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May 27, 2024 • 47min
#350 How To Sell Like Steve Jobs
Founders
This episode explores the presentation and sales techniques of Steve Jobs, based on the book "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs" by Carmine Gallo. The host argues that Jobs was one of the greatest business storytellers and salespeople of our time, and that his techniques can be applied broadly to pitching ideas, recruiting talent, raising money, and more.
The episode is structured around three key areas:
What are you really selling?
How Steve Jobs made his presentations
The importance of developing a messianic sense of purpose
#350 How To Sell Like Steve Jobs
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Key Takeaways
- Focus on selling the improvement, not the product itself. People care about what your product does for them, not the product itself.
- Answer the key question: "Why should I care?" Explain how your product or idea will make the customer's life better.
- Use simple, memorable language and avoid jargon. Uncommon but easy to understand words are more memorable.
- Structure presentations around 3 key points and support each with stories, facts, and social proof.
- Practice extensively to make presentations appear effortless. The best presenters practice 90 hours for every 1 hour on stage.
- Develop a messianic sense of purpose about your work. Genuine passion and belief are infectious and persuasive.
- Repeat your key message across all communications. People forget that they forget.
- Use visuals and demos to make your points more impactful and memorable.
- Add context to numbers to make them more meaningful and easy to grasp.
- Build social proof by highlighting testimonials and showing that others love your product.
Introduction
This episode explores the presentation and sales techniques of Steve Jobs, based on the book "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs" by Carmine Gallo. The host argues that Jobs was one of the greatest business storytellers and salespeople of our time, and that his techniques can be applied broadly to pitching ideas, recruiting talent, raising money, and more.
The episode is structured around three key areas:
- What are you really selling?
- How Steve Jobs made his presentations
- The importance of developing a messianic sense of purpose
Topics Discussed
What Are You Really Selling? (2:00)
The most important question to answer is "Why should I care?" You need to explain how your product or idea will improve the customer's life.
- Steve Jobs didn't sell computers, he sold tools that unleash human potential
- Start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology
- Draw a verbal roadmap for your audience:
- Identify the problem
- Explain why current solutions are inadequate
- Present your solution
- Use simple, memorable language. Jobs used phrases like "it screams" to describe speed
- Sell the improvement, not the product itself. People care about what your product does for them
- Create a succinct tagline that encapsulates the key benefit, like "1000 songs in your pocket" for the iPod
How Steve Jobs Made His Presentations (14:01)
Jobs meticulously planned and practiced his presentations to make them appear effortless.
- Plan in analog first using pen, paper, and whiteboards before using presentation software
- Structure around 3 key points:
- Create a list of points you want the audience to remember
- Organize and condense to 3 main points
- Support each point with stories, facts, metaphors and social proof
- Use photos and visuals instead of text-heavy slides
- Add context to numbers to make them more meaningful. E.g. "We sold 20,000 iPhones per day" instead of just "4 million iPhones"
- Use uncommon words that are still simple, like "bitchin'" or "lickable"
- Leverage social proof by highlighting testimonials and reviews
- Practice extensively - the best presenters practice 90 hours for every 1 hour on stage
Develop a Messianic Sense of Purpose (28:02)
Jobs had a deep belief in the transformative power of his products, which came across in his presentations and was infectious.
- Be genuinely passionate and excited about what you're presenting
- Believe deeply in how your product or idea will make the world better
- "Belief is irresistible" - Phil Knight, Nike founder
- Jobs would get emotional about Apple's mission and products
- If you're not passionate about what you're selling, find something else
- Jobs saw computers as "bicycles for the mind" - tools to amplify human potential
The Importance of Repetition (12:01)
Jobs would repeat key messages across all communications to make them stick.
- "Repetition is persuasive" - a common maxim among great leaders
- People forget that they forget - you need to repeat messages more than you think
- Example: Jobs repeated "world's thinnest notebook" for MacBook Air in 7 different ways
- Consistent repetition across presentations, marketing, press releases, website, etc.
Using Demos and Storytelling (18:23)
Jobs used powerful demos and stories to make his points more impactful.
- Example of Edwin Land demoing polarizing sunglasses with a fishbowl
- When possible, show don't tell
- Use analogies and metaphors to explain complex concepts simply
- Tell stories that illustrate the problem you're solving
The Power of Social Proof (26:02)
Jobs leveraged social proof to build credibility and desire for Apple products.
- Regularly featured customer testimonials and reviews in presentations
- Highlighted adoption by influential people and organizations
- Used comparisons to respected brands, e.g. "Our market share is greater than BMW or Mercedes"
- Social proof creates a powerful flywheel effect as popularity breeds more popularity
Applying Steve Jobs' Techniques (36:03)
The host gives examples of how he's applying Jobs' techniques to his own products:
- Founders Events: "Come build relationships with other high-value people"
- Founders Notes: "Get the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand"
- Focus on a single, clear idea for each product
- Speak from genuine passion and belief
- Make it as easy as possible for customers
- Use social proof and testimonials
Conclusion
Steve Jobs was a master communicator and salesperson who developed specific techniques to make his presentations and pitches incredibly effective. By focusing on the customer benefit, using simple language, telling stories, leveraging social proof, and presenting with genuine passion, Jobs was able to create massive desire for Apple's products.
These techniques can be applied broadly to any situation where you need to persuade or sell - whether it's pitching investors, recruiting employees, or marketing to customers. The key is to focus relentlessly on why the audience should care, to make your communication as simple and memorable as possible, and to genuinely believe in the transformative power of what you're offering.
By studying and applying Jobs' methods, anyone can dramatically improve their ability to communicate ideas and create desire for their products or services. The most successful leaders and companies excel not just at creating great products, but at telling the story of why those products matter.