This is a guest blog post from Justin Wise. Read more of his thoughts here: BeDeviant.com
Most pastors are teachers, but not all teachers are pastors. Most pastors have some sort of regular public speaking routine built-in to there weekly/monthly schedule. As such, we have a lot to learn about human communication.
We have a lot to learn from others who communicate a message effectively and decisively.
One of those people to learn from is Steve Jobs. In fact, someone named Carmine Gallo even wrote a book on the presentation secrets of ol’ Steve. I haven’t read the book, but below is a list of some of the “secrets” unveiled by Gallo in a video at the end of this post.
1. Set the Theme
Andy Stanley does this more brilliantly than anyone I know. He weaves a single statement throughout his entire message, making it unforgettable by the end. Jobs does the same thing–one particular theme that you base everything else in your message off of. Cohesion, baby.
2. Provide the Outline
Tell people where you’re going. Don’t make them guess. Jobs will provide some sort of verbal outline near the beginning of his presentations. I like to do the same thing, just so people have an expectation of what they can expect to hear. You respect your audience by doing this, as well as giving them something to look forward to.
3. Open and Close Each Section With a Clear Transition
Give them a “bookend.” Clearly transition from one point to the next with a relevant and catchy transition. Jobs masters this and it shows–the momentum in his presentations never slows, even though the pace might. It’s like a stick-shift–you wouldn’t go from first gear to third, otherwise you wouldn’t have a car for very long. You go from first, to second, to third, etc. The same principle applies in public speaking.
4. Demonstrate Enthusiasm
Someone I work with once told me, “Your audience can’t exceed your level of excitement. If you’re at a five, it is not possible for those listening to go past that. You set the tone.” Steve Jobs is obviously, palatably excited every time he gives a presentation. He’s amped about the latest product he’s wow-ing the crowd with. What about you, pastor? Are you honestly excited about the message you’re conveying? Or are you manufacturing energy? Learn a lesson from Perry Noble: GET EXCITED!!!
5. Make it Visual
Pastors and preachers, listen up. I am convinced this is the most important take-away we can learn from Steve Jobs: Make your presentation visual. The spoken word is designed to engage the mind while visual images are designed to affect the heart. Steve Jobs is a master at conveying information about Apple products while engaging the heart at the same time (i.e. the “I want that!” factor):
* He rarely has more than three images on a single slide.
* There are usually less than 10 words on a single slide.
* The images he uses are rich and vibrant, telling a story.
* Visual aids are simple and rich with meaning (i.e. pulling the Macbook Air out of a manilla envelope. Brilliantly simple).
This is where we pastors have the most to learn. Powerpoint slides are not an excuse to cram as much information as possible onto the screen. Clip art is (and always should be) forbidden. Think less words, more images. Think less words, less slides. Let your story-telling skills do the walking!
6. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
While I’m not 100% on this tip, there is merit. Jobs makes his presentations look effortless because he’s logged dozens of hours to make you think that he’s not even trying. Believe me, he is. While every individual is different, and every schedule is different, practicing your message can never hurt. Knowing your transitions and cues from one segment to the next is key. While we pastors may not have as much time to practice for a weekly message, we can be intentional about knowing what we’re going to say before we step on stage.
No matter what you think about his products, Steve Jobs is an amazing communicator. Sure, he may not be communicating the truths of Scripture, but the message he is conveying is being heard and embraced by millions. Isn’t that something we can learn from? Leaders are learners!
(If you’re interested, below is a brief video presentation by Carmine Gallo on Steve Jobs communication skills. It’s a bit cheesy, but the info is great and the analysis is super helpful.)
Not to be a Debbie Downer but…
This is great advice if you are trying to convince people of something in your own strength. However, for the servant of God I think we should make more of relying on the Holy Spirit:
1 Corinthians 2:2-5 (New International Version)
2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
For the record, Steve Jobs is the man!
Comment by Tony Alicea - Feb 17, 2010 @ 09:58 AM
Justin, right on.
And, as a communicator I’ve wrestled with what Tony is saying, too. However, it finally dawned on me that our worship time is likely one of the most practiced elements of our sermon; but even at that the team relies on the Holy Spirit. I started wondering what I would think of a worship leader who didn’t think through transitions or a guitar player who never practiced, and realized I wouldn’t be OK with that for very long.
Shouldn’t we who preach do our best to sharpen our tools and present our best (which, like Paul, sometimes may not be much) while fully relying on the Spirit?
Grace,
Tim
Comment by Tim - Feb 17, 2010 @ 10:35 AM
I think Tony is spot on with making sure we aren’t doing this out of our own wisdom and persuasiveness but out of the love we have for Christ.
However, have you ever heard a speaker and fallen asleep? I work with college students and if I am not excited and passionate and convincing that God is working the same subject in my life, I get eaten alive. They can see right through me and will not follow the message.
These are points that keep people engaged instead of checking out when the Holy Spirit is convicting them. We can’t just get up there and talk without preparation. We have to have the power of God working in our lives so that those who hear want the same and want to change their life as a result of what the Word is saying.
Paul is talking about not so much focusing on persuading people (same as in evangelism) but as a “demonstration of the Spirit’s power”
When we don’t convey passion, excitement, and visuals that help people connect we just hope that people listen instead of feeling that same emotion of the power of the Word. When I am speaking I am sharing what Christ has laid on my heart and let the Spirit do the rest.
I think these tips are fantastic and go perfect with “Communicating For Change” by Andy Stanley.
Comment by Rahul - Feb 17, 2010 @ 10:45 AM
Doing the best we can honors God. We trust the Spirit for results while at the same time we give our very best to our maker.
Our frailties are useful. Check out my blog “Waffles.”
http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/waffles-2/
But we shouldn’t excuse our frailties, inadequacies, or short coming in the name of spirituality.
Regards,
Leadership Freak
Dan Rockwell
Comment by Dan (Leadership Freak) - Feb 17, 2010 @ 11:12 AM
Tony – Thanks for weighing in, man. I appreciate your desire to stay focused on the Holy Spirit and his power working through us. Amen!
You mentioned relying on the Holy Spirit rather than convincing people “in your own strength” that the Gospel is true. What does that look like practically for you?
In other words, when we preach God’s word, what does it look like to rely on the Holy Spirit? What does it look like to rely on our own strength?
Thanks Tony. Looking forward to what you have to say.
Comment by Justin - Feb 17, 2010 @ 12:27 PM
@Justin: Thanks for following up. I think it is interesting that when you talk about being “Spirit-led” people assume you mean unprepared. On the contrary, I think Paul was super prepared everywhere he went. However, I don’t think he rehearsed his messages with the intention of having the same response as other speakers got from his audience.
I think being led by the Spirit requires you to be prepared for anything. Being well-versed in the Word of God and prayed up allows you to hear clearly from the Holy Spirit. Absolutely you should master your subject matter but an undue focus on “how” you convey the message brings the focus on the speaker. We should always be focused on the subject (Christ & Him crucified). Our only mandate is to preach the Word, the Holy Spirit will do the rest.
There’s a reason that Steve Jobs has a cult following and people idolize him.
I really don’t mean to come across as negative, I’m just concerned that as leaders we can bring too much undue attention upon ourselves…even in the name of “reaching our audience”.
Comment by Tony Alicea - Feb 17, 2010 @ 01:12 PM
@Tony Alicea: AMEN, AMEN AND AMEN!
Thank you and God bless you
Comment by anewcreation - Feb 18, 2010 @ 02:51 AM