PERSONAL GROWTH by Liz Wool Your speaking style is YOU Have you struggled to feel like your speaking style is authentic and resonates with audiences? Have you been told you’re too quiet, too loud, too reserved or have too big of a personality? Your fabulous personality and speaking style isn’t the problem—your awareness is! It’s possible to cultivate your self-awareness to align your communication style appropriately with the situation. We all show up differently with people depending on the situation. For example, even though I am considered an extrovert, when I go to a party or conference where I don’t know a soul, I go back into my ‘shy little girl shell’ who did not speak up because of two speech impediments. Conversely, if I am delivering a speech or conducting a training class, my extrovert personality rises up because my heart and soul are focused on serving others. Your speaking style is one of the most powerful levers you have for building credibility, visibility, and authority to drive real business growth. Your speaking style is not something to fix. It’s something to understand, own, and shape with intention and treasure. Most women fall into one of two natural speaking style patterns: ■ Expansive/Expressive Energetic is relational, passionate, animated, emotionally connected. ■ Reserved/Measured Thoughtful is concise, intentional, calm, steady, reflective. Both styles are powerful and can unintentionally hold you back. They become extraordinary when you understand how to adjust them for the room, the audience, and the moment. When women don’t understand their natural speaking style, we often fall into one of two traps: shrinking to avoid being “too much,” or over-polishing to avoid being “not enough.” Both traps disconnect you from your power. Awareness gives you choices to adapt your presence and transform communication into influence. The following steps help you identify your natural speaking style, understand what may be holding you back, and choose the modulation strategy that elevates your presence and leadership. Step 1: Identify your dominant style Choose the set of statements that feels most like you. Expansive/Expressive ■ I speak with energy and emotion. ■ I think out loud. ■ I connect easily with people. ■ I can talk myself into tangents. ■ I’m passionate and animated. Reserved/Measured ■ I speak with clarity and intention. ■ I think before I speak. ■ I choose words carefully. ■ I can hold back until I’m certain. ■ I’m calm and steady. Step 2: Identify Your Current Barrier Check the one that shows up most often. ■ I worry about being “too much.” ■ I worry about not being enough. ■ I avoid speaking unless I’m fully prepared. ■ I over-explain to make sure I’m understood. ■ I feel pressure to sound polished instead of present. Step 3: Your modulation strategy Use the strategy that matches your natural style. Expansive/Expressive ■ Anchor passion with structure. ■ Slow your pace by 10–15%. ■ Lead with the headline. ■ Use intentional pauses to signal confidence, composure and authority. Reserved/Measured ■ Lead with your conclusion. ■ Add warmth through tone and eye contact. ■ Share one example or story. ■ Use prepared notes/scripts to reduce pressure. Speaking style modulation model™ This model is a simple, powerful framework that helps women business owners understand their natural communication style, recognize how it impacts their leadership, and adjust with intention—not self-doubt. Awareness begins with identifying whether your natural speaking style is more expansive or more reserved. This step removes the pressure to perform or imitate someone else’s voice. Instead, it builds self-trust by helping you understand your authentic communication baseline to be confident and a clear communicator in all settings. Impact is about understanding how your style is perceived and interpreted by others. This includes clients, investors, partners, teams, and audiences. When you understand how your communication lands, you gain the ability to adjust intentionally, and messaging based on the room, the stakes, and the goals of the moment. Modulation: adjust with intention, not self-doubt Modulation is the skill of shifting certain behaviors with intention—not to shrink or perform—but to lead more effectively. This is where women learn to adapt their style without abandoning their authenticity. Modulation is not about changing who you are; it is about choosing how you show up. LIZ WOOL is Founder and CEO of Public Speaking & Presentation Pros, a WBENC-certified business on a mission to help you speak like a pro! Liz is a member of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board. Connect at https://lizwool.com/. 100 enterprising Women
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