Another book that is unique and fresh that I have just finished is entitiled ‘is: The Phenomenon of the Facebook Status’ Check it out and thank me later.

Obviously Steve Jobs is an awesome speaker, but, as someone above commented, he is Steve Jobs and he sells great products. I have a slightly different lesson for the rest of us – in this day of lower revenues, cost-cutting, greater broadband capabilties etc., many companies are trying to do more selling over the web using tools like Webex, Citrix/Raindance etc. MANY of the concepts highlighted in this presentation CAN be used when presenting over the web, such as
- passion (loving what you do or sell – your voice is very powerful communicator)
- simplicity
- focus
- pictures
- preparation
Thanks to Om for sharing Steve Job’s presentation skills – in this day of digital selling (e.g., using the web) one would do well to emulate Steve Jobs even when not on stage.

There are so many things that Jobs could have said about the iphone, but he reduced it to three solid concepts: a phone, an internet communicator, and an ipod. The presentation was largely a “show more than tell” exercise around those three ideas, allowing the visual aspects of the device to speak for themselves.

If you look at the slides Jobs uses, they’re absurdly simply in many cases. They typically show one idea, very few if any bullet points, and no bullshit stock photos. With focus on the story that each presentation tells and the contents of each slide, presenters can learn a lot from Jobs’ style.

I agree that it’s best to begin with what you really love and care about. That’s the nub of the whole thing. But

But focussing on story and structure and slides before you know how to be yourself in public is like focussing on stick work before you learn how to skate. People often use this stuff they can intellectualize to avoid learning the more important part of being themselves in public. And then they stand in front of a screen with meticulously chosen slides and taken themselves out of the picture. It’s something people often lean on so that they don’t have to have to be seen because they’re afraid of being out there. And in doing so they give up all of their power on stage.

To engage the room in an era in which you can email or post a slide deck or anyone can twitter when they’re bored with you, then talk with everyone.

I’m sure if you asked Steve what one of his favorite skills is now it would be how he communicates and articulates not his products to the world, but the benefits of his products to the world.

Another thing I respect about Steve is that he focuses on what he has NOW, not what he hopes to have in the future. Many entrepreneurs should also do the same.

“AWESOME PRODUCTS FROM APPLE”.

You look at iPhone and you fall in love with it.

I use the principals in .pdfs and all kinds of presentations.