A reader asked me this week: "How do I go from zero to hero as a communicator? How do leaders sound so confident in meetings when they started at entry level just like me?"

Great question. Here's the truth:

Most confident speakers you admire probably started exactly where you are. Nervous. Scattered. Wondering if people could follow their train of thought.

The difference? They learned one key thing that changed everything.

It's not about confidence. It's about structure.

Let me explain with a story.

Ten years ago, I was a marketing coordinator at the NBA. In meetings, I'd either stay silent (terrified of sounding stupid) or ramble for five minutes without making a clear point.

My manager pulled me aside after one particularly painful presentation in front of Dick's Sporting Goods. "Preston," she said, "you clearly know your stuff. But no one can follow what you're saying."

Yikes. But she was right.

The breakthrough came when I discovered something simple: confident speakers don't wing it. They use frameworks that organize their thoughts instantly.

Here's the exact framework that changed everything for me:

The PES Method

• Point: State your main idea in one sentence
• Explanation: Give either a reason, analogy, or story to make your point resonate (usually up to 4 sentences)
• Segue: Transition to the next topic, or pause to ask an open-ended question

That's it. Three steps. But it transformed how I communicated.

Here’s an example from one of the ISA alums, answering the question, “Why do customers choose your product over other competitors?”

Point: "The reason why our customers choose us over our competitors is because we’re the most holistic solution on the market.”

Explanation: “Our platform reduces IT costs by 20% because we consolidate all of the features most customers like you are paying for across different tools: document repositories, visual collaboration, and data storage for your architecture teams.”

Segue: “I’m curious. What are the tools that your software architecture teams currently use to collaborate and get alignment on key initiatives?”

Clear. Concise. Confident.

The best part? This isn't natural talent. It's a learnable skill.

Three ways to start building your confidence this week:

1. Pick one framework and practice it everywhere. Use PES for every question you answer, even casual ones. "What'd you do this weekend?" becomes practice time.
2. Record yourself for 60 seconds daily. Pick a random topic and explain it using PES. You'll be shocked how quickly you improve.
3. Focus on structure, not perfection. Confident speakers aren't perfect. They're organized.

Remember: every leader you admire learned these skills. They weren't born with them.

The only difference between you and them? They started practicing.

If you want to make PES second nature and master impromptu speaking, then join The ISA. Because you're on the waitlist, you'll get a 20% discount. Use code JULY20 at checkout.

​Join here.​

Our live kickoff call is this Thursday, July 24th at 3pm PT. You'll learn exactly how to maximize your time in the program and get coaching from me on the call.

 Preston