You hear and read this one a lot! “The reason is because…” “The reason is because she’s going to meet us there.” No, it’s not. The word because means the reason that. Just take a closer look at the word. Because. Be cause. Be at cause of. So “the reason is because” is redundant. “The reason is…” or: “It is because…” Those are good, those work.
Here’s what my students learn: Enter a room with confidence, head held high. Look people in the eyes. If you shake someone’s hand, your grip should be firm, not flimsy and not vise-like. Don’t babble, but do speak clearly, distinctly, and loud enough to be heard.
Thirty years ago – maybe even just 20 – terms like fierce and ruthless were often used to describe a good businessman. Let the buyer beware and cutthroat competition were commonly heard. In other words, the qualities associated with being a good businessman were not the same as those associated with being a good person. As businessman began morphing into businessperson – possible because of that transformation – that became less and less true.