Author of 'The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs'

02.10.2009

Jobs divides every presentation into three parts. Schiller did exactly the same thing, saying "I have three new things to tell you about today...." So while I don't think Jobs "teaches" his people how to present better, they have learned by having a seat next to the world's greatest corporate storyteller.

A Jobs presentation is intended to inform, educate and entertain. Business professionals tend to forget that last part. . Jobs doesn't give you time to get bored. He builds the drama.

There's always one moment in a Jobs presentation that I call the watercooler, or "holy smokes" moment--that part of the presentation that everybody talks about the next day. For instance, in January 2007, Jobs said that he had three revolutionary products to introduce: a widescreen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone and an Internet communicator. He repeated this several times. Finally he said, "Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. They are one device and we are calling it, iPhone."

Most presenters would have launched right into the introduction of their product. Not Jobs. His presentations are theatrical productions, complete with heroes, villains, stunning backdrops, a supporting cast and that one memorable moment that was worth the price of admission.