Sell it like Steve

SELL IT LIKE STEVE

THIS GUY WAS GOOD

So good he made you line up to buy a phone, a computer

and a tablet with no instructions.

HOW?

10 SIMPLE IDEAS

START WITH PEN AND PAPER Storyboard your presentation. All of the elements of the story that he wanted to tell were collected, planned and thought though before any slides were created.

SINGLE SENTENCE DESCRIPTIONSEvery service/idea should be concise enough to fit in a Tweet. One good example was the introduction of the MacBook Air. Jobs said that it is simply, “The world’s thinnest notebook.”

“Just do it”

“All the news that’s fit to print”

“The ultimate driving machine”

“Don’t leave home without it”

CREATE A VILLAINThe ‘villain’ doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct competitor. It can be a problem in need of a solution. By giving your audience a reason to rally around the hero (you and your product/service) you’ll build allies, fast.

FOCUS ON BENEFITSYour audiences main concern is how your service or idea will benefit them. Lead with benefits rather than credentials and capabilities to get their attention early.

THREE KEY IDEASYou might have twenty points to make, but your audience is only capable of retaining three or four points in their short-term memory. Give people too many points to try to focus on and they’ll forget everything you’ve said.

SELL DREAMS, NOT SERVICESSteve Jobs didn’t just sell software, computers, or phones. He sold a promises. He was convinced that his products could improve your life. He was once asked “How do you keep customers?” he replied “Help them unleash their inner genius and you'll win over their hearts and minds.”

CREATE VISUAL SLIDESThere were no bullet points in a Steve Jobs’ presentation. Instead he relied on photographs and images. When he unveiled the Macbook Air, Jobs showed a slide of the computer fitting inside a manila inter-office envelope. Keep your presentation that simple.

MAKE THE NUMBERS MATTERJobs always put large numbers into a context that was relevant to his audience. The bigger the number, the more important it is to find analogies or comparisons that make the data relevant to your audience.

USE PLAIN ENGLISHJobs’ language was remarkably simple. He rarely, if ever, used the jargon that clouds most presentations—terms like ‘best of breed’ or ‘synergy’. His language was simple, clear and direct.

PRACTICESteve Jobs made a presentation look effortless but that polish came after hours and hours of arduous practice. We are often are forced to rely on spontaneity to provide creative energy for a presentation because teams have spent all of their time on putting together the presentation and leave little or no time for rehearsal. Most unrehearsed pitches end up falling flat.

IN CLOSINGThese suggestions are not magic bullets. Bad news = bad content, there is just no way around that. However if you keep your audience and these tips in mind I am sure you can improve your presentations and your audience will

appreciate it.