Presentation is a performance — and stage fright is common. Think about it. You stand in front of an audience and hope to engage them from your very first word. You want to separate yourself from the parade of vendors coming before and after you, so you think about every facet and plan for every contingency. And because you are nervous about it, you may write down what you want to say — to be sure you get it right.

But somewhere between the clear thoughts in your head and their expression as you write, what you want to say transmogrifies into another language. It becomes stilted, pretentious, maybe even condescending. You want to be impressive, so you try to sound impressive.

Conversely, you decide not to write it down because you want to sound authentic and spontaneous — and because you plan to make good eye contact as you speak. But when you deliver, you search for the biggest, heaviest, most impressive word you can think of. Maybe you believe bigger words sound more professional. Perhaps you need to prove that you are educated or seasoned. Could be you want to demonstrate your facility with a dictionary. It doesn’t matter why you do it. What matters is to stop!

A recent article in the journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology reports that when a speaker uses complicated or unnecessarily long words, listeners — no matter their level or status — evaluate the intelligence of the speaker lower than they otherwise would. In other words, if they struggle to understand you, they assume it must be your fault.

If you want to perform at your best when you present, it’s clear you must avoid the fifth fatal flaw.

You choose words to impress.

When you meet a friend for coffee, you don’t say you utilized your computer today; you say you used it. You don’t ask if she’ll facilitate with your report; you ask if she’ll help. And you don’t asked the server to interface with your needs, you ask him to bring you a menu. There are lots of “you” and “I” and “we” in friendly conversation because real people use personal pronouns. Lots of them.

There is very little passive voice in real conversation because real people generally use clear, uncomplicated, assertive sentences. And while those ten dollar words may not be all that hard to understand, you know instinctively that they interfere with real communication.

Indeed, when you’re talking with a friend, you choose a ten cent word because you know it works best. Why look for the longest word you can find when a short, crisp alternative works better conversationally? Don’t talk to impress; talk to express.

Real people engaged in friendly conversation use real, everyday language to communicate without pretension or an air of self importance. Speak to express, not to impress. You’ll be less nervous and more importantly, your audience will respond more positively. Impress them with clarity, simplicity and authenticity.

Yes, a presentation is a performance and the best performers look and sound like real people. So when you want to engage your audience right from the get-go, capture their attention with a friendly conversational style. Your audience will be happier – -and so will you, because it’s just plain easier on your nerves to be yourself. I call it shirtsleeve English. Use it.

P.S. Discover more about fatal flaws and how to eliminate them in the next article.

If you want to be a good business person, you have to know how to negotiate. There are a number of ways to do this, but a lot of people end up failing miserably with their attempts. To avoid falling into some of the traps of negotiating, follow the strategies listed below.

1 – Know Your Points ahead of Time
You need to think about your points of debate ahead of time. Make a list of your argument’s biggest features and keep them in mind at all times.

2 – Plan Your Approach
Figure out if it would be better to come across as the good guy or as the interrogator. The difference between the soft and hard approach will greatly impact how well the negotiation will turn out.

3 – Focus on Your Strong Points
From the points you made in tip one, form a plan that focuses around your best arguments. Bring them up at the beginning and work others in for support.

4 – Kindly Point out Their Faults
If there are noticeable faults in the competition, figure out what they are early on. Then bring them up in a way that makes you look knowledgeable, not mean.

5 – Stay on Track
A lot of people will try to change the subject in the midst of a negotiation. If you fear that things are going off track, refocus to the topic at hand.

6 – Keep Emotions at Bay
Don’t let your emotions get to you. Think of this as a purely business ordeal. If you get too riled up, you’ll only make yourself and your case look a lot worse.

7 – Remain Calm
Always keep your cool when you’re trying to make a point. Negotiations are frustrating, but you can get over that if you are strong enough to remain calm. Let your opponent be the one who blows up.

8 – Acknowledge the Other Side
Make sure that you do show respect to the other side’s point. You can’t go in without having the ability to make adjustments. You will never win if you aren’t willing to concede in some regards.

9 – Find a Compromise
Once you figure out what will work well from the other side, suggest a compromise that is mutually beneficial. Negotiate terms that work in your main points, as well as the comparable ones form the other side.

10 – Accept the Results
Once you have a compromise, accept it. Complaining will only make future negotiations worse.

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