Great presenters

If you've ever witnessed Steve Jobs deliever a presentation regarding what's new in the world of Mac or Apple, you will know what I'm talking about. The contrast between the way he presents and the way in which the majority of individuals in the corporate world present is huge. A characteristic presentation in seminars or meetings these days typically looks like this:

Bob stands up and instantly goes to his PowerPoint presentation. Each of his 82 slides has 250+ words in it. He could in fact publish a book if he printed it. There are absolutely no pictures (let alone videos) and the color contrast between the written text and the background (did he really use that design template from 1996?) is way too low and strains everyone's vision. And most annoying, he is looking at (because he is actually reading) his PowerPoint presentation almost the entire time. "When is the next bathroom break?" is the foremost thought on everyone's mind.
These are a few good examples of the debacles that happen on a regular basis in meetings you and I are in. Okay now let's contrast this picture with a Steve Jobs presentation:
Even though Steve has a gigantic LCD screen behind him displaying his slideshow, he is the focus of the presentation. He quickly captures his audience with personal connection, pretending his presentation isn't even happening behind him. As he goes through his material, his message is underscored through slides with a single picture or a few words. In a split second the crowd can comprehend the full message of a slide as it boldly undergirds exactly what Steve is saying at that specific moment. Consequently, Steve Jobs is able to continue to keep the audience's concentration on him and not the projector screen. All the while Steve is moving along through his hour-long presentation, yet for his audience it's as if mere minutes have gone by. Down below this article is a video clip from one of the more incredible presentations I've watched of his. What a perfect example of great PowerPoint presentation design (or Camtasia, or Keynote) used with effective and seamless delivery.