Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics

Steve Jobs has something to teach small to
midsize advertising, digital, media and PR
agencies about pitching for new business.
Tuesday, July 9, 13

HOW CONTENT MARKETING CAN JUMP START
YOUR AGENCY’S NEW BUSINESS PROGRAM
Presented by
Michael Gass
Author of Fuel Lines
WEBINARA few highlights from:
Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics for Ad
Agency New Business
Tuesday, July 9, 13

This presentation was based on Carmine Gallo’s
book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs.
Best selling author, Gallo is a former anchor and
correspondent for CNN and CBS.
He reveals the techniques that have turned
Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, into one of the world’s
corporate presenters.
Tuesday, July 9, 13

“Every new business pitch should do
three things: inform, educate
and entertain.”
Tuesday, July 9, 13

Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics
for Agency New Business
Photo Credit: Steve Jobs for FOCUS Italia
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

1
Plan your presentation with pen and
paper.
Begin by storyboarding your presentation. Steve Jobs
spent his preparation time brainstorming, sketching and
white-boarding before he creating his presentation. All of
the elements of the story that he wants to tell are
thought through, elements are planned and collected
before any slides are created.
tsevis
tsevisPhoto Credit: Steve Jobs for FOCUS Italia
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

2
Create a single sentence description
for every service/idea.
Concise enough to fit in a 140-character Twitter post. An
example, for the introduction of the MacBook Air in
January, 2008, Jobs said that is it simply, “The world’s
thinnest notebook”.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

3
Create a villain that allows the
audience to rally around the hero—
you and your product/service.
A ‘villain’ doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct
competitor. It can be a problem in need of a solution.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

4
Focus on benefits.
This is important for ad agencies to remember. Your
audience only cares about how your service will benefit
them so lead with benefits rather than agency credentials
and capabilities.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

5
Stick to the rule of three for
presentations.
Almost every Jobs presentation was divided into three
parts. You might have twenty points to make, but your
audience is only capable of retaining three or four points
in short-term memory. Give them too many points and
they’ll forget everything you’ve said.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

6
Sell dreams, not your services.
Steve Jobs didn’t sell computers. He was passionate about
helping to create a better world. That was the promise
that he sold. For example, when Jobs introduced the iPod
in 2001, he said, “In our own small way we’re going to
make the world a better place.” Where most people see
the iPod as a music player, Jobs saw it as a tool to enrich
people’s lives.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

7
Create visual slides.
There were no bullet points in a Steve Jobs’ presentation.
Instead he relied on photographs and images. When Steve
Jobs unveiled the Macbook Air, Apple’s ultra-thin notebook
computer, he showed a slide of the computer fitting inside
a manila inter-office envelope. Keep your agency
presentation’s that simple.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

8
Make numbers meaningful.
Jobs 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.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

9
Use plain English.
Jobs’s 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. So don’t use agency speak when
presenting, “integration, proprietary process, etc.”
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

10
Practice, practice, practice.
Steve Jobs spent hours rehearsing every facet of his
presentation. Every slide was written like a piece of
poetry, every presentation staged like a theatrical
experience. Steve Jobs made a presentation look
effortless but that polish came after hours and hours of
arduous practice. Agencies often are forced to rely
on spontaneity to provide creative energy for a pitch
because they 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.
tsevis
tsevis
Tuesday, July 9, 13

Carmine writes,
“for two full days before a presentation, Jobs will practice
the entire presentation, asking for feedback from product
managers in the room. For 48 hours, all of his energy is
directed at making the presentation the perfect
embodiment of Apple’s messages.”
Tuesday, July 9, 13

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, is a
must read for advertising, digital, media
and PR agencies.
Applying this simple formula can greatly
improve any agency’s pitch and help them
to stand out from the rest.
Tuesday, July 9, 13

Additional articles that may be of interest:
1 The 10-20-30 Rule for Keynote Presentations for
Ad Agency New Business
2 10 Tips to Get Speaking Opportunities for Ad
Agency New Business
3 The Only Rule That Really Matters When Presenting
for Ad Agency New Business
4 Ad Agency New Business: 7 Traits Event Organizers
Need From Speakers
5 Blair Enns: 12 Revolutionary Proclamations for Ad
Agency New Business
6 4 Presentation Tips from Lee Iacocca for Ad Agency
New Business
7 10 Ad Agency Pitch KILLERS
8 Agency Leadership: Can you be a great leader and
not be a great presenter?
9 Resources for Successfully Pitching for Ad Agency
New Business
10 Pixar: 10 Tips for Creating Appealing Stories for Ad
Agency New Business
Tuesday, July 9, 13

Ph 205.370.7750
Email michael@michaelgass.com
Blog: www.fuelingnewbusiness.com
Twitter: @michaelgass
www.michaelgass.com
Tuesday, July 9, 13

Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics

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