When late Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs would reach the end of his launch event presentations, people would get ready to wind up and head out. Then, at the last minute, he’d add, “One more thing…” and go on to share another fantastic new product or incredible features, thereby leaving the audience surprised and delighted.
Click start to play today’s Crossword, where Jobs features in one of the clues.
Jobs’ ‘one more thing’ speaking technique is just one of the ways he enthralled the audience. Widely considered to be one of the greatest businessmen, innovators and presenters in the world, the American entrepreneur helped Apple’s launch events turn into iconic celebratory moments, especially among loyal customers.
Here are some of his core presentation techniques, which you can use in your own marketing efforts:
1. Being succinct is the key
Even before social media networks like Twitter compelled people to keep it short and simple, Jobs understood the value of keeping messages short and punchy. His words appealed to a non-technical audience, too. Jobs’ takeaway ideas were always reflected in Apple’s headlines, and involved a running theme that the company’s products would ‘revolutionise’ the market – and they usually did!
2. Video is king
Apart from launch videos, which showed Jobs wearing his iconic black turtleneck and jeans, the businessman invested a great deal in using videos to tell the story of Apple. The videos on Apple’s website took consumers behind the scenes, showed employees working on the products, and then sharing what they loved about it. Jobs even used sharp, immersive video ads within his presentations, which never failed to keep the audience interested.
3. Simple language
Nobody likes or wants to hear a long, boring dissertation at a presentation. So, Jobs made it his mission to tell people what the new product was, and why they should care about it, right at the start. By pinpointing a common need, he would highlight how the product solved the problem – something that was likely to stick in people’s minds. He did all this elegantly, using plan language and leaving off any buzzwords or jargon.
While these presentation tips may seem extremely simple, Jobs turned them into a masterful artform. The incredible growth of his company is testament to the success of his techniques.
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