134 DELIVER THE EXPERIENCE
without thanking the families. They haven’t seen a lot of us in
the last six months. Without the support of our families, we
couldn’t do what we do. We get to do this amazing work. They
understand when we’re not home for dinner on time because
we’ve got to be in the lab, working on something because the
intro is coming up. You don’t know how much we need you and
appreciate you. So, thank you.”^6
It’s very easy to make the presentation all about you and your
product. Don’t forget to credit the people who make it possible.
It shows your customers that you are a person of integrity, and,
by praising your employees or colleagues publicly, you inspire
them to work harder for you.
Finally, Jobs shares the stage with his audience, his customers,
often thanking them profusely. He kicked off Macworld 2008
by recapping the previous year. “I just want to take a moment
to say thank you. We have had tremendous support from all of
our customers, and we really, really appreciate it. So, thank you
for an extraordinary 2007.”^7 Jobs built a rapport with his audi-
ence by acknowledging the people who matter—the people who
build the products and the people who buy them.Jobs Even Shares the Stage
... with Himself!
Steve Jobs is the only person who can invite another Steve Jobs
onstage. In 1999, “ER” star Noah Wyle traded in his scrubs for
blue jeans, playing Jobs in the TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.
In a practical joke at the 1999 Macworld Expo in New York, Wyle
appeared onstage to kick off the keynote. At first glance (and to
people seated far away), he looked like Jobs—blue jeans, black
mock, and running shoes. Wyle had the same mannerisms and
even used some of Jobs’s famous phrases. “This is going to be a
great Macworld,” he said. “There’s something happening here.
The resurgence of Apple. You’re going to see great new products
today. Some insanely great new products. Some really, totally,
wildly, insanely great new products!” The audience went crazy
when the real Jobs showed up.