STAGE YOUR PRESENTATION WITH PROPS 149
The launch of the iPhone in 2007 also provided Jobs with a
memorable prop. He showed the audience how they could listen
to their favorite music by playing one of his favorite songs from
the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A phone call interrupted the music
and a photo of Apple’s VP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, appeared
on the phone. Jobs answered it and talked to Schiller who was
standing in the audience on another phone. Schiller requested a
photograph; Jobs retrieved it and e-mailed it, and went back to
listening to his song. Jobs is a showman, incorporating just the
right amount of theater to make features come alive.
Notes
Build in a product demo during the planning phase of
your presentation. Keep the demo short, sweet, and
substantial. If you can introduce another person on your
team to participate in the demonstration, do so. Commit to the demo. Comedians say a joke works only
if you commit to it. In the same way, commit to your
demo, especially if your product has any entertainment
value at all. Have fun with it. Provide something for every type of learner in your
audience: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.