Speaker Style
Guesting on podcasts is more than showing up, answering questions, and giving good tips. You want to captivate the audience and connect with them by delivering your message in a way that truly connects with the audience, without being someone you are not.
My guest today, April Adams Pertuis, breaks down the four core speaker archetypes to help you find your own authentic style. Understanding whether you’re a visionary, authentic, strategic, or empathetic communicator is the key to unlocking your natural charisma on any podcast. Tune in to discover how to lean into your communication superpower, making every guest appearance more impactful and a lot less stressful.
What You’ll Learn:
- Your speaker archetypes and what it reveals about you.
- The number one rule if you want to connect with listeners on podcasts.
- How to weave in compelling stories, even if you think you have none to tell.
- Understanding your style helps you connect with every type of person in an audience.
- Understand your communication strengths to perform better on podcasts
- Hear the story of speakers who can ditch their plan and still captivate an audience.
Key Moments:
[01:44] What Makes A Good Podcast Guest
[04:30] The Most Important Rule For Podcast Guesting
[08:44] Discovering The Four Authentic Speaker Styles
[11:09] Are You The Visionary Type Who Likes To Change Perspectives
[15:41] How To Know If You Are A Strategic, Data-Driven Speaker
[19:22] Understanding The Intuitive And Adaptable Empathetic Speaker
[29:30] Simple Ways To Weave In Stories During Your Interview
Being a guest on a podcast is a fantastic opportunity to share your message and connect with a new audience. But how do you go from being just another guest to one the host and listeners remember long after the episode ends? It starts with a combination of solid preparation and understanding your unique communication style. Here’s a breakdown of how to shine in your next interview.
Set the Stage for Success: The Non-Negotiable Basics
Before you even think about what you’re going to say, you need to address the technical and practical side of being a guest. A poor audio or video setup can distract from your message and reflect poorly on both you and the host.
Your Tech Setup: You don’t need a professional studio, but investing in a good-quality external microphone and camera makes a world of difference. Avoid using your computer’s built-in mic or recording from your phone.
Your Environment: Choose a quiet, well-lit room where you won’t be interrupted. A good setup ensures the host has high-quality material to work with and allows you to create impressive marketing clips for your own channels later.
Your Research: The most impactful guests are the ones who show they care. Take the time to listen to a few recent episodes of the podcast you’ll be on. Understand the host’s style, the show’s format, and most importantly, who the audience is. When you can tailor your examples and language specifically to the listeners, you create a much deeper connection and show the host you’ve done your homework.
Discover Your Authentic Speaker Style
The key to a great performance isn’t about pretending to be someone you’re not; it’s about understanding your natural communication strengths and leaning into them. Think of your style as your speaking superpower. There are four main archetypes, and while you might have traits from more than one, you likely have a dominant style.
The Visionary: You are a big-picture thinker who loves to explore forward-thinking concepts and possibilities. Your goal is to open people’s minds and change their perspective. You often use “imagine if…” scenarios to inspire and motivate your audience, and you’re not afraid to challenge the status quo.
The Authentic: You connect with people through genuine, personal stories. You are naturally comfortable being yourself, and you communicate best by sharing your own experiences. For you, speaking is about building a heartfelt connection with the audience, not about being in the limelight.
The Strategic: You are a fact-driven, analytical communicator. You thrive on data, research, and well-structured information. You likely come to an interview armed with statistics, frameworks, and concrete examples. Your primary motivation is to educate the audience with clear, logical, and actionable information.
The Empathetic: You are highly intuitive and skilled at reading the energy of a conversation. You can sense what the host and audience need in the moment and can adapt your message on the fly. You might walk in with a plan, but you’re not afraid to ditch it if your intuition tells you to go in a different direction to better serve the listeners.
Leverage Your Strengths and Grow Your Skills
Once you identify your dominant speaker style, you gain the confidence to lean into what you do best. It can also reveal which areas you can work on to become a more well-rounded communicator.
If you’re a Strategic speaker who relies on facts, challenge yourself to weave in a personal story to illustrate a point. If you’re an Authentic storyteller, try to back up one of your experiences with a surprising statistic. By incorporating elements from other styles, you increase your chances of connecting with every type of listener in the audience—from those who want the data to those who connect with the dream.
How to Weave Storytelling into Any Interview
Stories are what make your message stick. They turn abstract facts into something concrete and relatable that the brain can easily recall. Even if you’re not a natural storyteller, you can learn to use them effectively.
Don’t wait for the host to ask you for a story. As you answer a question, actively look for opportunities to share an example. Think to yourself, “Can I share a brief story about a time this happened to me or a client?” This simple shift turns a good answer into a great one. Prepare a few relevant, concise stories before your interview that you can use to illustrate your key points. This preparation will help you feel more comfortable and allow you to share them naturally when the opportunity arises.
About April Pertuis:
As the Founder and CEO of LIGHTbeamers, April is a storytelling and visibility expert who equips audiences with the tools to communicate with clarity, build engaged communities, and create meaningful opportunities. Through her keynotes, she shows leaders how to move beyond simply delivering a message—and instead use their voice to influence, connect, and lead at a higher level.
A former television journalist and producer, April has evolved into a sought-after thought leader in visibility and women’s leadership. She has helped thousands of women build brand authority through strategic speaking, podcasting, and publishing—turning their stories into platforms for growth and impact.
Her work is grounded in a powerful belief: everybody has a story—and when it’s shared with intention, it becomes a force for connection, influence, and opportunity.
Connect with April:
Check out April’s website
Connect with April on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook
Book A Story Soundbite Session
If this idea of Story Soundbites is resonating with you, I’m opening a few Story Soundbite Sessions.
It’s a 2-hour working session where we’ll craft three or four strategic stories you can use in podcast interviews, social media, emails — anywhere you’re showing up.
I’ll guide you through shaping them so they hook the listener, illustrate your expertise, and naturally lead into your offers. You’ll also get access to my Story Soundbite GPT so you can continue creating more on your own after the session.
I’m opening five spots for $297. Email me at info@smoothbusinessgrowth.com, and I’ll send you details. Or book a quick call here.
