If you want people to listen to you, you need to be clear and concise. Using "ums" and "uhs" in your next conversation or presentation won't help you get your point across.

A trick that you may have learned in grade school can help mitigate that, says Talia Fox, CEO of Washington, D.C.-based executive coaching firm KUSI Global and a public speaking coach for over 20 years.

To communicate effectively and keep herself on track, Fox leans on a five-point outline — the same kind you may have learned while writing essays in English class:

• One quick, attention-grabbing introduction
• Three core talking points that move your purpose forward
• One compelling statement to conclude your story

With this structure, "you could give me a topic and I can turn it into a speech on the spot," Fox tells CNBC Make It. "You can turn that into a one-minute talk, a 10-minute talk, a 20-minute talk or even an hour and a half talk."

The strategy's usefulness go beyond presentations, she says. Say you're asking your boss for a promotion, for example. In just three sentences, you can give them a clear, convincing argument with concrete examples of your contributions:

• I'd like to be considered for a role in upper management.
• I've consistently identified and solved problems for our team, effectively demonstrated leadership skills throughout my time here and fostered relationships across the organization.
• I'm positive that I've gone above and beyond my current job requirements, and I'd love to continue boosting company productivity in a more challenging role.

Once you have your words in place, you need one more element, Fox says: Exude confidence, even if you aren't 100% sure of yourself at that very moment.

"People think confidence is something that you need to have internally," she says. "The whole world, including billionaires, feel insecure. Forget about trying to be confident, it's going to be an up-and-down thing. But you can practice your posture, your voice tone, your eye contact. Try to know the behaviors that result in confidence."

You can calm your nerves before broaching any important conversation — the kind where you might need people to listen to you — by doing activities like taking a walk, meditating or practicing positive affirmations, ex-Disney recruiter Simon Taylor told Make It last year.

Even telling yourself things like "I'm capable" or "I'm confident" can help you "overcome nerves and get grounded," Taylor advised.

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