Some of us enjoy presenting our ideas to others, while others may want to crawl into a

hole at the mere thought of it.

Unfortunately, for those that may not like presenting, it is something that most of us

come across in any profession.

Fear not! Practice makes perfect, and what better way to start it off then to learn from a

great public speaker?

Enter Steve Jobs!

In Steve Jobs’ work, as he was the figurehead of his company, Apple, he was required to

speak publically all the time.

Because Steve Jobs was always the first person to introduce a new Apple product, he had to have a

pitch-perfect presentation; one that would be able to show off whatever product he was selling.

So, what made Steve Jobs such a great public speaker?

Take a look at Steve Jobs back in 2001 introducing the first iPod.

What made the speech work so well?

Well, remember that this is the FIRST time that the iPod was shown to the world, so, of course,

there would have been a lot of pressure on Jobs!

Not only would he have to follow the basics of a presentation (which I will speak about in a

minute), but he had to make sure that he was giving justice to the first iPod!

So, firstly, what are the basics of a presentation?

1. Eye contact

When speaking to anyone, not just presenting, it is important that you maintain eye contact with them

otherwise they’ll think you have lost interest in what they’re saying, or what you’re speaking about.

2. Speak clearly

Again, it seems like something that is fairly simple, but when you’re in a situation where nerves can erupt,

especially surrounded by people you probably won’t know, remembering to articulate your words is probably the last

thing on your mind!

3. Facts

If you’re trying to sell something in particular, the audience are going to need facts – statistics.

You’ll win a lot of people round by doing this.

4. Make your point

The whole point of a presentation is to make a point, whether that is selling something or otherwise, so don’t

stray off topic. Sometimes the more simple, the more effective a presentation can be!

While following these tips, Steve also had to bear in mind that this was the very first time that anyone in the world, minus the people

working at Apple, witnessed the iPod.

Because the iPod was, and still is, such a game-changing piece of technology, Steve kept his

presentation stripped down and very simple, using power point to show what the iPod could do!

The one thing that Steve Jobs, for me, did so well throughout the presentation was leaving

everyone on tender hooks.

He built up the anticipation to see the actual iPod product so much, that by the end of it, everyone probably thought that they were

seeing some otherworldly creation!

By showing pictures of the iPod from the back first, then the two sides, and finally, the whole shebang (when he removed it from his pocket)

was a great move.

Holding the interest of an audience is a very hard thing to do, but Steve did a top-notch job of it, adding a little twist to, what could be seen

as, a simple presentation.

While Steve was an accomplished public speaker, this skill requires a lot of practice.

You’ve seen the good, now witness the, well, not-so good example of a presentation.

From the get-go, you can see that the girl in this video has gone completely off the mark

thanks to nerves.

She’s fidgeting, barely audible, and has her eyes locked on what she has written, avoiding

eye contact with her audience.

We’ve probably all been in a situation similar to the one that this girl was in, so, yes, we can

definitely sympathise.

But, as presentations go, this is a pretty bad one, more so for her than anyone else.

Of course Steve Jobs has had to battle his nerves over the years, we all do.

When it comes to presenting, as said before, it is all about practice, practice, practice!

Thanks for watching!