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  • Anyone who has watched a Steve Jobs' key note

  • will tell you he's one of the most extraordinary speakers in corporate America.

  • Who does the best job of that in the world?”

  • While most presenters simply convey information, Jobs inspires.

  • I'm Carmine Gallo and today I'll walk you through several key techniques

  • that Steve Jobs uses to electrify his audience.

  • The real aim is you can adopt in your very next presentation.

  • Welcome to Macworld 2008.

  • We've got some great stuff for you. There's clearly something in the air today. "

  • With those words, Jobs opened Macworld 2008,

  • setting the theme for his presentation and hinting at the major announcement of the day,

  • the launch of the ultra-thin Macbook Air.

  • Whether it's a new Notebook or the iPhone,

  • Jobs unveils a single headline that sets the theme.

  • Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone.”

  • Once you identify a theme,

  • make sure it's clear and consistent throughout the presentation.

  • Think of a staff meeting as a presentation.

  • So let's say you're a sales manager introducing a new software tool

  • to help your team generate, track and share sales leads.

  • You might kick off your meeting this way.

  • Good morning! Thanks for coming.

  • I know you'll be really excited about this.

  • Today we'll make it easier for you to make your quota”.

  • That's the headline: ”easier to make quota”.

  • It's memorable, and it sets the direction for the rest of your meeting.

  • It gives your audience a reason to listen.

  • So I've got four things I'd like to talk about with you today.

  • So let's get started

  • Steve Jobs always provides an outline for his presentation

  • and then verbally opens and closes each section

  • with a clear transition in between.

  • Here's an example:

  • So that's Time Capsule, a perfect companion to Leopard.

  • And that's the first thing I wanted to share with you this morning.”

  • The point is, make it easy for your listeners to follow your story.

  • Your outline will serve as guide posts along the way.

  • You'll also notice that during his presentations,

  • Jobs uses words likeextraordinary”, “amazingandcool”.

  • He is passionate, enthusiastic, and it shows.

  • Incredible. Unbelievable. Amazing. Awesome. Extraordinary year for Apple.

  • You know your audience wants to be wowed, not put to sleep.

  • Too many people fall into this presentation mode.

  • It's stiff. It's formal. It lacks possess.

  • We, your listeners, are giving you permission to have fun and to be excited

  • about your company, your product or your service.

  • If you're not passionate about it, we're not going to be.

  • Remember Jobs isn't selling hardware.

  • He's selling an experience.

  • If you offer numbers and statistics, make them meaningful.

  • We have sold 4 million iPhones to date.

  • If you divide 4 million by 200 days, that's 20,000 iPhones everyday on average.”

  • Numbers don't mean much, unless they're placed in context.

  • Managers, connect the dots for your listeners.

  • Recently I worked with a company that launched a 12-gigabyte memory card.

  • 12 GIGABYTES!.

  • That number doesn't mean much to most people

  • so we put in a context.

  • We saidThat's enough memory to listen to your music

  • while travelling to the moon, and back.

  • Now 12 GBs mean something to me.

  • Make numbers meaningful.

  • One of the most effective elements of a Steve Jobs' presentation

  • is that they are easy on the eyes.

  • His presentations are visual and simple.

  • While most speakers fill their slide with mind-numbing data and text and charts,

  • Jobs does just the opposite. He uses very little text

  • and usually one, maybe two images per slide.

  • You see, you want to paint a picture for your audience without overwhelming them.

  • Inspiring presentations are short on bullet points and big on visuals.

  • If you really want your presentation to pop,

  • treat it like a show with ebbs and flows, themes and transitions.

  • Jobs includes video clips, demonstrations and guests.

  • He also has a knack for dramatic flair that's very effective.

  • For example, when introducing the Macbook Air,

  • Jobs drew cheers by opening a manila interoffice envelop

  • and holding the laptop out for everyone to see.

  • This is the new Macbook Air.

  • You can get a feel for how thin it is

  • What is the one memorable moment of your presentation?

  • Identify ahead of time then build up to it.

  • With a little help from our friends having to work today

  • And finally, rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse some more.

  • Let me show you how easy that is now

  • Steve Jobs makes it look easy because he spends hours rehearsing.

  • He cannot pull off an intricate presentation with videos clips

  • and demonstrations and outside speakers without practice.

  • The result: a presentation that is perfectly synchronized and looks, yes, effortless.

  • Now the average business person does not have the resources to create a Steve Jobs' extravaganza.

  • But you do have time to rehearse.

  • The greatest presenters do it, and so should you.

  • Oh, and one more thing.

  • At the end of most presentations, Jobs adds to the drama by saying

  • And one more thing”.

  • One last thing

  • He can ads a new product or a feature, sometimes just introduces a band.

  • This not only heightens the excitement, it also leaves your audience feeling they've been given an added bonus.

  • The point is Steve Jobs approaches each presentation as an event,

  • a production with a strong opening,

  • product demonstrations in the middle and a strong conclusion.

  • And yes, even an encore, thatone more thing”.

  • I wish you a dazzling presentation.

  • For more information, go to bnet.com

Anyone who has watched a Steve Jobs' key note

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