Executive Leadership

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Never forget that part of your job in giving a presentation is to build drama.

The famously charismatic CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, is a gifted public speaker. Not necessarily because he was born with it, but because he sticks to several strategies.

Communications coach and author Carmine Gallo points out that with a Jobs speech, there’s always a “holy smokes” moment—the part that everybody talks about the next day.

For example, in a January 2007 presentation, Jobs said that he had three revolutionary products to introduce: a widescreen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone and an Internet communicator. He repeated this several times. Finally he said, “Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. They are one device and we are calling it iPhone.”

Most presenters would have introduced the product, then given the back story. Not Jobs. Instead he offers a theatrical production, including one memorable moment.

— Adapted from “Q&A with Author of “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs,” Thomas Wailgum, CIO.