Whether he’s introducing a new iPhone or delivering a keynote presentation, Steve Jobs, chairman of Apple, electrifies audiences with a unique approach.

The secret: He doesn’t just convey information in his presentations; he tells a story, paints a picture and shares a mission. Jobs doesn’t sell computers, or iPhones – he sells experience and solutions.

Jobs’ techniques can be learned

Salespeople can learn the same presentation techniques that make Jobs a legend. Here are five tips Jobs recommends for planning a presentation.

1. Ask yourself, “What am I really selling?” It’s not the widget but what the widget can do to improve the lives of your customers?
2. Develop a personal “passion” statement. In one sentence tell your prospects why you’re excited about working with them. Your passion statement will be remembered long after your presentation is forgotten.
3. Create your headline – a one-sentence vision statement for your product or service. The headline is a statement that offers your prospect a vision of what your product or service will accomplish. Your headline is not about you, it’s about your prospect. Repeat your headline frequently during your presentation.
4. Create a list of all the key points you want your prospect to know about your product or service. Try to come up with personal stories, facts, examples and endorsements to add credibility to your presentation.
5. Try to identify the most common questions likely to be raised, and create the best answers for them.

Presenting in tough times

Your customers are always mindful of budgets, but in tough economic times they cast a critical eye on every last dollar. Your product or service must deliver what it promises – saving your customers money, making them money or providing the tools to make more efficient use of the money they have.

Preparation is number one

Most presentations are won in preparation. Salespeople should try to uncover facts about prospect needs and not rely only on what their product or service can do for them.

Facts about your prospect’s specific situation will always be more persuasive than facts about your product or service.

Ask yourself:

• Do I know how the prospect perceives his or needs and why? You know what your perceptions are, but they might be quite different from the prospect’s expectations.
• Do I know the prospect’s quantity, service and delivery requirements?
• Do I know who the buying influences are, their titles, responsibility and authority?

Emotion is critical

Your own personal enthusiasm determines whether your presentation creates enthusiasm in the prospect. Every product or service has an emotional component. Think about the emotions that different parts of your proposal may trigger in your prospect.

Try to plan the emotional content along with the information content. Your goal is for the prospect to feel something that advances your proposal. You can have all the facts and details in the world, but if you can’t package and present it with passion and conviction, your presentation may fall short.

Be slow with solutions

Offering solutions before you know a prospect’s needs may raise objections and weaken your presentation. Ask yourself two questions before attempting to offer solutions:

1. Do your prospects know the true cost of the absence of the solution you’re proposing?
2. Do your prospects understand their risks if they fail to buy the solution you offer?

Build the pain

Once you identify a prospect’s problem, build the pain. Make the problem tangible, explain it in detail and build the pain throughout your presentation.  Remember, no one cares about your product or service – prospects care about how you can help solve their problems.

Unless your passionate about a problem that you want to make right, you won’t have the perseverance to stick it out.

Adapted from The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs (McGraw-Hill, NY) by Carmine Gallo. Mr. Gallo is an author and consultant.