Also, get some jeans, nikes, and a black mock neck, of course.

rachaeljean

I'm teaching a class in multimedia right now to undergrads, and unit 1 is "how to give a powerpoint presentation that doesn't suck." To prepare for this unit I asked the students to read Steve Jobs, Bill Gates & the Zen Aesthetic over at the incomparable Presentation Zen blog. I also had them view 15 minutes of Jobs' introduction of the iPhone last year. I was delighted when the article referred to in the above post appeared. I was vindicated! My Apple Fanboi status notwithstanding, Jobs' presentation genius was being touted in the sober, staid pages of Businessweek!

Scott D. Feldstein

Not just a Steve Jobs thing, it's an Apple thing. Watch some recent iPhone ads with the testimonials. They basically show a specific example of how an iPhone benefits the owner.

However, even if you follow all the points, it's nearly impossible to deliver the message like Steve Jobs. He's found his own personal style (over years of experience) and he's really good at it. I've seen tons of Silicon Valley executives who simply cannot pull his style of presentation off without looking out of their element. Heck, I've seen senior execs try to emulate their own CEO's delivery style and fail miserably, despite being able to study the person's mannerisms up close and often.

You must find your own style and go with it.

Deprong Mori

@genghis_schmengis: I wouldn't be so harsh on PowerPoint as a tool. I agree that it tends to expose wasteful features; but when used properly, the audience will pay attention to your presentation rather than what tool you used for your visuals.

The problem is that many people's *training* for crafting presentations goes like this:
1. Double click PowerPoint icon.
2. Choose a template for your new presentation.
3. Write some bullets.
Instead, that first step should be the last step.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure Steve's jeans have buttons. Levi's 501 button-fly ;-)

Posco Grubb

Three Tips for a great presentation:

1) Eschew PowerPoint
2) Eschew PowerPoint
3) Eschew PowerPoint

I hate PowerPoint! It's a horrible invention...a crutch for most presenters. PP is so awfully redundant or penurious with details if it has managed to avoid redundancy.

And to give presentations in the mold of Jobs, you must:

1) Be a jerk
2) Be hubristic
3) Eschew the reset of humanity
4) Never wear anything that has buttons

genghis_schmengis

Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 presentation rule - 10 slides, no longer than 20 minutes, fonts no smaller than 30 point - is a nice complement to this.

dharris

What should be the first point to giving a presentation is hardly ever mentioned, perhaps because it's not the easiest:

Do your homework and master the subject matter. Be the authority on your subject. Know the material like the back of your hand, and know more than what you put in your presentation.

What's in your slides doesn't matter if you don't know the material. (Unless you're a news anchor)

rfreeman57

I believe that deep down inside Steve Jobs fantasizes about being the head of Selsun Blue. Never wear black without the blue.

duffeck

Jobs may be a jerk (I've heard that myself), but his presentation skilz are, as they say, mad.

Another piece of advice: if you create and deliver your presentations using a Mac, get Keynote and avoid PowerPoint.

About transitions and animated builds: just because you can doesn't mean you should. Less is always more, and a tasteful fade-in is worth a thousand fly-ins.

A further thought: most people create slides as if they were notes for themselves, for the speaker. That's why you see all the darned bullet points. I mustn't forget to say this and this and that. The slides are for the audience! Make your notes off-slide. And if you want to give something to your audience to take away, make a handout!

Scott D. Feldstein

An enthusiastic and dynamic presenter like Jobs can make any topic interesting. Think about the presentations you've enjoyed attending - I bet you'd find it was the speaker and not the powerpoint that kept your attention.

PowerPoint is such a simple app that it's no wonder Microsoft has bulked it up with every release. Unfortunately, most people have had no training in communications and have no idea how to get a point across or explain something.

aeronaut

Doh! I forgot to mention Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule. That was required reading for my class, too. Although I must admit, I explicitly told them not to observe the 10 slide rule for their own presentation assignment. I'd much rather see one idea per slide, even if it doubles the number of them.

Scott D. Feldstein

One word: Toastmasters! ([www.toastmasters.org]) Chances are, there's a club near you, at a convenient time and place.

davearonson

All you need to do a presentation like Steve Jobs is put in dramatic pauses before every item in your presentation that you want consumers to remember. ie, "blah blah blah [pause] the iPhone [pause] [pause] [turn palms up to indicate you're on the consumer's side].

Insecure people who buy hardware to compensate for their questionable social practices eat that stuff up.

foxmajik

Someone needs a hug. And and iPhone.

Scott D. Feldstein

Problem is, none of us are pompous millionaires.

:P

Myles

But some of us are pompous hundredaires. Heh.

Scott D. Feldstein

Quote from article: Jobs also pointed out that Apple's market share equals the share of its top three competitors combined.

Not so fast there, Carmine. What Jobs actually pointed out was that Apple's market share is almost equal to the next three competitors combined (Palm, Motorola and Nokia), not the top three. RIM is the #1 competitor and with 39% of the market (according to Jobs' graph) it's double what Apple has. So if Apple's market share was, as you say, equal to its top three competitors combined, Apple would have a market share of 56.2% (RIM's 39% + Palm's 9.8% + Motorola's 7.4%).

sgodun

@sgodun: I'm not an Apple fanboy, but if you're right, it just goes to show that the better you know your stuff, the better light you can cast it in! And get a really willing audience....

Posco Grubb