My favorite Steve Jobs Story & The Lessons it Reveals…

Happy Steve Jobs Day!

Yeah, it’s true. There’s an unofficial holiday to celebrate Apple’s co-founder…

…and October 16 is the day.  

To celebrate the occasion, I have to share my favorite Steve Jobs story — the one about the time he introduced the iPhone.

Let’s take the Wayback Machine to January 2007. The Macworld Conference in San Francisco.

The crowd is buzzing because they’ve heard the rumors: Apple plans to introduce a mobile phone.

Jobs stands on stage in his signature outfit — blue jeans and a black mock turtleneck.

Three minutes into the presentation, he says, “Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone. And here it is…”

The room goes silent. And that giant screen behind Steve Jobs shows the image of…

…a big white iPod music player, with a rotary telephone dial attached below the track list window.

The crowd exploded in laughter.

🤣 😆 😂

There’s a guy named Peter McGraw who studies humor.

He’s a marketing and psychology who runs the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder.

A few years ago, he wrote an article that said, “Steve Jobs’ keynote launching the iPhone clocked in at .6 laughs per minute…Not good enough for Letterman, but better than most new comics.”

I did the math. 

That’s one laugh every 100 seconds.

And, according to McGraw, that’s comedy gold for Apple.

Humor breaks the ice.

It builds bonds.

It makes you memorable.

It earns you trust.

It helps the bottom line.

McGraw puts it this way: “Humor can help brands cut through a cluttered marketplace. A well-executed joke grabs attention, sticks in customers’ memories better than most ad campaigns could, and injects brands into water cooler conversation. It also has the benefit of making companies seem more human.”

I know businesspeople who make me laugh in casual conversation. Great senses of humor. Great personalities.

But when the time comes to write an email or post to their blog or say something on social media, they leave all that personality behind. They get serious.

Here’s how I describe this on page 96 my forthcoming book, Story Power Marketing:

I know many “professionals” who push back when I encourage them to create informative and entertaining content.

“No, no, no,” they say. “I’m a professional, not an entertainer.” I hear them and say, “Good luck standing out, being noticed, and getting hired.”

I know. You have credentials. Advanced degrees. Certifications. Media placements. An “Amazon Bestseller.” You know your stuff, and clients pay you plenty for what you know. You’ve earned that, and I congratulate you. Really.

But here’s the hard truth: Most experts are a dime a dozen. At least that’s how prospects see them. If you want to be just another needle in the haystack of sameness, keep being as “professional” as you can be. Don’t put personality in your content. Keep it 100 percent serious. Dish out the same old information. Don’t lower your professional mask. Don’t let people in.

Or . . . sell more and have more fun doing it. Lower your guard and build a following. Attract loyal fans who know, like, and trust you. Create a world where your followers keep coming back—because of you.

Please…put some personality in your copy.

You don’t have to write a stand-up routine.

You don’t have to keep score and count laughs per minute.

You don’t even have to be funny.

Just be human.

The more human you are in your business, the more human your business relationships will be.

That’s good for your clients, and that’s good for you.

That’s good for your business. And that’s good for your spirit.

Speaking of good for your business…

…I’m hosting a free training on Thursday, October 24 that will help you attract high-quality leads, land clients who love you, and skyrocket profits. It’s called The Tech-to-Profit Formula. Click the button below to learn more and save your seat.