Even the best presentations aren't perfect. Let's go even further: perfection kills authenticity. Mistakes, slip-ups, minor errors – as long as they are truly minor – don't hinder the message. Let's look at the world's best presentation from this perspective.
It's the year 2007. Steve Jobs at the Macworld conference in San Francisco introduces a revolutionary new device: the iPhone. This presentation changes everything: the smartphone market, how we use phones, and even the art of presenting itself. From then on, everyone will want to give presentations just like Jobs.
Yes, it was a great presentation. But was it perfect?
Absolutely not. Just watch the first few minutes, and you'll notice a few minor, barely noticeable mistakes.
Mistake #1: Pause in speech
In my opinion, Jobs made his first mistake in the second sentence. It's a barely noticeable mistake. He realized in the middle of the sentence that he had gone too far and forgot to mention something earlier. He pauses in the middle of the sentence, goes back to the forgotten point, and then continues by repeating the sentence he started earlier but interrupted.
It sounded like this:
This is the day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years. Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything and Apple has been…
Well, first of all, one’s very fortunate if you get to work on just one of these in your career.
Apple has been very fortunate. It’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world.
Do you see that tiny mistake now? It's the phrase "Apple has been..." - he repeats it twice. It's not an intentional repetition for a rhetorical effect. It's just a simple mistake.
Mistake #2: Typo
The second minor mistake is a typo on the slide. Also barely noticeable. Here on this screenshot:
Where is that typo?
At the very bottom. A space right before the exclamation mark. According to the rules of the English language, we shouldn't place any spaces before exclamation marks.
Someone might think, "Mr. Garlej, you're nitpicking! If you're so inquisitive and meticulous, then you should make such a good presentation yourself!"
But it absolutely isn't my goal to point out errors to a master like Jobs. Whom I admire as the greatest Presentation Master of All Time. Quite the opposite – I really don't like pointing out anyone's mistakes. I don't like being petty.
I'm showing these mistakes in the world's best presentation to convince you, dear Reader, that we shouldn't worry about third or fourth-rate errors in presentations. Typos? They happen. Slips in speech? Normal thing.
Let's be understanding towards presenters who make minor mistakes. These minor slip-ups shouldn't overshadow the overall message that the presentation carries. Because if such a perfectionist as Jobs made mistakes – they can happen to anyone.
Piotr Garlej