138 DELIVER THE EXPERIENCE
“It’s a much more rigid, stronger construction. It’s so cool, I’d
like you to see it. If we can get the lights up, I’d actually like to
pass one of these around so you can see how beautiful and high-
tech this is.”
At this point, Apple representatives who had been positioned
at the end of each row handed audience members samples of
the aluminum frames to pass around. As people touched and
examined the frames for themselves, Jobs joked, “We need them
back,” eliciting a laugh from the audience. For the next sixty
seconds, Jobs did not say a word. He let the product speak for
itself.
Jobs then channeled his inner John Madden and provided
color commentary as the audience members continued to exam-
ine the frames: “Teams of hundreds of people have worked on
this for many, many months to figure out how to design these
things and manufacture them economically. This is a tour de
force of engineering.”
Jobs remained silent for the next thirty seconds until every-
one had a chance to handle the frames. “OK. A precision
unibody enclosure. You’re the first to get your hands on one,”
Jobs said as he closed the section and moved on to another fea-
ture of the new notebooks.^1 Using props, Jobs had transformed
what could have been a boring explanation into an interesting,
multisensory experience.Kawasaki Method
Jobs introduces stage props in every presentation, usually dur-
ing demonstrations. In The Macintosh Way, Guy Kawasaki writes
that master communicators give good demo. “The right demo
doesn’t cost much,” he points out, “but it can counteract your
competitors’ marketing and advertising. A great demo informs
the audience about your product, communicates the benefits of
owning your product, and inspires the audience to take action.”^2
Kawasaki describes the five qualities of an outstanding demon-
stration. According to Kawasaki, good demos are as follows: