Nine presentation lessons from Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time. His ideologies and business ethics continue to inspire us all. It’s not a secret that Steve Jobs was not very comfortable with public speaking and so he came up with presentation techniques which involved conceptual clarity and brought to the fore interesting foresight.
Steve Jobs outlined nine rules to make a presentation that will leave a lasting impression:
Show your passion
Steve Jobs was incredibly passionate about his products and so he made sure that his audiences were aware of them too. He made sure that his audience felt comfortable and a part of the project in inclusive terminology. He would use simple terms like ‘cool’, and ‘gorgeous’ because he believed his products reflected that in spirit. His main objective to show his enthusiasm was to get the audience excited about it.
One sentence summary of the product
One sentence summary, often referred to as ‘twitter- friendly headlines’, perfectly delivers the main message and intention behind the product. Steve Jobs used the sentence ‘Apple reinvents phone’ on many of his slides when he launches the first iPhone on 2007. The sentence made headlines to almost all social media and media outlets.
The ‘three’ rule
Steve Jobs believed that number ‘3’ is pretty powerful number. It is easy to understand than 20 and gives more information than 2. He would divide the products presentation in three descriptive groups: about the product itself, the functions it can provide and the whole lot of universe it opens in the communication world.
Bring the Villain
To highlight the hero, every story needs a villain. This applies everywhere. One needs to bring out the negative side of the existing product. The negative side is going to make the audience wonder if they need an upgraded version of it or a new product entirely. People don’t know what they need until they are made to see that they might need it.
Bring the hero
After you have highlighted the villain, bring the hero. The product will be welcomed more enthusiastically than otherwise. The hero or the benefit will be something they will be looking forward to get their hands on.
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Simple and visual slides
Keep the data of your slide simple and easy to understand. The average PowerPoint slide has 40 words. Steve Jobs finished his first slide in 19 words. Limited word usage garners more interest. Adding pictures put more emphasis on the slides and makes it easier for the audience to understand.
Tell them stories
How do you keep the audience captivated and not get bored while watching a presentation? Tell them little stories of how you came up with the idea of the product or when you felt the need to have the product in your life. It is one of the easiest ways to connect to the audience. Tell those stories every 10 or 15 minutes so they don’t feel bored.
Prepare and practice
Before giving the presentation to the audience, practice the presentation beforehand in the room or presentation venue. This will help you in getting to know the stage and room which will help you in giving the presentation more confidently.
Don’t read from notes
The bullet points of your presentations are your notes. Memorize your presentation in such a way that you don’t have to refer to some note cards. Giving a presentation without referring to points and information shows how confident and involved you were with the product. It gives the audience a positive feeling about the product.