"People who know what they're saying won't need PowerPoint" - Steve Jobs
Each presentation slide only averages 40 words. In the first 3 minutes of the iPhone presentation, Steve Jobs uses a total of 19 words (21 words if including the date). Those words are also spread out across 12 slides.
Before launching the new phone, Jobs took the time to summarize Apple's history: 'In 1984, Apple introduced the first Macintosh computer. It not only changes Apple but also changes the entire computer industry. In 2001, we introduced the first iPod. It not only changes the way we listen to music but changes the whole entertainment industry. '
You can tell brand stories, customer stories or personal stories.
There was a funny moment when Jobs's assistant stopped connecting the screen to adjust the slide. After a few seconds of repair but not yet, Jobs stopped and told a funny story about how Steve Wozniak and he played pranks on other students in the school dorm. Woz has invented a device that can block TV signals and they use it to tease students who are watching Star Trek. After a while, the technical error was fixed and Jobs resumed his presentation.
There is a myth about Steve Jobs' careful preparation. He practiced on stage for hours for several weeks before each launch of a product. He remembers every detail of each slide, and the result is a perfect presentation. People often tell themselves 'I'm not as fluent as Jobs' . In fact, Jobs himself was not born like that, hours of training helped him become the focus of a comfortable, natural way.
The introduction of the iPhone lasts up to 80 minutes. But Jobs didn't look at the note once. He understood and covered the content of the presentation so much that he did not need to look at the note. However, in rehearsals, he used hidden main lists in places where the audience was out of sight. Those are the only notes he uses.
The first time Jobs introduced the audience that Apple would launch a mobile phone. He said 'this is it!' but instead of launching the iPhone, the slide show shows the picture of an iPod with an old phone. Audience responded enthusiastically and Jobs was very pleased.
There were a lot of fun moments in the presentation, as the Job gave a photo of a map and introduced the iPhone's location detection feature. He found a nearby Starbucks and called. A female voice telephoned: 'Good morning, how can I help you?' . Jobs said, "Let me put 4,000 cups of lattes. No, I'm just kidding. Goodbye."
The audience was extremely interested in this joke.
Jobs likes to finish the talk with something inspiring. At the end of the iPhone presentation, he said: 'Last night I couldn't seem to close my eyes. I'm so excited about today. There's a saying from hockey player Wayne Gretzky that I really like. 'I will slide to where the ball rolled - not where it once was . ' We have been trying to do that at Apple since the beginning, and we will always be like that. "