Giving presentations these days on any field it´s not an easy thing. We live in a visual era where people get distracted easily, don´t like to read long paragraphs, and want to be “entertained” not just “informed”. Steve Jobs was the best at it, so let´s learn today Steve Jobs´ 10 presentation secrets.  

If you are thinking that the success into making a good presentation is by having an excellent Power Point deck with many slides and bullet points, you are wrong! A successful presenter is the one that says it all in simple words, and uses images on slides as a support, and not as the main tool for providing all the content. Let´s see how the master did it: when Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air in January 2008, he said “The world’s thinnest notebook”, and he showed the computer fitting inside a manila inter-office envelope. Now that is the Steve Job´s presentation secret you need for keeping your audience´s attention and away from their smartphone, Facebook and Whatsapp.

Keep in mind that in presentations a golden communication rule applies: it is not only what you say but the way you say it. Be confident and secure about the content you are sharing, talk smoothly and in a correct tone (not too loud, not too soft). Make pauses on the key points and give enough people time to assimilate them. Also if you can, make your audience laugh, that is the perfect presentation secretfor breaking the ice.

But don´t panic! you don´t need to be Billy Cristal or Jay Leno everytime you have to present. Just be yourself and structure your speech in a way that is easy to understand. If possible, apply this presentation secret from Jobs: structure your content following the rule of three. Want to know what that is? Check the complete list of Steve Jobs´ 10 presentation secrets. I got them from the brief of the Businessweek writter, Carmine Gallo, and here they are:

1. Plan in analog: put your ideas down using pen and paper. Plan your content first, the slides come later.

2. Create a Twitter-Friendly description: make your key messages in concise headlines that fit 140-character Twitter post like “The world’s thinnest notebook.”

3. Introduce the antagonist: create the hero fights the villain scene. Present the problem in need of a solution. “Setting up the problem opens the door for the hero to save the day”, Carmine says.

4. Focusing on Benefits: answer your audience´s question -why should I care?

5.  Sticking to the Rule of Three: divide your content in three parts. When Jobs took the stage on September 9, 2009, he told the audience he would be talking about three products: iPhone, iTunes and iPod. Along the way he provided verbal guideposts such as “iPhone. The first thing I wanted to talk about today. Now, let’s move on to the second, iTunes.” The number three is a powerful concept in writing.

6. Selling Dreams, Not Products: create an experience, not only a presentation. Be passionate, enthusiastic, find the way to emotionally connect with your audience.

7. Creating Visual Slides: the less words, the better. Use photographs and images, instead of bullet points.

8. Making Numbers Meaningful: give statistics and numbers that are relevant, but in a easy way to remember.  

9. Using Zippy Words: speak in plain English.

10. Reveal “Holy Smokes” Moment: create key moments for those key messages that your audience need to remember.  

Here is the most important of all the presentation secrets from Steve Jobs: practice, practice, practice, practice and…practice. That is the secret to a great presenter. Make yourself a short script and highlight the key words that can help you remember your lines. Rehearse in front of a mirror first so you can check they way you stand and move your hands. After, practice with someone a few times and ask them for feedback. The more prepare, the more confident you will feel and the better your presentation will be.

Ready to be the next presentation master? Feel free to share with us your presentation secrets!

Click here to download the brief from Carmine Gallo 10 Techniques Jobs Used to Inform, Educate and Entertain with a full description of each step.

Check this video and see Steve Jobs´ 10 presentation secrets during the MacBook Air presentation in 2008.

By Nathaly Hermida

Follow me on Twitter @NathalyHermida