There's a great post contrasting the graphic presentation styles of Bill Gates and Steven Jobs on the Presentation Zen blog. Blogger Garr Reynolds roots for Jobs' use of minimal graphics over Gates' slides with more complex information.
While the graphic contrast is striking, I'd like to add a bit about how the content strategy is very different. Jobs uses his slides in a sequence to involve his audience.
Take the challenge of selling a new idea that emerges when three or four elements combine. The common approach that Bill Gates (as well as 90% of presenters I have seen) is using above is to show all elements on the screen with arrows linking them and then explain how each comes together to form the new idea.
.
Steve Jobs took this same "several elements create a new idea" challenge, but instead, used a sequence of slides to get the audience more involved during his recent presentation that introduced the iPhone.
.
As Jobs returned to the stage at MacWorld, possibly to introduce a new product, he surprised the audience by announcing that Apple was introducing not one, but three revolutionary new products.
.
He went on to list all three (shown left 1 to 3) calling each "revolutionary" as he did.
.
.
.
.
Then as the screen (4) showed the three new products just named, Jobs repeated those product names with a chant like pacing, "An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator."
As he did, the graphics representing the three products morphed into a single 3D shape (5) which started to slowly rotate in the center of the screen.
.
Mid way through Job's third repetition of the new products, ("...an iPod, a phone...") he stopped and looked knowingly at the audience. The audience laughed appreciatively. Jobs paused and asked, "Are you getting it?
.
Jobs held up a single finger (6) and said,”These are not three separate devices this is one device, and we are calling it iPhone. Today Apple is going to re-invent the phone, and here it is!"
.
Bill Gates showed the relationship between the elements of his idea by displaying them on a screen graphically linked with arrows.
Steven Jobs used a series of simple slides to surprise and involve the audience and ultimately to let them "see" the idea in their minds. Jobs never actually displayed an "elements with linking arrows" graphic to explain his idea, instead the idea was build in the collective minds of his audience, one slide at a time.
Great post. It shows that it is the message that is important if conveyed correctly. The use of simple visuals did the trick here
Posted by: Peter 'sales training' odonoghue | July 26, 2009 at 12:44 PM
http://www.pdfqueen.com Pdf ebooks searching service can also be used for the search of printing production, which might be bought in internet shops.
Posted by: Shaun | February 04, 2010 at 09:24 AM
Jobs never actually displayed an "elements with linking arrows" graphic to explain his idea, instead the idea was build in the collective minds of his audience, one slide at a time.
Posted by: Cheap Computer Canada | March 14, 2010 at 09:05 AM
Distance education is big business and there are long-established businesses that provide home studies for many careers, dog training in computer programming, work of the police report. These big companies all have an online presence to the Internet is a good place to start your search.
Posted by: career consulting | November 01, 2010 at 01:21 AM
The comparison between Steve Job and Bill Gate's way of product presentation posted here is very interesting. I remember an employer who required us to participate in trainings and seminars. I was so impressed with one resource person or speaker who provided a presentation similar with Steve Job's technique. He also taught us basic working principles through the Kanban simulation. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Kanban simulation | February 09, 2011 at 04:44 AM
You can also increase your business sales volume by using KAP content presentation, and KAP proposal automation softwares. These are very easy to understand, and no specific training required to get work from them. just log on to http://www.globalkap.com to get great IT solutions to upgrade your business set up, and many more that you wants.
Posted by: KAP Content Presentation | February 25, 2011 at 02:10 AM
The comparison that you have made between Steve Job and Bill Gate's way of product presentation is very interesting. These days employers are looking more than just taking interviews. Now they require you to present something so that they can decide are you perfect for the job or not.
Posted by: Presentation Software | March 27, 2011 at 02:52 PM
Apple said in a press release that it was “deeply saddened” to announce that Mr. Jobs had died. “Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives,” the company said. “The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”
Posted by: potty train dog | August 28, 2012 at 02:57 PM