This framework helps you clarify your thinking when you want to be effective in situations that matter to you.
You can use it in all kinds of contexts—professional or personal, formal or informal. Any time you're trying to influence an outcome, explain your reasoning, or move a conversation toward a decision, the same underlying structure applies.
At its core, this is a structured approach to effective communication. It guides you from an initial claim, to concrete evidence, to a clear takeaway, and finally to a specific next step—without sounding scripted or pushy.
To use the framework, start by reading through this page. Click the play buttons to listen to the audio explanations as you go. Review the example statements in each section, then replace the example language with your own words and specifics to build your pitch.
Working through the framework this way helps you internalize both the structure and the logic behind it, so over time it becomes a way of thinking, not just something you reference.
When you're finished, scan the QR code at the bottom of the page to add a bookmark to your phone's home screen. That way, this guide is always close at hand whenever you want to make your case clearly and effectively.
Before you can convince somebody, you need to understand why someone might object to taking the action you suggest. This is objection awareness. To achieve it, you need to first get crystal clear on who your audience is. Be specific. For instance, look at the example in our framework. The audience is your boss, Tom. His likely concern is that your new and faster decision-making framework will compromise quality. Take a moment now to really think about your audience, your specific ask, and that one big barrier.
"We've developed a decision framework that helps teams reach decisions faster, without sacrificing quality."
Now that you've created objection awareness, it's time to craft your actual pitch. We're starting with step one, the claim. Here's the key. Keep it brief and make it intriguing. You want to promise a clear benefit while also addressing the likely objection your audience might have. Let's look at the example from the framework. We've developed a decision framework that helps teams reach decisions faster, without sacrificing quality. Notice what's happening here? The benefit is speeding up decisions. That's intriguing. But the second half addresses the elephant in the room: the fear of making bad decisions. You are using your objection prep to craft a claim that proposes value but also speaks to what concerns them most.
"For example, during a pilot in May with four teams, decisions that typically took 2 weeks were made in five days, and none had to be reversed or reworked. Sarah Chan called it 'faster, not looser.'"
Now that you've made your claim, it's time to back it up with your trust statement. This is where you provide the evidence that makes people feel, I can trust this person. Start with the expression "for example," then use concrete details like names, numbers, and times. Let's look at our example. "For example, during a pilot in May with four teams, decisions that typically took 2 weeks were made in five days, and none had to be reversed or reworked. Sarah Chan called it 'faster, not looser.'" Notice that this gives a number of teams, four, a specific time, May, concrete numbers including perspective, two weeks versus five days, and a real person with a real quote, Sarah Chan. These details make people think, 'I can trust this person.'
"The bottom line is, we saved a lot of time, and the quality held."
You've sparked curiosity and built trust with your claim and evidence statements. Now boil everything down to one simple conclusion. No jargon, no complexity. Here's our example: "The bottom line is, we saved time, and the quality held." That's the moment everything clicks. By saying 'the bottom line is,' you signal you're about to make it simple. Don't add new information here - just distill your Step 1 claim into one unforgettable takeaway.
"Would you be open to trying this framework for one of the decisions in next week's team meeting?"
We've reached the final step: your call to action. You don't want people walking away just feeling informed, you want them to do something. Be concrete and make the yes easy. Instead of saying, "let me know what you think," be more concrete. Here's the example: "Would you be open to trying this framework for one of the decisions in next week's team meeting?" Notice how specific that is. It references a specific event—next week's meeting—and specific scope—just one decision on the agenda. Your listener knows exactly what you're asking for. No guessing, no confusion, just a clear path to yes.
