Insights from Rachel Axelrod, Founder and CEO of Axelrod Consulting and Co-Founder of TEDxChicago 

Whether a senior executive is stepping into a board meeting, conducting a media interview, or addressing a room full of employees, investors or other key stakeholders, it’s important to remember: subject matter expertise is only one part of the equation when it comes to high-stakes communication moments. They also require clarity, presence, storytelling and a deep understanding of your audience.  

To learn more, we sat down with Rachel Axelrod, a former litigator turned speech coach and event producer. Drawing on years of experience both as a TEDx producer and executive trainer, Rachel offered the Greentarget team time-tested strategies that can elevate senior executives’ key messages—and their delivery. 

Four Best Practices for Executives 

Our conversation with Rachel centered on how to craft memorable and actionable messages for professional audiences. This included integrating storytelling into interviews, presentations, and speeches, as well as common pitfalls to avoid and how best to convey a unique position of authority.  

Here are four best practices executives should keep top-of-mind:  

1. The Audience Comes First 

For Rachel, the first rule of high-stakes communications is simple but often overlooked: the audience comes first.  

In other words, before crafting a message or presentation, she urges clients to consider: 

• Who is the audience (e.g., age, experience level, where they’re from, etc.)? 

• What do they care about? 

• How familiar are they with the topic? 

• Why are they here—by choice or obligation? (If the latter, you’ll have to do a lot more work to keep their attention.)  

Rachel shared a great real-world example. One of her clients is a restaurateur here in Chicago. He gave two keynotes this year: one to 1,000 members of the National Restaurant Association at McCormick Place, and another to 250 manufacturing executives from all over the world. 

In both talks, the client wanted to describe his involvement in the TV show, The Bear (which explores both the high-level of stress and deep fulfillment in the restaurant industry). At the restaurant association conference, 99% of the room had seen the show. But at the smaller manufacturing event, only 20% had heard of it. So, Rachel coached her client to give more background about the show to the group who were not familiar with it. This made her client’s message inclusive and impactful. 

“Knowing your audience is everything,” she added. If they don’t understand your reference, the message won’t land. 

2. Ditch The Jargon and Tell Stories That Stick 

To make sure your key messages resonate, Rachel advises her clients to ditch the jargon, speak plainly, and, most importantly, tell stories.  

“I’ve watched thousands of TED Talks and coached hundreds of speakers,” Rachel said. “I can tell you that it’s not the insights or lessons that people remember most. What truly sticks with people are the stories.” 

But storytelling doesn’t mean long-winded monologues or personal confessions. Rachel breaks it down into these five fundamentals (the 5 C’s of a story): 

1. Context – What is the setting of the story? 

2. Characters – Who’s involved? 

3. Conflict – What’s the tension or challenge? 

4. Climax – What’s the turning point or moment of uncertainty? 

5. Closure – How does it end? 

Stories don’t have to be long; they just need structure. 

Whether about a client, a team experience, or even someone else entirely, if the story follows the 5 C’s, it will draw the audience in and make an impact. 

3. Practice with Intention 

One of the biggest misconceptions among seasoned professionals? Thinking they can wing it.  

Rachel notes, “I can’t tell you how many executives say, ‘I’m a great public speaker. I’ve done this a million times.’ But confidence can backfire if it leads to under-preparation.”   

Rachel acknowledges that even the most polished speakers need to rehearse. Not just for content, but for pace, tone, and timing, especially when it comes to pausing for effect or responding to unexpected audience reactions. 

4. Make the Message Actionable 

At the end of a presentation or interview, Rachel advises clients to leave their audience with a “takeaway.” This can be a new awareness of an idea or something more concrete.  

“It doesn’t have to be profound. It can be small. One of my client’s call to action was to put words of encouragement on a colleague’s monitor, like ‘You did a great job speaking up in the meeting today.’ That’s specific. And memorable.”  

Whether your call to action is conceptual or explicit, it should be clear, authentic, and easy to understand. 

Everyone Can Communicate Well  

Rachel told us that many executives believe they’re either naturally good at public speaking or they’re not. But her experience proves otherwise: “Everyone can tell stories. Everyone can improve.” 

For her, communication isn’t about being flashy. It’s about being clear, prepared, and connected to your audience.  

“Whether you’re addressing a live audience, a camera, or a room full of decision-makers, what matters most is preparation, perspective, and purpose.”