Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone on January 9, 2007. — Apple
Steve Jobs hated PowerPoint. “People who know what they’re talking about don't need PowerPoint,” the Apple co-founder once said.
At the same time, Jobs loved presentations – especially product presentations. He loved building toward his iconic “one more thing ...” moments, bluffing a conclusion and then pretending to remember that, oops, he forgot to introduce the first MacBook Pro, or the first iPod Shuffle, or the iTunes Store.
And he loved using humour to make new product features tangible and indelible.
Case in point: the first iPhone introduction at the 2007 MacWorld Conference. The demo itself, while taking well over an hour, is outstanding; Jobs does a great job connecting technology with use. We usually don’t care how a product or function works, necessarily, but we definitely care how a product or function will benefit us.
At the conclusion of the Internet device segment of the presentation, Jobs introduced something “which is truly remarkable, Google Maps on iPhone”. (While funny in retrospect, at the time Apple didn’t have a workable maps function.)
Since Jobs knew he would want a cup of coffee after the presentation, he searched for nearby Starbucks locations. Sounds simple, but then, as the audience reaction shows, it was revolutionary. He chose a Starbucks, pulled up their info, and made a call from within the Maps app.
“Good morning,” a Starbucks employee said. “How can I help you?”
“I would like to order 4,000 lattes to go, please,” Jobs said. The audience laughed. “Just kidding,” he says. “Wrong number. Thank you. Bye-bye.”
The audience laughed louder, and burst into applause.
Simple? Sure.
But effective, because it connects a then-groundbreaking function with an everyday use case.
The majority of the audience surely drinks coffee. Linking a new function, being able to use your phone to search for a nearby coffee shop, to a little humour – Steve Jobs ordering 4,000 lattes – connects the future to the present in a memorable way.
After all, research shows humour improves recall. Other research shows humour increases attention, makes people more convincing, and even makes people like you more. (Not that Jobs needed any help being liked by a MacWorld audience.)
Instead of describing the iPhone’s features, Jobs showed what it could do, making his presentation much more relatable by helping the audience understand exactly what the device could do for them.
And, by adding a little unexpected humour – Steve Jobs was surely one of the last people anyone would have imagined prank-calling a Starbucks – he also made it more memorable.
Which, whenever you need to persuade or convince, is your goal.
Don’t focus on what you want people to do. Focus on what your audience, once they understand the benefits, will want to do.
For themselves. – Inc./Tribune News Service
