Steve Jobs is a genius at creating what neuroscientists call an "emotionally charged event," which is the equivalent of a mental post-it note that tells the brain, Remember this! At Macworld 2007, when unveiling the iPod, Jobs could have opened his presentation by telling the audience that Apple was launching a new mobile phone that also played music, games, and video.

But he didn’t. He chose to introduce drama and surprise into the equation. What he said was: "Today, we are introducing three revolutionary products. The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device…An iPod, a phone, an Internet communicator…An iPod, a phone.... Are you getting it? These are not three devices. This is one device!"

Not unexpectedly, the audience went wild. In The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be insanely great in front of any audience, communications coach Carmine Gallo studies the Apple CEO’s keynote presentations in order to extract tips and techniques that anyone can use. Jobs, says Gallo, does not sell products; he sells an experience. His presentations inform, educate, and entertain, and contain all the elements of a great theatrical production. The book itemises several core principles that Jobs adheres to, and that ensure that his keynotes are memorable.

Jobs also knows what to do when things go wrong. The book relates an anecdote about the 2007 iPod keynote presentation. Jobs' clicker suddenly failed to advance the slides. Instead of getting rattled, he paused and told a funny story. Once the slides were fixed, Jobs moved on as if it had been planned. His secret is that he seems to genuinely enjoy himself on stage.