You sound smart. But they're not listening...

"I might be wrong" killed your credibility. Here's the language that gets executives to say yes in the room.

Author

Jacqueline Twillie
October 01, 2025

Speak to Influence begins before you say a word
Speak to Influence begins before you say a word...
THE
STRATEGY
Resilient Leaders X
Jacqueline V. Twillie, MBA
A smooth walkthrough of L.A.T.T.E. with scripts, a negotiation map, and five two-minute tips for this week.
You have probably lived this moment. You bring a strong idea to a meeting. The work is solid. The room drifts. Phones appear. The conversation circles and nothing moves. It is frustrating, and it is fixable.
Executives do not process ideas the way most professionals present them. They listen for impact on revenue, cost, risk, and speed, and they decide quickly whether you sound credible. The method I teach to shift that is L.A.T.T.E. It is not theory. It is how you frame, speak, and follow through so decisions happen in the room and not six meetings later.
L

Look

Start with the decision and the two metrics it moves. Keep it to ninety seconds. Say this at the top of your next meeting.

"The decision today is [X]. It moves [metric 1] and [metric 2]. My recommendation is [Y]. First milestone by [date]."

Why this works. You translate your work into the numbers leaders are already tracking. Attention locks in because you are speaking their language.
A

Anticipate

Strong ideas stall when an obvious concern shows up and you have no plan. Prepare one fallback that still meets the target.

"If policy prevents option A, option B still delivers the savings we need."

You are showing foresight. That lowers anxiety and keeps momentum.
T

Think

Decisions rarely rest with one person. Draft a simple negotiation map before you walk in. List three people around the decision maker, such as Finance, Operations, and a Chief of Staff. Under each name, write the one outcome they protect this month. Use that map to tailor one line to each when you speak. This is how you earn support in the room and in the side conversations after the meeting.
T

Talk

Your first words decide whether you sound credible or tentative. Replace hedging with clear, assertive phrases.
"I might be wrong"→ "The data shows."
"Just a quick update"→ "Brief update with a decision request."
"Maybe we could"→ "I recommend we proceed with."
Small shifts, big difference. You sound like someone who leads outcomes.
E

Evaluate

Close the loop within twenty four hours. Send a three line recap.
• Decision aligned.
• Primary value.
• Next milestone.
You anchor progress and make it easy to say yes again.
Five two-minute tips for the next week
Day 1. Write the four sentence opener for your next update.
Day 2. List one likely objection and one fallback path.
Day 3. Draw a three person negotiation map with one priority under each name.
Day 4. Choose one power phrase and use it in your next meeting.
Day 5. Send a three line recap after your next conversation.
If you want coaching and reps with these tools, join me for Speak to Influence. It is a three week cohort where we build your Influence Map, practice power phrases until they feel natural, and pressure test your proposals against your real projects.
Five live sessions with lifetime access to recordings. Mondays from twelve to one Eastern. Optional question and answer on Thursdays from five to six Eastern. Price is eight hundred with a full refund through the midpoint.
Use code EMAIL for $300 off
Code expires October 3, 2025
if this sounds like it can help you sign up for the October 7 cohort
Reply to this email LMK what you think,
Jacqueline V. Twillie
P.S. If you want to revisit the free lessons before we begin, here are the replays.
Speak So Executives Listen
Pinpoint What Decision Makers Value
Resilient Leaders X
Jacqueline V. Twillie, MBA
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