Practice makes your presentations look effortless

Steve Jobs was one of the greatest storytellers of our generation.

His product launch keynotes were captivating, entertaining, and effective.

They also seemed effortless.

The reality is he invested hundreds of hours into perfecting them. ⏳

One former Apple employee wrote an article in The Guardian about his own experience rehearsing with Jobs.

"To a casual observer these presentations appear to be just a guy in a black shirt and blue jeans talking about some new technology, but they are in fact an incredibly complex and sophisticated blend of sales pitch, product demonstration, and corporate cheering... they represent weeks of work, precise orchestration, and intense pressure."

When Steve Jobs built product keynote presentations, he was involved in every step of the process, from messaging to slide design.

But the final step was the most critical. He practiced on stage over and over and over again.

The employee pointed out that Jobs had begun preparing the presentation weeks in advance and spent two full days of dress rehearsal before showtime.

Carmine Gallo wrote a book called “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs” (linked in the comments). A lot of the lessons from that book stuck with me, but one of the biggest was preparation.

For every presentation I make, no matter how small, I invest time in practicing.

One thing I’ve learned about myself during my career — when I’m unprepared, I get long-winded. I just can’t wing presentations.

I’ll even practice for 2-minute segments in a company-wide meeting, just so I’m more confident in what I’m saying.

I’m at a point now where practicing is fun. And so is crushing a presentation. 💪

Effort makes things look effortless.

How do you prepare for a presentation?

#productmarketing #marketing #presentations

Check out “The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs” 👇

Here’s the Guardian article where a former Apple employee shares his experience rehearsing with Steve Jobs