Page 62 - The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience by Carmine Gallo

CREATE TWITTERLIKE HEADLINES 43

captured the imagination of the computer industry in 1998 and
was one of the most influential computer announcements of the
decade. According to Macworld.com, the iMac redeemed Steve
Jobs, who had returned to Apple in 1997, and it saved Apple
itself at a time when the media had pronounced the company
all but dead. Jobs had to create excitement about a product that
threw some common assumptions out the window—the iMac
shipped with no floppy drive, a bold move at the time and a
decision met with considerable skepticism.
“iMac combines the excitement of the Internet with the sim-
plicity of Macintosh,” Jobs said as he introduced the computer.
The slide on the screen behind Jobs read simply: “iMac. The
excitement of the Internet. The simplicity of Macintosh.” Jobs
then explained whom the computer was created to attract: con-
sumers and students who wanted to get on the Internet “simply
and fast.” 10
The headlines Steve Jobs creates work effectively because
they are written from the perspective of the user. They answer
the question, Why should I care? (See Scene 2.) Why should you
care about the iMac? Because it lets you experience “the excite-
ment of the Internet with the simplicity of Macintosh.”

One Thousand Songs in Your Pocket

Apple is responsible for one of the greatest product headlines
of all time. According to author Leander Kahney, Jobs himself
settled on the description for the original iPod. On October 23,
2001, Jobs could have said, “Today we’re introducing a new,
ultraportable MP3 player with a 6.5-ounce design and a 5 GB
hard drive, complete with Apple’s legendary ease of use.” Of
course, Jobs did not say it quite that way. He simply said, “iPod.
11
One thousand songs in your pocket.” No one could describe it
better in more concise language. One thousand songs that could
fit in your pocket. What else is there to say? One sentence tells
the story and also answers the question, Why should I care?
Many reporters covering the event used the description in
the headline to their articles. Matthew Fordahl’s headline in the
Associated Press on the day of the announcement read, “Apple’s