"You cannot overinvest in communication skills." That's the advice former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi offers in her new MasterClass.

Nooyi's investment began early when she was on the debate team while attending high school in India. However, when she enrolled in Yale's business school, she realized that her public speaking skills needed work.

She flunked a required communication class. It was the first time Nooyi had failed at anything, and she wouldn't let it happen again. 

"I flunked for two reasons," Nooyi recalls. "One, I spoke too fast. I was thinking faster than I could speak, and mumbling all the words. And second, my arguments were too complex."

Nooyi slowed down her pace, which took care of the first problem. The way she fixed the second problem offers a lesson for any business professional and aspiring leader. Nooyi learned to "simplify, simplify, simplify."

1. Know the content

Nooyi rose quickly through the ranks of PepsiCo, a giant global consumer products company. She did so because she became known for having a core competency--a "hip-pocket skill." Nooyi's skill was her ability to study complex problems and communicate them succinctly and clearly to help senior executives make better decisions.

It sounds counterintuitive, but it's nearly impossible to simply information unless you understand the topic. When I work with CEOs and top leaders at cloud companies or other organizations handling highly complex products, I ask to read the technical material. Yes, it can get boring and mind-numbing, but I'm looking for key messages and specific examples that are often buried under mountains of data.

Study your topic deeply and know it well. 

2. Start with the big picture

Nooyi learned that simplifying messages means that you start with the big picture--the conclusion. It might sound like a better idea to save your conclusion for the big finale like the ending of a movie. But a pitch or presentation isn't a movie, and nobody wants to hear you for two hours.

Make your point first, and then follow up with the reasoning behind your conclusion.

3. Make a minimal number of statements

When she became CEO, Nooyi embarked on a new initiative for PepsiCo. She introduced a strategic direction called "Performance With Purpose." Nooyi chose just three pillars to support the strategy: "Nourish our consumers, replenish our environment, and cherish our employees."

Regular readers of my column and books know I'm a fan of the rule of thirds. It simply means that the human brain has trouble remembering lists of more than three or four items. Nooyi's public speaking instincts served her well. She knew that people would only remember a few details about the broader strategy.

Stick to a limited number of supporting messages.

4. Keep messages short and simple

PepsiCo's mission is to produce and distribute the world's best "convenient" foods and beverages. So Nooyi thought of a simple, catchy way to describe convenience. She said PepsiCo makes products you can "rip, flip, twist, or tear." In four words, Nooyi captured every product in the company line.

Tailor your message to the way people actually speak.

Inc