How Steve Jobs can
improve your magic
By Bobby Warren

Apple's iconic CEO Steve Jobs has been able to work his magic with an incredible line of products, like the iPod, iPhone, iTouch, iTunes and Macbooks, but did you know chances are he can elevate the quality of your magic show? I believe he can, and I will show you how.

Actually, Carmine Gallo, who runs Gallo Communications and trains CEOs in communication skills, will show you how in a video that appears below. In 2009, Gallo wrote a book titled, "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience."
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In it, he shares how people can learn from Jobs to vastly improve their presentations and product launches.

Jon Racherbaumer preaches magicians, mentalists and mystery performers should be well-read in an array of areas to improve their shows, and Gallo's offering lends credence to that message.

The points Gallo raises about establishing a theme with a strong opening, providing an outline of where the presentation will go, being enthusiastic and passionate, creating a sense of "wow" with your audience, being visual, building to a memorable moment and finishing strong can be readily adapted into structuring a magic show.

In watching hundreds of hours of presentations by Jobs, Gallo said the CEO sets a theme, he has a single headline that captures the seem and establishes the direction of the presentation. When you walk before an audience, how do you establish the theme of your show? What is your headline? Gallo's example of Jobs' headline during the iPhone product launch was, "Apple is going to reinvent the phone." When the company introduced the Macbook Air, it was billed as the world's thinnest computer.

Does your audience know where you are going to lead them? Jobs does this by providing an outline. He might say, "Today, we are going to talk about four things," and then he lists the topics of conversation. As he finishes one point, there is a clear transition to the next. Do you demonstrate smooth transitions from one effect to the next, or are you essentially performing what I had done for many years: A dealer demo show. Having identifiable transitions makes it easy for your listeners to follow your story, Gallo said.

During your shows, you should be like Jobs and demonstrate enthusiasm. Gallo noted Jobs uses a words like extraordinary, amazing, cool, incredible and unbelievable to build anticipation and create excitement with his audience. Does your character demonstrate enthusiasm and passion? If the answer is no, then how is your audience going to be enthusiastic and passionate about what you do. Doing this will help to "wow" your audience. Gallo says have fun and be excited about your company, your product and your service (and your magic show).

Gallo said when Jobs comes out with a product launch, he is not selling hardware, rather a transformative experience. When the iPod came out, Apple was not selling an mp3 player, rather a device that tapped into the transformative power of music.

During these presentations, Jobs incorporated a lot of visuals. Apple's CEO uses very little text on his slides. Typically, they include no more than one or two images and minimal words. Because of our craft, we probably excel in this area. Magic is extremely visual. Balls, silks, cards and a variety of other objects appear out of nowhere, fly from one location to another, are burned or torn, yet restored. While mentalism might not have all of the visuals magic does, mentalists do create a theater in the mind.

Gallo recommends, "Paint a simple picture, but don't overwhelm." While not in the video below, Gallo said elsewhere that Jobs defines simplicity as the elimination of clutter. He also attributes to Jobs the saying, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Simplicity is not easy, but it can be powerful when done right. At a Dan Harlan lecture, he spoke of how he prepared a show, even to the point of eliminating unnecessary stage movement and how to introduce and remove props.

There is also and ebb-and-flow to a Jobs presentation. This is true in a magic show. I open with the No Tear Newspaper. It is quick, visual and uses no assistants. As the show unfolds, I perform longer pieces, offbeat pieces, effects using a single helper, multiple helpers and ones that engage the whole audience.

Gallo said presentations can be improved when you identify your memorable moment and build up to it. I am not fully sure how to accomplish this in my show, but we have seen this time and time again in televised magic shows where the announcer keeps us riveted to our sets awaiting the big, dramatic, hair-raising effect that has never been tried before or has not been attempted since a tragedy decades ago. You get the picture.

What makes Jobs' presentations powerful is that he rehearses, rehearses and rehearses some more, Gallo said. In a different interview, Gallo said Jobs might rehearse for hundreds of hours over a period of several weeks for a single presentation. All of the time spent rehearsing makes it look effortless, but it is not. I believe it was in a Samuel Patrick Smith booklet where he informs his readers to make sure they practice their magic and rehearse their shows.

Another way Jobs improves the audience experience and adds to the drama is by saying, "One more thing ... ." The presentation is "over," but before everyone departs and goes his and her own way, Jobs wants to say one last thing. This heightens the excitement and leaves your audience feeling like they have been given an added bonus, Gallo said.

For many veteran performers these points might seem readily apparent. However, it is good to be reminded of the basics, and it is good for those just starting out to learn what makes a good show.

Enjoy Gallo's video.

Updated: I edited the piece further and added some thoughts taught by Dan Harlan about structuring a show.