Any transaction in business or love is a matter of subtly shifting the vectors of power. Presentation experts weigh in with nine tips for shifting the balance in your favor.

1. Yes, you ll need a joke.

The quickest way to separate you from the hundreds and thousands of other presenters is to make your listener chuckle, says Sam Horn, a presentation coach with Springboard Enterprises, of Washington, D.C. But that doesn t mean you need shtick. A few self-deprecating remarks, when well done, can be utterly intoxicating, says Stephen Bayley, marketing consultant author of Life s a Pitch.

2. Find the right amount of truthiness.

In a money pitch, it s far better to under-sell and over-deliver. On the other hand, you don t need to disclose all of your weaknesses for example, by highlighting a lack of experience. As the renowned orator Lord Chesterfield said, Tell half your secret to disguise the rest.

3. Rehearsal counts.

Like a Broadway actor, practice your spiel out loud until you feel entirely confident, ideally in front of a buddy or two. They will tell you what s working, and what s not, and you ll get a sense of which elements of your presentation are dragging.

4. So does editing.

After step 3, you may find yourself wondering how your pitch got to be so long. When choosing what to say, ask yourself if it s something they need to know, or nice to know. If it s just nice, skip it. You don t want to cloud the issue. Think of all the facts you want to say, and then take out 75 percent of them, says David Greenberg, of Atlanta s Simply Speaking, Inc.

5. Make the audience your focus.

In your talk, keep track of how often you re using the words "I" and "you." If you are constantly using "I," chances are you re talking too much about yourself and not enough about the wondrous benefits that your business can confer upon the listener. But that doesn t mean you erase yourself, of course: A certain amount of self-disclosure builds rapport and helps you form an emotional connection.

6. Pictures tell stories.

Most people think in pictures, and have stronger emotional responses to images. The more you can convey any problem and solution in visual terms, the better. In his presentation, pet-product entrepreneur Steve Onthank almost always pours water on his dog beds to show their water-repelling prowess. This doesn t mean you have to be a slave to PowerPoint: Even in a slideshow-free talk, you can engage your audience visually by using phrases like imagine this, or picture this.

7. Don t be a grind.

When meeting someone, never be late, but don t be too early, either. Have an agenda or outline, but don t stick to it like a script.

8. Tower, don t cower.

You want your posture to convey a sense that you re physically comfortable and confident. Plant your feet shoulder width apart, and position your hands asymmetrically for example, with one at hip height and the other at shoulder height--so your gestures look more natural. Whatever you do, don t put your hands in the fig leaf position in front of your midsection. You might as well have flashing lights with words that say: Look at my crotch, says Greenberg.

9. If you draw a blank

If you get lost in midpresentation, one magic word is so." It will almost always activate the brain and let your next thought come to you. If that doesn t work, confess. Tell your audience, I just lost my train of thought." Your humanity may charm them.