mollyp_voicecoach

Every pitch that has ever worked has had the same shape.
Beginning. Middle. End.
It sounds obvious. But most pitches don’t actually have this. They have a middle. A lot of middle. And then they stop.
Structure works because the brain expects it. When information has a shape — here’s the situation, here’s what happened, here’s where we landed — people can follow it without effort.
When it doesn’t have that shape, even a brilliant idea gets lost.
So before your next pitch or presentation, ask yourself: have I actually set up the situation? Have I given them a resolution to land on?
Clarity comes from structure, not complexity.
Comment ROOMS if you want to work on this with others — group practice sessions launching this summer.

My job literally involves telling women to stop saying “does that make sense?” every five minutes.
As a filler. As a nervous habit. As a way of shrinking a perfectly clear point into a question that asks permission to have made it.
And then I will turn around and ask you if I’m making sense every five minutes.
Do as I say, not as I do.
The reason we do it isn’t a confidence problem. It’s a permission problem. We’ve been trained to check we’re not taking up too much space, boring someone, asking too much. “Does that make sense” is just the verbal version of making yourself smaller.
Noticing it is the first step. Catching it in yourself — especially when the person telling you to stop doing it is doing it right in front of you — that’s the actual work.
Comment ROOMS and let’s do it together.

The moment you start monitoring how you sound, you’ve already lost the thread.
I see this all the time. Someone starts speaking, and then a second voice kicks in. How do I sound? Is this landing? Am I saying the right thing?
And that split attention is exactly what makes speech feel harder than it needs to be.
The shift isn’t about confidence. It’s about where your attention is.
When you move it outward — when you actually listen to the other person, track their response, stay curious about them — your own speech gets easier. More natural. Less performed.
You’re not performing anymore. You’re responding.
That’s the difference. And it’s available to you right now, in your next conversation.
Comment ROOMS if you want to practise this with others this summer — I’m launching group practice sessions and I’ll send you the details.

Communication coach here telling women to stop saying “does that make sense” every five minutes — while asking you if I’m making sense every five minutes.
Do as I say. Not as I do.
Comment ROOMS if you want to work on this properly.

Loved heading this on

said giving difficult feedback makes her feel like she’s “ruining people’s lives.”

And I think that’s so specifically, recognisably female!!!

Women are socialised to keep the peace. To be liked. To make sure everyone’s okay before they walk out the room.

So when it’s time to say “this isn’t working” it doesn’t just feel hard. It feels wrong. Like a personality flaw dressed up as a leadership skill.It’s not a flaw. It’s conditioning. And it’s costing you.Here’s the framework I teach women who are done shrinking in the moments that matter:
#
“I want to talk about X.” (No apology. No softening. Just the topic.)
“I’m curious — how do you feel you handle X?” (Make them think first. This changes everything.)
“What I’ve noticed is...” (One observable fact. Not a verdict on who they are.)
“My ask is...” (Rooted in what they said in step 2 — so it’s their goal, not your criticism.)

You don’t need to become someone ruthless to lead well. You need a structure that doesn’t require you to abandon yourself to use it.

Comment ROOMS if you want to work on this and the other moments where your voice deserves to take up more space.

communicationcoach publicspeakingtip

£8,000 worth of stuff on eBay.

Not because he had anything special to sell. Because he knew how to tell a story about it.

Same item. Different framing. Completely different result.This is what I see with communication all the time. The idea isn’t the problem.
structure is.Our brains are wired to listen for patterns. When information follows a clear shape — problem, then solution — people can follow it. When it doesn’t, they switch off. Even if the content is brilliant.So before you explain something, ask yourself: what’s the problem I’m starting with? And what’s the shift?That’s it. Two parts. That’s your structure.If you want to practise this with other people in real time, comment ROOMS and I’ll send you details of my group practice sessions launching this summer. personaldevelopment