Introduce the antagonist. In every classic story, the hero fights the villain. The same holds true for a Steve Jobs presentation. In 1984, the villain was IBM, “Big Blue.” Before Jobs introduced the famous 1984 Ridley Scott ad to the Apple sales team, he painted a picture of Big Blue “bent on world domination” with Apple as the only one to stand in its way. Conquering a shared enemy is a powerful motivator, attracting fans and followers.
Carmine Gallo is the author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs. He is the communication skills coach for the world’s most admired brands, including IBM, Nokia and Chase. He writes a weekly leadership and communications column for BusinessWeek.com. More about Carmine Gallo at his Gallo Communications website.
