Three Tips on How to Pitch Like Steve Jobs
With his penchant for storytelling, the late Steve Jobs is regarded by many as the master presenter. The late Apple CEO is well-known for his inspiring product presentations that resulted in long lines of people (punctuated by camping tents) outside the Apple stores after every product release. So, what about his presentations made them so compelling? Whether you have a quick 60 seconds to pitch yourself during an elevator ride, or you’re preparing a slide deck for an upcoming investor meeting, here are three elements of a strong pitch or presentation that informs, inspires, and entertains.
1. Have three clear takeaways and one critical call-to-action.
Jobs typically divided his presentations into three sections. Whether it’s three key events in your story arc, or three benefits behind your product, know your three key takeaways from the start – and don’t forget your one call-to-action. Your call-to-action, supported by your three takeaways, will help you reel your pitch into a full circle and keep your storytelling concise, especially when you have a limited amount of time.
2. Make an immediate emotional connection.
Making an emotional connection builds empathy, which is essential in capturing and keeping the interest of your audience from start to finish. In the context of storytelling, every great story has a hero that leads up to a great reveal and triumph. Jobs held a captive audience by making the new product he’s revealing the hero of the story. He told these stories so well that the audience always celebrated the product reveal as their own triumph.
3. Know your story well enough to ditch the PowerPoint.
Mastering your story affords you the embodiment of being calm, cool, and collected in the spotlight. As Jobs famously said, "People who know what they're talking about don't need PowerPoint." Not leaning on slide decks also frees you from relying on it completely, avoiding technical hiccups that can derail your presentation completely. Additionally, enthusiasm and humor are contagious and uplifting, but you can’t have either if you don’t have the latter three Cs.
Of course, practice is key to gaining confidence in storytelling on the spot. Public speaking is an art and a muscle: the more you practice, the better you get. This coming Wednesday, February 24 starting at 5 p.m., join us at The Clubhouse for Elevator Pitch Practice. Practice the art of public speaking by participating in fast-pitching rounds, and get feedback from a roundtable of community members like yourself. Spots are limited for this in-person, safely-distanced event, so RSVP here now to save your space.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Jobs never wrote computer code for any of the Apple products.
What are some techniques and resources do you personally lean on for pitch-perfect presentations? Let us know in the comments below.