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Master Stage

Presence

I was hooked by Steve’s energy and enthusiasm.

GIL AMELIO

S

teve Jobs has a commanding presence. His voice, ges-

tures, and body language communicate authority,

confidence, and energy. Jobs’s enthusiasm was on full

display at Macworld 2003. Table 14.1 shows his actual

words as well as the gestures he used to introduce the Titanium

PowerBook.^1 The words he verbally emphasized in his presenta-

tion are in italics.

The words Jobs uses to describe a product are obviously

important, but so is the style in which he delivers the words. He

punches key words in every paragraph, adding extra emphasis

to the most important words in the sentence. He makes expan-

sive gestures to complement his vocal delivery. We’ll examine

his body language and vocal delivery more closely later in the

chapter, but for now, the best way to appreciate his skill is to call

on a guest speaker who pales in comparison.

“Who’s Mr. Note Card?”

During the iPhone introduction at Macworld 2007, Jobs invited

Cingular/AT&T CEO Stan Sigman to join him onstage and to

share a few words about the partnership. Sigman took the floor

and sucked the energy right out of the room. He immediately