The late tech mogul, Steve Jobs was an exceptional presenter with magnetic charisma. He was a professional to the core who knew the pros and cons of business, from the introduction of new products to the presentation stage. Steve always meticulously plan out each step of his official demonstrations, from the items to graphics, slides to the summary. The acts and crafts of Steve Jobs’ unique presentations style have been retained in Apple even years after his demise, and the most effective practice in the presentation legacy is ‘intense rehearsal.’
Steve Jobs planned ahead of every product demonstrations.
Failure to plan is planning to fail. Carmine Gallo, a business coach, and editor take us into the world of Steve Jobs’ professionalism. However, Steve didn’t make that mistake of not planning prior to presentations, so he immersed himself in intensive rehearsals, making his performances flawless.
Steve Jobs would repeatedly rehearse on stage in his firm before facing the panel. He was the composer of the principal idea of the presentations, from start to finish and he would ensure to take part in the preparations of the slides.
Here is an account of a journalist who writes about business issues of how he had the chance to witness a stellar performance by the talented CEO during a backstage rehearsal session where one brand new product was about to be unveiled.
He reported that Steve looked so relaxed and natural while demonstrating the total package of the device.
The reporter’s testimony was complemented by the account of a retail manager who was requested to hold on while Steve completed his practice and the ‘hold on’ for the manager lasted for four and a half hours.
If you are yet to grasp the full meaning of this, then maybe the experience of this man who once worked for Apple will make it clearer. The former Apple staff admitted that when he rehearsed a part of his boss’ introduction performance, he knew the meaning of what Steve Jobs was dong. Ordinary people will not appreciate the performance because of the purported simplicity in the appearance of the presenter, he says, but in reality, that seemingly simple task is very difficult because people are watching the results of week-long preparations, a combination of complicated product summary, delicate sales pitch, and corporate-image building. These phases require accurate interpretation, hard work, and tension.
According to the reporter, it usually took 48 hours of dress practice and weeks of intense preparedness for Steve to achieve maximum presentation satisfaction. He planned and got ready ahead before the show day.
What makes this special? This attribute of dedication, commitment and high level of corporate discipline are very rare in many executives and company owners. Majority hardly spends more than few days of rehearsal before climbing the stage.
Although we still have some around. However, it won’t be easy to find a counterpart of Steve. Carmine pointed out that this assertion doesn’t invalidate the fact that all other CEOs are lazy, as a matter of fact, he had come across a lot of them who also give stellar performances at their product presentations. He cited an example of a keynote presentation of Intel at CES 2018 exhibition of high-technological devices. That particular presentation showcased the outcome of hard work, years of professional knowledge and expertise, all put in one, says Carmine. All the components contained in the keynote were complex, from LED suits, robotic cars that drives itself, piano drones, etc.
If you want to know the duration a standard sales pitch rehearsal should take, then 25 minutes is ideally sufficient, says Carmine.
Begin by practicing the whole sales pitch demonstration over 22 repetitions. However, take a break after the first 11 repeats to adjust errors, unclear slides, and core messages. Then continue and focus more on recollecting your most captivating lines, points and hitting the main points in your slides. Also, ensure to concentrate on fine-tuning your vocabulary and body gestures.
Essentially, Carmine thinks that CEOs and corporate executives should emulate Steve Jobs, immersing themselves in practice and rehearsals before facing any panel to present their products. Uniqueness and outstanding performance should be their goal. A great author, Gladwell once wrote in his book that practice brings the best out of someone, not the person bringing out the best from the practice.