The New Articulate Executive: Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader, 2nd Edition

18. Write Like You Speak: Ten Important Rules to Live By

SPEAKING FROM A text is rarely a good idea (with the notable exceptions of testimony, legally sensitive issues, time restrictions, little preparation time, lack of experience, etc.) and the rest of the time is not a good idea at all. But if you must do a prepared text, then it only makes sense that the words in your text reflect the way you naturally talk. If they are written in the style of an academic tome or policy memorandum (i.e., subjunctive clauses, long sentences, clumsy language, and all the rest), then you will struggle against almost insurmountable odds.

So you don’t want to wrestle with a jellyfish. You will drown trying.

What you do want is something that allows you to sound ...