Simple Advice for Better Presentations
While riffling through Carmine Gallo's just-published book, FIRE THEM UP, I landed upon some super-smart advice for delivering a more effective presentation. Gallo writes ...
A client once asked me, "How can I be more like Steve Job in my next presentation?""It's simple," I explained. "Tell your listeners why you're excited about your product, share a vivid vision of the future that your product makes possible, and be specific about how your product will help them succeed in business."
Most people hype features. Steve Jobs sells benefits. When he pitches products, it's not about him: it's about you. That is the secret behind a master showman.
Great advice.
You're so right, of course...most managers are very passionate about their product or service. They live it, they love it. Even Charmin brand managers are passionate about their toilet paper! When they are simply sitting aroung talking about their products -- or the marketing behind it -- managers of nearly all products get very excited and are able to get others fired up. Somehow, when you hand them a clicker to run a PowerPoint presentation about it, they panic, or freeze, or both. Consequently, my advice is always very simialr to yours: "Just talk...just tell me what's special about your product! Most listeners are way too impatient or reluctant to pay attention if they don't sense your own excitement."
Posted by: John Rosen | October 08, 2007 at 08:24 PM
Very accurate and amazingly on target! Several years ago, I found people in my organization focused more on the PowerPoint design and less on the message. So, I banned PowerPoints for awhile and had them create "word pictures" and verbalize their message. Too many people use PowerPoint as a crutch and not a tool. A presentation deck is easily left behind and forgotten, but a powerful conversation will be remembered for a long time. Passion is best expressed in the verbal dimension.
Posted by: Victor Howard | October 08, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Excellent advice. Thanks for sharing it! Will certainly try to apply it to my own presentations.
Posted by: Alex | October 09, 2007 at 03:20 AM
Today every customer want to know about the benefits not about features.
Its true about customers but as company we decide our product features in new product or advancement in existing product then train our marketing/sales team about its value added features and benifits reap by customers.
I have one doubt that we consider the case of new panasonic digital camera with hell lot of features attracting no. of customers...
don't u think here theory of value added is gone ...
M.P.Singh@http://dyutita.blogspot.com
Posted by: M.P.Singh | October 09, 2007 at 08:33 AM
Edward Tufte is a good resource for saying things with images...
Posted by: Pat Nerr | October 09, 2007 at 09:39 AM
John,
My advice--don't use PowerPoint.
Posted by: Lewis Green | October 09, 2007 at 01:41 PM
...and if your not passionate about your product. Do some jumping Jacks, and take some Ginseng Ginkgo Biloba along with some acting classes.
Posted by: Olin Tichy | October 10, 2007 at 10:47 AM
Definitely a great, great advice for the industry and all readers of this blog - thank you!
Posted by: anna | October 10, 2007 at 11:27 AM
You want to match the presentation to your audience. This may involve some customization and craftsmanship. If you are speaking to an executive, make it short and to the point, but if it's to an engineer, make it thorough.
Posted by: Dan Schawbel | October 11, 2007 at 10:03 AM
Great post, I reference it in my blog. I, for one, could care less about features or reports or improved user interfaces if it is not inherently clear to me why I need them in the first place.
Posted by: Jason Stewart | October 12, 2007 at 12:16 PM
You forgot to tell people to wear black on black!
Posted by: Conrad Hametner | October 16, 2007 at 09:45 PM
I love the idea of ditching powerpoint. One thing I love about Jobs/Apple is that when they do use visuals they are powerful. Sure, we can't all have animations built out for every presentation, but whenever people abandon the tired template-driven Powerpoint deck they immediately have my attention.
Posted by: John Herrington | October 17, 2007 at 01:29 PM
By the way, the original developers of PowerPoint (not Microsoft, but the guys who sold it to Microsoft many years ago) never intended for it to become what it has. They have forever claimed that their vision was that it was a good program with which to do 5-10 page SUMMARY of a very detailed, written analysis or position paper. In my experience, the PowerPoint deck is now all too often 150 pages long! And, it is likely covering up shallow, not detailed, analysis!
Posted by: John Rosen | October 17, 2007 at 10:57 PM