#197 · You too can go from pimply gamer to $400K/mo
I became articulate by talking a lot—years of door‑to‑door sales forced me to repeat the same offer hundreds of times a day. Articulation is a skill that develops through massive practice, not overnight. Don’t compare your early efforts to my years of experience; just keep speaking, and you’ll improve.
I don't really have a straight-line path here beyond just talking constantly. I used to do door-to-door sales for a long time, where being perceived as articulate mattered a lot. I did tons of sales in the years after, cold calls, cold emails leading to booked meetings, and my Upwork application strategy required recording a large number of videos daily where I had to speak clearly on camera. I wish I had a clean two- or three-step program to give you, but in reality the vast majority of this skill just came from doing it a lot, to the point where my brain is just wired to talk in a way that seems reasonably put together.
Speaking is a skill like any other. My door‑to‑door experience—knocking on 500‑1,000 doors a month, about 50‑80 a day—gave me the repetition that built articulation. The best way to improve is to combine that volume with some review or coaching; more volume can solve the strategic gaps others try to fix with less volume. If you can’t afford a public‑speaking class, just pick up the phone and pitch 200 people a day. Your brain is a sponge for inputs and outputs; with enough practice you’ll reach the same competence. People who win by volume tend to be more competent than those who just follow a guru. And yes, you can lose the ability if you don’t use it—use it or lose it. After a dry season, jumping back onto a sales call or seminar feels difficult, but just like a heart surgeon needs their first surgery, you need to get back into it.
I'm going to try that approach - thinking of speaking as talking to myself - and see how it goes. Thanks for the tip.
The simplest hack is to talk a tiny bit slower; slower, consistent speech lets listeners increase playback speed, making you sound more articulate. The other hack is to gain experience by speaking a lot—years of daily sales, especially cold calling, forced you to explain problems, solutions, and fit in simple terms, which crystallized your ability to articulate complex ideas. Repeating the same pitch tens of thousands of times built mental ‘rivers’ that make clear speech effortless. For immediate improvement, just slow down a little; you’ll perform much better.