This week was all about “the art of the pitch”. We learned about the importance of having a good story, being prepared, what to avoid, etc. These are all important to consider as we have a presentation coming up at the end of this semester.

Presenting like Steve Jobs

We were given some examples of people who are masters at giving presentations. One of the examples was Steve Jobs. I have watched some of his talks in the past and they are always really engaging so I decided to investigate what makes him a good presenter.

I found a YouTube video that breaks down his presentation skills. This is what I found:

• Set the theme: It’s good to have a single headline that sets the mood. The example he gave was the line “Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone”. It is important that it’s clear and sets the direction of your presentation. This gives the audience a reason to listen.
• Provide the outline: This makes the audience aware of what you are going to talk about, making it easier to listen and follow your story. He also does a good job at opening and closing each section and making a smooth transition.
• Be enthusiastic: This is important as it engages the audience. The audience will only care about something if you are passionate about it. For example, he uses words like “extraordinary” and “incredible”. You can also tell from his body language that he is passionate.
• Make the presentation visual: Jobs uses very little text and little of anything on each slide. This means the audience doesn’t have to focus on reading and can listen to him. Using images is a great way to get your point across and keep people interested.
• Practice, practice, practice: The more you know your presentation off by heart, the more confident you will be. Doing this can make it more synchronised and seem effortless.

Overall, I found this very beneficial, and it prepares me for my presentation. It was interesting watching his presentations and seeing how he holds the audience’s attention. I will be taking these tips into consideration.