The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience

How many iPods do you own?I ordered the first Windows-compatible model on launch day. I had to wait until then because I didn't have a working Mac at the time; now I have two of them. Since then, I've accumulated new iPods at the rate of roughly one a year. Some day soon I'll be able to open a small museum featuring all of them and the three inch thick PowerBook that I used in grad school (it came with a whopping 32 Mb hard drive).Am I a prodigal gadget geek? A spendthrift music maven. Nah. I blame the presentation skills of Steve Jobs.You can't get very far studying current ideas about presentations and public speaking without the example of Steve Jobs popping up over and over again. And for good reason-- he excels at selling us stuff. Jobs is one of the few CEOs of a large corporation who is a household name and whose presentation skills clearly add value to his company. His showmanship at Apple's product launches generate buzz and demand-- if not lust-- for Apple's products. Clearly my expanding collection of superseded iPods proves that I'm not immune. And when Jobs was ill there was a great deal of concern about whether Apple would be able to generate anything close to that excitement without him and whether the company would be mortally wounded by his absence at these events. His value to Apple is so great that the SEC opened an investigation into whether shareholders had been harmed because Jobs' illness had been downplayed. If he wasn't around to convince us we had to have stuff that we never knew we needed, who would?So it isn't surprising that many of the leading presentation experts focus on Jobs as a clear example of how strong presentations can make a real impact. What has amazed me is how many of these writer (Gar Reynolds, Presentation Zen; Guy Kawasaki, all kinds of great books) have actually worked with Apple or on Steve Jobs' presentations. It seems that Apple isn't just a place where they create great presentations but also a crucible of thought on what it takes to make a presentation great.Now Carmine Gallo has written The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs with the idea of pulling back the curtain on Jobs' big presentations to show us how they are put together and some techniques that we can borrow to improve our own talks. Probably the most important thing that Gallo reveals is how much work actually goes into crafting one of Jobs' presentations. Despite the fact that the final results are persuasive, polished, and entertaining, Steve Jobs is not a natural presenter who just gets up in front of an audience and speaks off the top of his head. Instead, he relies on a whole team of professionals who spend weeks helping him write, design and rehearse every one of his talks. Suddenly it makes sense that so many of those experts have personal experience with Jobs.While this might initially seem discouraging to those of us who don't have the resources of an entire corporation at our disposal, it's actually very liberating to know because it means you don't have to be a "natural" either. With enough thought, planning and practice anyone can improve their public speaking skills. Sure, it's going to take some effort to put together and deliver a really great talk, but making the effort can help you rise above the sea of bad presentations out there. Work hard on your presentation and deliver it in a way that makes it look effortless and you can be a star!Some of the other major strategies that Gallo focuses on include:Making time for rehearsal: Jobs rehearses his presentations over and over and over again until he's confident that he knows his material and that he's got all of the various elements (script, slides, props, demos) just right. Rehearsing will help you iron out the kinks in your own talk and calm your nerves when you're confident that you know what you're going to say.Taking the needs of your audience into consideration: It isn't enough to just get up in front of an audience and share information or try to sell something. Steve Jobs knows that he needs to meet the expectations of his audience if he wants to hold their attention. They need to see Steve Jobs up on stage in his familiar black turtleneck with cool new gadgets, jokes, slick slides and product demos (preferably short ones). You need to be just as aware of the needs of your audience and focus on how you're going to engage them.Displaying your passion for your topic: If you don't feel strongly about what you're talking about, how do you expect your audience to care? Gallo repeatedly quotes Jobs discussing his belief that his success is due to the fact that he feels passionately about his work. There's a great scene where Jobs tears up during the editing of Apple's "Think Different" commercials because he is so moved by the message that he's helping craft. He sees Apple as having changed the world in a positive way and encourages others to do work that they really believe in. Anyone who has ever worked to sell a product or an idea knows that it's a lot easier when you're selling something that you can believe in yourself.Creating an antagonist: One of the best ways to build strong emotions for a product-- create a villain. Jobs often contrasts the ideas he's presenting against examples of other companies (Microsoft), products (the PC) or technical limitations (slow internet access on conventional cellphones). Presenting a problem and offering a solution is a great way to win over an audience while building excitement and loyalty.There is much more to recommend in The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, though the book does have a few drawbacks. Using the example of one public figure throughout is an interesting way to focus attention, though some readers may want to hear about the strategies of other speakers. And it does get repetitive hearing the same Apple launch presentations recounted over and over again. The design of the book itself is also a bit awkward-- side topics are often jammed into the main text in a way that makes it hard to follow.But this is a book that has a lot of valuable concepts for students of public speaking, especially those who don't come to it as "naturals" and need tips on how to prepare in order to overcome that challenge.

I have not read another book about this subject, so I can't tell you if there are better ones or not. But I really like this one. It's not only helpfull to deliver live presentations, but also to structure a writen story (story, letter, report, joke...) to make them more effective and interesting.The book itself is structured using the concept that is teaching.I have had this book for about 10 years, and still check it often.

Disclaimer: I am an Apple lover and a big fan of Steve Jobs, very grateful and appreciative of products that I have found to be transformative. I greatly respect his dedication to the passionate pursuit of excellence.I have always admired the oratorical skills of Steve Jobs, particularly the brilliant Apple keynote speeches and his iconic commencement address at Stanford. I domy fair share of public speaking and aspire to have the smooth style, brevity and enthusiasm that are intrinsic to the grand master. Carmine Gallo does an inspiring job in deconstructing the key elements of the Jobs' oratorical techniques so as to understand how to deliver a phenomenal presentation. This book was an easy and interesting read and I found it to be of great utility and immediately integrated the tenets and secrets of Steve Job's rhetorical skills and passionate style into my own public addresses, whether the audience be one person or an auditorium-full of people. In the following words, I will summarize the salient points made by Carmine Gallo.Regarding the use of data during a presentation, make it specific, relevant, and contextual. Speak in simple, clear, and direct language. Unclutter and eliminate redundant language, buzzwords, and jargon. Edit, edit, and edit some more. Gallo references Kawasaki's qualities of an outstanding demonstration: simple, short, sweet, swift and substantial.Make an effort to stroke the dopamine receptors of your audience. After all, your customers are your sales force and the most potent evangelists for your cause.Dopamine greatly aids memory and information processing and if you can get the brain to put a chemical "post-it" note on an idea, it will be more robustly processed and easily remembered. Powerful terms, when integrated them into your talks, will help release the dopamine, as will an emotionally charged delivery. SJ loved the following zippy words: amazing; incredible; gorgeous; insanely great; coolest; buckle up; put on your shoulder harness; lust object; stunning; miraculously engineered.Presentation skills are fundamental. It is important to maintain good eye contact and positive body language: an open body without fidgeting or other distracting habits without looking back at slides or hiding behind the lectern. The delivery should vary the vocal volume, inflection, and cadence. Filler words should be avoided and pauses should be used in their place. Unleash your inner Zen by using very few words and plenty of compelling visuals. An energetic delivery is quintessential--passion in the voice, a bounce in the step, and a smile on the face are inspirational. Enthusiasm makes one likable. Share your passion for your, subject and your enthusiasm will be contagious.One's speaking style should be informal and casual. Never read slides or turn your back to the audience. Slides should be highly visual with one key idea only. Memorize the one key idea per slide. Practice the entire presentation without notes simply using slides as prompter. Spontaneity is the result of planned practice!Steve Jobs consistently adheres to the rule of three: the human mind can only consume three points of information in short-term memory. Our brains crave meaning before detail, so deliver the big picture before filling in the details. If you can't describe your product or service in 140 characters or less, go back to the drawing board. Every great book or movie has a hero and a villain. Consider a presentation in the same way--a theatrical event complete with a protagonist and antagonist. Jobs uses the rhetorical device of raising a question and providing the answer. Your audience is asking what's in it for me? Don't leave them guessing. The villain can be a competitor or in many cases a problem in need of a solution.Most presenters have more information than they can easily convey in a short amount of time. Don't try to squeeze in everything. Simplify communications. If you want to deliver a Jobs-worthy presentation, avoid content overload. The 10-minute rule simply states that your audience will lose attention after 10 minutes. At the 10-minute mark introduce a break in the action: a video, stories, another speaker, and a demo all can be effective. A prop is anything to take the attention away from the presentation and gives the audience a break from the slides. They appreciate the diversion.In summary, Carmine Gallo's book is a winner and will prove to be of great help in improving the communication skills of anybody doing a presentation. I only wish that the presenters at many of the medical lectures that I have attended had read this book!Andrew Siegel, M.D.AUTHOR OF: PROMISCUOUS EATING--UNDERSTANDING AND ENDING OUR SELF-DESTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD

This is unusual in that the author is not selling his ideas but offering a guide to how an acknowledged master did it. The book is full of detailed comparisons and examples and although slightly limited by concentrating on Steve Jobs, it offers something useful for most people who give presentations. If you have been at it for a while, you have probably stumbled across some of the tips but I would suggest there is something to learn for most people.It is easy to read, and the simpler ideas can be put straight into practice. If you have depended on death by Powerpoint and are a huge fan of bullet points this may be bad news for you! However if you wish to improve the effectiveness of your communication it is definitely worth a look. Like other reviewers, I suggest you accompany it with one of the books on picture presentation. Whilst Gallo does talk about this, The Zen Presentation book goes into more detail and compares poor with adequate and what the author regards as the optimum.If you can only afford one book I would recommend this.

This is an amazing book which will: Help you craft an interesting, powerful story and give you some good information on how to design your slides and deliver your material.Whilst good, I would supplement this book with  Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)  and  Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations (Voices That Matter)  as the book has less information on the process of designing slides to support you presentation.I have been on a number of presentation workshop and this book supports and builds on what I've leant first hand. It is also ideal for someone new to presentation.In short: buy it. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations (Voices That Matter)

Reading this book alongside watching videos of Steve Job's on You Tube will help you develop the skill of public speaking/ presenting - though ultimately it all comes down to putting in the practice! As you will read Steve Job's sometinmes puts in over 100 hours of effort for a 60 minute slideshow. We may not all have that kind of time free in our schedules - but taking a smaller amount of time out to read this book (and others on the simple rule of 3) and then having a go will start you off on small steps to being better or more confident. I know it has helped me.

This carefully written book that guides you through the stages of making ground-breaking and attention grabbing presentations, by drawing on the example of the master story teller, Steve Jobs. You can apply these lessons to everything you do, to your products and your services. A must-have book for anyone selling their ideas. It has caused me much thought and directed me away from the run-of-the-mill bullet pointed slides approach.

A beginners book for fans of Steve Jobs only.1. It is nothing new2. Steve Jobs was seemingly no more than a competent presenter so not many good examples to highlight the successful use of certain techniques:It is pretty inelegant in explaining why certain techniques are important, which is a major failure in a text about rhetoric.3. It becomes irritating, continually demanding that you accept Steve Jobs as the master presenter of his age in a whining accent and irritatingly over-pronounced syllables.