Presentations: When Apple's Approach Doesn't Cut It (and Gets Annoying)
- Emanuele Mascherpa
- Sep 11, 2024
- 2 min read
'Steve Jobs was the best at presenting!' 'No one like him, ever!' How many times have you heard these phrases? How many presentations by Steve have you watched on YouTube to learn his tricks and secrets? Apple's presentations - which mimic Jobs' style - have had the merit of exposing the masses to a new way of presenting their products/services. However, the Apple style only suits some situations and can even be counterproductive in some cases. First of all, Apple is among the leaders in its market and knows it. Its products are (usually) very innovative, and the company boasts of its first-mover history. This awareness is evident when managers present a new product at keynotes (public events). They use many adjectives that emphasize the qualities of the latest gadget: it's exceptional, a great product, the processor's speed is fabulous, the best camera ever. Here's the first difficulty in using the same approach in every situation - I can't imagine you using adjectives like fantastic, exceptional, or extraordinary if your field is wrenches, fish food, or toilet brushes. It would seem a bit forced and out of place. I also believe that the Apple approach isn't effective in every culture: in some countries, a presenter who boasts so much about the goodness of their products would be seen as a braggart. The audience would start to doubt the actual quality of the products and begin to think that, in reality, something is hidden. When this doubt arises, selling becomes difficult; those in the audience start looking for any flaws and errors in your product to understand what's wrong. That's why the Apple approach, filled with hyperbole and sensationalism, is not always correct. And this is why, in recent years, storytelling has been so successful: describing your products and the problems they can solve. But also, telling that time when things didn't go as planned, but, in the end, you resolved everything. Sharing both the good and the not-so-good: this makes you more human, with your strengths and weaknesses, and, therefore, more likable and credible when selling your product. Presenting (and telling) is selling. As Robert McKee, an expert screenwriter, explains very well in this video."
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