image that illustrated the central message . Focusing on the essentials also helps your audience understand your key points better and faster. Simplicity doesn’t equate to shallowness. Skillfully direct your listeners’ attention by operating in a minimalist manner and projecting only the most important messages to reinforce.

2. Storytelling

To keep your audience engaged, you should always use storytelling. Incorporating your content into a story using this technique helps maintain attention spans and convey your message more effectively. More in-depth tips can be found in the article “ Storytelling in Presentations .”

Steve Jobs also knew how to use storytelling. He was a true master of storytelling, taking his audience on an emotional journey . In his presentations, he built suspense by following a clear structure resembling a classic narrative: introduction, plot development, and a captivating conclusion . He also integrated personal stories, authentically conveying his passions and beliefs. This created a common ground with his audience and lent a human touch to his presentation.

He understood that compelling presentations should rely not only on facts and logic but also on emotions. Jobs appealed not only to the minds but also to the hearts of his audience.

If you also use storytelling, your audience is more likely to identify with the ideas you present . This means that you have a higher chance of generating sales or new customers. At the same time, storytelling creates an unforgettable presentation experience for your audience. And staying in their minds for a long time also leaves a good impression.

3. Visual Presentation Aids

Nobody enjoys reading text-heavy PowerPoint slides. Therefore, like Steve Jobs, you should always rely on supportive visual presentation aids. When used skillfully, these aids are not only visually appealing but also reinforce your messages and better reach your audience.

Such presentation aids can include images, videos, or graphics . Steve Jobs used these primarily to illustrate abstract concepts, demonstrate products in action, and evoke emotions. These visual presentation aids weren’t just for decoration; they were integral parts of the story he told.

4. The Art of Staging

Many presenters overlook this: a presentation is not just about compelling slides and a good delivery, but also about effective staging . One of the most captivating aspects of Steve Jobs’ presentation style was his masterful staging. Jobs understood that a presentation is not only about content but also about how it is presented.

His appearances were meticulously choreographed , from his stage entrance to the sequence of slides. Every step, movement, and pause was intentionally planned to captivate the audience and convey messages with maximum impact. He utilized silence and pauses to build tension, employed gestures and facial expressions to convey emotions, and mastered perfect timing to direct the audience’s attention.

You don’t necessarily need to be as meticulously planned as Steve Jobs, as that requires intense preparation and practice . Nonetheless, strive to be conscious of what you radiate, how you behave, and what reactions your actions evoke in your audience. A test audience is an excellent way to practice.

Tips for exuding confidence, appropriate body language, and conscious use of language can be found in the following articles:

• Body Language in Presentations
• Speech Techniques in Presentations

5. Innovation and “One More Thing”

You’ve probably heard of Steve Jobs’ “One More Thing.” It’s the hallmark of Steve Jobs’ presentation style. He managed to spice up his presentations with a touch of innovation and surprise . This distinctive technique, known as the “One More Thing,” was a masterpiece in building suspense and last-minute revelations.

Steve Jobs’ audience was familiar with this effect, and Jobs intentionally created expectations by leading his audience through the main presentation, only to deliver an unexpected bombshell at the end. In his case, the surprises were groundbreaking product announcements or innovative features that captivated the audience. With the “One More Thing” technique, Jobs adeptly engaged his audience and held their attention until the very end.

Like Steve Jobs, strategically place well-timed surprises to harness the potential to make a presentation unforgettable and leave a lasting impact.

6. The Right Conclusion

A convincing conclusion is crucial for any type of presentation. Avoid the usual “Thank you for your attention” phrase and aim for memorable presentation endings.

Steve Jobs’ conclusions were often powerful and unforgettable, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. He also employed the “One More Thing” technique to end with a surprising revelation that left the audience in awe. This technique not only generated excitement but also left the audience with a sense of wonder and enthusiasm.

Furthermore, Jobs’ conclusions always had a clear connection to his message or main theme . He summarized the key points of his presentation and emphasized the core messages once again. This technique helps your audience internalize and remember the most important key points as the presentation concludes.

For more helpful tips on a successful conclusion, refer to the article “ 20 Ideas for Your Presentation Ending .”

If you want to see a speech of Steve Jobs please have a look here . Use the english subtitles if needed.

Conclusion: Applying Steve Jobs’ Techniques Strategically and Convincingly

Follow the example of Steve Jobs and enhance your future presentations to be more engaging and persuasive. Apply the techniques we’ve presented and captivate your audience.

Do you have questions about this article? Feel free to reach out to us via email at [email protected] . We are here to assist you!

If you are looking for visually supportive and professionally designed slide templates, explore our shop. We offer a wide range of slides prepared for various (business) topics available for download. Visit our shop today! ► Shop

You might also find these articles interesting:

• Storytelling in Presentations
• Preparing Presentations: 11 Tips
• 20 Ideas for Your Presentation Ending
• Learning from Hitchcock: How to Deliver Captivating Presentations

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Learning Presentation Skills From Steve Jobs Speech and Keynotes

Theme meant a lot to Jobs.He always started with a headline which can be easily remembered and is short and comprehensive. The headings were short enough to be posted on twitter. In iPhone 2007 launch, one heading was “Your life in your pocket”. This meant that iPhone has so many features that it almost covers all aspects of your social requirements. But instead of putting up never ending slides. He just put up “Your life in your pocket”.

2. Interesting stories

Jobs always did that. He knew how to interact with audience. He presented himself from audience point of view. He told stories that are commonly experienced by users regarding Apple’s products. Once he said in a presentation “I was sitting in this cafe using iPad and noticed this girl totally checking me out”. His slide consisted of just these few words. While he explained the story himself about Apple’s products getting you girls and absolutely had everyone laughing.

3. His style Was Fewer Words

No matter how long the topic was. Jobs always managed to cover in fewer words.

“Music, calls and internet.” – introducing iPhone

“Thousand songs in your pocket.” – introducing iPod.

“Touch your music.” – introducing iPod touch.

“The world’s thinnest notebook.” – introducing MacBook Air.

He summed up the product in few minimal words and had the audience completely persuaded.

“Music, calls and internet.” – Jobs introducing iPhone

4. Give The Remember-able Statistics

He always had the numbers simplified. In his presentation when he wanted to tell the progress of iTunes, instead of saying that 25 billion songs have been downloaded from iTunes. He said that 15,000 songs are downloaded from iTunes every minute and that’s pretty huge and memorable.

He had incredible images in his presentation. There wasn’t too much media. It was just focused on one or two images which were enough and represented the whole point.

6. Fewer Text

The Steve Jobs presentation didn’t had too much text. Every point contained minimum 1 and maximum 4 words.

His whole presentation was kind of joy because he always continued smiling the whole time. Just have a look at the headshot photo of Steve Jobs.

8. Put on a show

Steve got an envelope from his team during presentation. He showed it to audience and pulled out a sleek Macintosh . The audience were engaged, interested and entertained.

How Jobs Gave Incredible Presentation?

That’s the kind of presentation you’d want to give. Don’t you wonder how someone can give such a presentation? Steve jobs was a pro at presentation. Following points will help you understand how he pulled off such an amazing presentation.

• Steve Jobs was passionate about Apple.
• He loved his brand and had total confidence in it.
• People who worked along him said that Jobs used to rehearse his presentation 200 times before presenting them.
• He used to be up all night with butterflies in his stomach, excited and nervous about his presentation.
• Steve Jobs presentation skills were result of constant effort and passion.

Quick tips to presentation skills

Presentation skills are developed with experience and practice but there are few tips which can help you polish your presentation skills.

1. Show Enthusiasm

It is very important aspect of presentation. Your presentation must reflect your passion. Enthusiastic presentations have the ability to reflect well on audience. When you are enthusiastic about your presentation, audience is likely to share that enthusiasm.

2. Follow Other Presenters

It is quite important to polish your own skills. You can judge better when you are in the audience. You’ll be able to identify the techniques used by others and learn new trends. You can identify what engages audience and what interests them.

3. Get Comfortable With Surroundings

It is quite important that you familiarize yourself with the surroundings. You can do that by arriving early. Get to know the environment so you don’t discover new things while presenting. You know where to step at what time. You would also know if there are any distractions like noisy road nearby so you can take additional measures.

4. Give Exceptional Start

For a successful presentation it is important that you give a rocking start. It’ll influence the audience to listen through the whole presentation. Never tell other people that this part is quite easy or you are going to skip this one. Just do it because you have to and let people listen through it.

5. Stress On Important Points

You can do all the required formatting but it is also important that you repeat and stress on important points by explaining. If you want audience to understand something it is important that you stress on it.

6. Plan Your Body Language Beforehand

It is highly dissatisfying if your body language and your words don’t get along. Therefore, plan beforehand and polish it via practice. Hand movements along with other gestures are quite important for effective presentation. People are more impressed when your body language communicates what you are communicating.

7. Interact With Audience

There is no specific way to do so. You can do it in multiple ways. You can do it via asking questions during or after presentation. You can simply arrange a meet and greet at start or end of a presentation. It gives you all the required confidence and you’ll be able to deliver it more effectively.

8. Use Little Humor

Humor is a great tool when presenting. Use little jokes when presenting as they enhance your confidence and engage more audience.

Never let go of confidence, enthusiasm and positive energy.

Was he always this good at presentations? , question people ask about oneself when getting ready for a presentation, pitch or a public appearance.

What made Steve Jobs best in not only presentation but anything else he did was the consistency and never settling on anything but perfect.

It’s been 32 years since the first best presentation of Steve Jobs in 1984, and after that what follows, people are still writing books and articles about it.

Since then each of his presentation is better than other. His skill became more mature over time. Hours and hours of practice made Jobs look polished, casual, and effortless.

Jobs and his team work on weeks on the presentation before the keynote. Steve often asked managers and employees and other team members their feedback and changed the presentation. He actually spent full two days before the presentation just to practice. That was what made him look cool and his presentations look effortless.

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. — Steve Jobs

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The 10 things steve jobs can teach every public speaker.

Steve Jobs was one of the greatest and most influential businessmen of his generation. He took an idea from a humble garage and turned it into Apple, one of the most recognizable and iconic brands in the world. He was a pioneer in the modern corporate world.

Much has been written about Steve Jobs’ presentation style. He was famous for his rigorous attention to every detail whenever he presented, from the style of the fonts on his slides to the colour of the stage background. When launching a new product, he would rehearse over and over until his delivery was fluid. The benefits of this preparation were seen in the quality of his presentations , which are widely regarded as a standard to which many companies aspire.

In this post, I don’t want to focus on Jobs’ presentation skills per se ; instead, I would like to draw on his wisdom and insights into business and life and see what lessons we can apply when it comes to speaking in public.

Steve Jobs’ memorable quotes

As part of his legacy, Jobs left a small trove of memorable quotes. Sometimes humorous, frequently trenchant, always thought provoking, they are worth reading and thinking about. Below are ten good ones for public speakers to ponder:

“Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok [understand intuitively] what it’s all about. It takes a passionate commitment to really thoroughly understand something, chew it up, not just quickly swallow it. Most people don’t take the time to do that.”

Giving a good presentation – a truly good presentation – takes time and effort. You must understand the material thoroughly; you must understand how it relates to your audience ; you must understand what is most important and why. And then you have to design the presentation –  with or without slides – so that it hangs together and conveys the message with impact.

“This is what customers pay us for – to sweat all these details so it’s easy and pleasant for them to use our computers. We’re supposed to be really good at this.”

You have to sweat all of the details so that it is easy for your audience to follow your presentation (and enjoy it). Don’t make your audience work to understand your points. You should do that work before you present so that the audience doesn’t have to.

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

Too many presentations become bogged down when speakers try to do too much. You have a limited amount of time and your audience has a limited amount of attention. Choose your key points carefully and ruthlessly cut out everything else. If the subject matter is vast and there is more for your audience to know, prepare a detailed handout or direct people to where they can go for more information. War and Peace makes for a good novel but a lousy presentation.

“That’s been one of my mantras: Focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

As a presenter you must cut through the details and complexity and distill your message to its essence . Taking the time to think carefully about your subject and your audience beforehand will help you design a simple, effective presentation. When you prepare a presentation , you have to think like a sculptor; the beauty of the statue is revealed by what is taken away.

“I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”

Technology is great but it is not the most important thing. Far more important is being able to think clearly, strategically, creatively. Whatever your field, expand your horizons. Read widely and extensively. Read the classics, read modern fiction, read non-fiction, read industry periodicals that are not related to your industry. You will become a better thinker and more creative. Those qualities can only help when it comes to communicating ideas to others.

“Good artists copy; great artists steal.”

Jobs was very fond of this quote which, in fact, he got from Pablo Picasso . Good speakers never try to copy other speakers. Good speakers know that they can only be themselves. However, good speakers are willing to “steal” from others in the sense of trying out something that they have learned from another speaker or read in a book or learned in a course. Nobody knows everything and we should be open to learning from others. But we should never try to be like others.

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.”

When a presentation goes well, don’t waste the opportunity to deconstruct it soon afterwards. Make notes. What worked well? Why? What could be improved? How? Take what you have learned and build on it for your next presentation. Don’t rest on your laurels, especially if you have to give the same presentation over and over. There is always room for improvement: better images; a better story; an exercise for the audience; cutting material; adding material. Figure out what’s next.

“I’m the only person I know who’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year. It’s very character building.”

Things don’t always go well. Mistakes happen and if you give enough presentations or speeches, the odds are that you will stumble at some point. Don’t let the stumbles get you down. They are part of the process of all public speakers and very few of them are fatal. Learn from them and move on.

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

When you finish a speech or presentation, your audience should be changed in some way, even if that change is simply learning something new. If you do not change your audience, why bother speaking at all?

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

Many presentations are still, unfortunately, mediocre or worse. You might even be able to get away with a mediocre presentation yourself. Don’t. Hold yourself to a higher standard; your audience deserves it and the benefits that will come your way — personal and professional — will be well worth the effort.

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The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

• April 12, 2013
• Carmine Gallo

“It’s not about the software; it’s about the story”

How to create a presentation like steve jobs.

As a communication and presentation skills coach, I often get asked, “How do I make my slides look like a Steve Jobs presentation?” The first thing I tell them is that they do not have to use Apple presentation software (Keynote), although it’s a beautifully refined program. I’ve seen gorgeous PowerPoint designs as well, especially with PowerPoint 2007. So it’s not about the software; it’s about the story. Steve Jobs treats presentations like theatrical events complete with heroes and villains, a supporting cast, stage props and visually stunning backdrops—slides. I know designers who have actually worked with Steve Jobs at Apple, so I wrote an entire book on how to create and deliver a presentation the Steve Jobs way. While there are about eighteen techniques that Jobs uses, one stands out. I call it “unleashing your inner Zen.” Here are some tips on creating a presentation the Steve Jobs way.

Picture Superiority

A Steve Jobs presentation is strikingly simple, visual and devoid of bullet points. That’s right—no bullet points. Ever. Of course, this raises the question, would a PowerPoint presentation without bullet points still be a PowerPoint presentation? The answer is yes, and a much more interesting one. New research into cognitive functioning—how the brain works—shows that bullet points are the least effective way to deliver important information. In fact, memory processing is aided by pictures. Scientists call it picture superiority: ideas are more easily recalled when presented as text and images instead of text alone.

Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication

When Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air in January, 2008, the most memorable slide showed the notebook computer being pulled from a manila inter-office envelope to show just how thin it really was. No words could equal the power and simplicity of that image. The average PowerPoint has forty words. It’s hard to find forty words in ten slides of a Steve Jobs presentation. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” said Jobs quoting from one of his heroes, Leonardo da Vinci. Jobs keeps his slides simple by eliminating unnecessary words, charts and other eye clutter. The influential German painter, Hans Hoffman once said, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” By removing clutter—extraneous features and information—from his products and presentations, Jobs achieves the ultimate goal: ease of use and clarity.

To gain a fuller appreciation of Jobs’ simple slide creations, watch the first few minutes of his  keynote presentation at the Macworld Expo, January, 2008 . The first several slides have one or two words per slide. When Jobs reviews the new products that Apple introduced in the previous year, the slide simply reads: 2007. Jobs thanks his customers for their support and the slide reads: Thank you.

Confidence, Time and Practice

Creating simple, visual slides requires three things: confidence, time and practice. First, confidence. Slides should not take center stage. The audience’s attention should be directed at you, the speaker. The slides compliment the speaker. That means you had better know your material and have the confidence to deliver your message with conviction. The second thing it requires is time. It’s easy to create cluttered slides—just write everything you want to say on the slide. Thinking visually about displaying information takes more effort, but it’s worth the time to stand apart. And the third thing it requires is practice. Because you’re delivering information that is not on the slide, you can’t read from the slide. You have to commit the information to memory and use the slide as a prompt to deliver the idea. Steve Jobs rehearsed for many, many hours over many weeks to get everything just right.

Steve Jobs may be a hard act to follow, but once you start using some of his techniques in your own presentations, you’ll be hard to forget.

Carmine Gallo  is a communications coach for the world’s most admired brands.

He is a sought after speaker and author of the new book,  The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience.

design , great presentations , presentation , Secrets , Steve Jobs

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4 presentation tips leaders can learn from steve jobs.

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Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveils a new mobile phone that can also be used as a digital music ... [+] player and a camera, a long-anticipated device dubbed an "iPhone." at the Macworld Conference 09 January 2007 in San Francisco, California. The "iPhone" will be ultra-slim — less than half-an-inch (1,3 centimeters) thick — boasting a phone, Internet capability and an MP3 player as well as featuring a two megapixel digital camera, Jobs said. (Photo by TONY AVELAR / AFP) (Photo by TONY AVELAR/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the universal truths in business—and in many other aspects of life—is that Steve Jobs, by virtue of his groundbreaking success with the launch of Apple Computers and the iPhone, achieved the status of a deity. Jobs really knew his stuff.

Guy Kawasaki, who was Jobs’ chief evangelist at Apple, really knew Steve Jobs. In one of Guy’s recent posts on substack titled “What I learned from Steve Jobs,” he briefly summarizes six of Jobs’ brilliant insights about business success. One of the six is “Perfect Your Demo,” which is about product launch demonstrations, Guy writes, “Live it, breathe it. When you can demo your product with conviction, you truly own it.”

As anyone who has ever attended or, more to the point, participated in these events knows, the Demo Gods can strike suddenly, smiting the demo with a software crash, hardware jam, dropped Internet connection, frozen screen, power outage, blown lamp, dead battery, mouse malfunction, pop-up screen, or sound system failure.

Pure common sense, anticipation, preparation, and redundancy will avoid or counteract most of the physical and logistical pitfalls. Steve Jobs was extraordinarily diligent in his preparation, a fact I can attest to because I was privileged to attend a dress rehearsal of his launch of NeXT Computer, the company he founded between his two stints as the CEO of Apple. I watched in utter fascination as he rehearsed the exact moment he would remove his jacket in the middle of his pitch and precisely where he would place it.

Beyond preparation, however, there is still the matter of integration. How do you manage all the elements of your demo: the physical components, your voice and body language, and your all-important audience?

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The Demo Gods may even give you a free pass and let you proceed without crashing, but you still have to make the demo go smoothly. After all, you are the surrogate for your audience; if you can’t make your product work easily, how can they?

Here are four simple techniques to make your next demo a success.

• Become the Voice-Over (VO) narrator. Take a lesson from how well-made documentaries do their narratives. The narrator is unseen but tells a clear story. Be the VO for your demo and make your narrative thorough. Don’t be vague. Don’t ad lib. Be as precise as a synchronized soundtrack.
• Say “you.” In their effort to appeal to the broadest possible customer base, most demos are impersonal tutorials that sound canned, and therefore, detached from the audience. By incorporating the word “you” into your narrative, you involve your audience as if they are participants in the demo and, by implication, as buyers of the product you are demonstrating.
• Use verbal navigation. Navigate your audience’s eyes with your words. Direct their eyes by describing what they are seeing in the demo. Reference colors, objects, position, and direction. Reference top and bottom, center and sides. Reference left and right, too, but be sure that you make it clear which left or right—yours or theirs. Don’t force your audience to do the navigation. A simple fail-safe is to orient yourself with the same point of view as your audience.
• Learn Sullivan’s Law. Sullivan’s Law is a corollary of Murphy’s Law, which is, “Anything that can go wrong will.” Sullivan’s Law is “Murphy was an optimist.”

Please watch Jobs’ iconic iPhone launch in 2007 (the undisputed gold standard of presentations) and you’ll see what made him a deity—and how you can defy the Demo Gods.

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The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

Jobs was remarkable, he was the master of creating and delivering a memorable event. In the process of persuading his customers to buy his products, he entertained, informed and educated the audience. Can we learn from how Steve Jobs approached presentations? Absolutely!

In the book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, author Carmine Gallo reveals a number of principles that every presenter can learn from and apply.

My desire with this article is to share with you the principles that we’ve modeled on Jobs and strive to apply consistently in our own company presentations. Should you also apply these in your own work, there’s no doubt in my mind that you will better influence audiences through the way you present your ideas.

While Steve Jobs was a leader in the world of technology, his presentations were planned the old fashioned way… with pen and paper. The delivery had all the trimmings of a major movie production, and just like the movie equivalent, it was planned using storyboards.

You must remember you are actually presenting a story, and it’s your ability to capture people’s attention and imagination that will separate you from other speakers.

Before going digital, clearly identify what your end result or outcome is and then spend time brainstorming, sketching and story boarding a presentation that will capture the hearts and minds of the audience.

It’s been said to me that If you can’t describe what your product is in one simple statement, you might not really know much about it.

LinkedIn users are aware of the 140 character limit for updating status, as were Twitter users b before they doubled the character allowance. That philosophy of brevity and compactness can and should be applied to your product and idea descriptions.

Jobs described the Macbook Air as ‘the worlds in thinnest notebook’ He referred to the iPad as ‘a magical product more capable than a smartphone and more intimate than a laptop’. Those sentences speak volumes and any gaps in description are simply filled during the presentation.

We were very careful to apply this concept when we decided to describe our 9 Skills Factory platform as a platform for ‘fast tracking your career and business success through education’. It captures the essence of what the platform achieves and does so in a way that the reader might actually read it.

Do the character test on the way you describe your product or service before you deliver it.

In 1984 Steve Jobs introduced a villain. Yes, he introduced IBM as the enemy of the audience.

The crowd went crazy with the drama presented by Jobs when he said ‘big blue’ [as IBM was known] wanted it all and Apple would be the only company to stand in its way.

Branding experts agree that all great brands are perceived as heroes that take on a common enemy.

The enemy or villain does not have to be a competitor. It can simply be a problem shared by the audience that’s in need of a solution. In January 2007 Jobs introduced the iPhone as the solution to the many problems being experienced by phone users.

In February 2010 he positioned the iPad in the same way. It was the technology that would solve problems being experienced by small PC like device users.

As they say in the military, nothing rallies the troops quite like a common enemy. Take the time to describe the common enemy when you begin your presentation.

Why should you buy an iPhone 3G? [obviously said back in the day before 4 or 5G]

Well for one Jobs described it as “twice as fast at half the price”.

What about a time capsule, why would you want one of those? “All of your irreplaceable photos, videos and documents are automatically protected and easy to retrieve if they are ever lost” said Jobs.

Checkout the Apple website and you’ll see the top ten reasons why you will love a Mac.

At the end of the day, nobody really cares about your product or service, all they care about is how it will make their lives better. So tell them about how it does that.

Steve Jobs would take his audience through a series of steps. He would say such things as ‘the first thing I want to talk about today is the iPhone, ‘the second thing I will talk about now is iTunes’. He provided simple linguistic guideposts that caused the audience to know where they were in the presentation.

What’s even more important is he limited the number of points he made to around three or four.

One of the major errors presenters make is to tell the audience everything they can about their product or service.

Do you have to tell them everything?

No you don’t, you are going to be far better off if the audience remembers a few key points. They will not remember any more than about four.

If the audience wants more information, do what Jobs did, he simply sent them to the Apple website.

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