Executive communication and impact
When a senior leader speaks, it is never just about the content of the speech. Whether addressing an executive committee, employees, the media, partners or a crisis, presence, voice, words and the ability to win people over matter as much as the message itself.
Alixio Group helps senior leaders, future leaders and executive committee members make their strategic communication more impactful.
Drawing on the expertise of Verbateam, we work on both substance and delivery, so that each person can communicate with greater ease, precision and impact while staying true to their own style.
Why work on executive communication?
The more senior the role, the higher the stakes when it comes to communication.
Presenting a strategy, announcing a transformation, convincing a board, giving an interview, leading a sensitive negotiation or rallying teams after a crisis all require mastering several things at once: a clear message, presence, assertiveness, managing emotions and connecting with the audience.
During an organisational transformation or a change management programme, executive communication plays a central role in giving the project meaning, explaining decisions and helping teams take ownership of them.
In these situations, communication becomes an integral part of leadership.
The aim is not to make every leader sound the same, but to help each of them communicate in a more controlled and convincing way that remains true to their personality.
Verbateam’s approach
Alixio Group draws on the expertise of Verbateam, a firm specialising in coaching and training for high-stakes communication.
Each programme is built around the leader, their environment and the situations they need to prepare for. It can take the form of one-to-one coaching, in-house training or a programme for several leaders, future leaders or executive committee members.
The work covers communication techniques as well as professional assertiveness and developing a personal style of influence.
What we cover
Public speaking and high-stakes communication
Preparing and structuring a speech helps convey a clear message, argue a case convincingly and hold the audience’s attention.
We work in particular on public speeches, strategic presentations, presentations to an executive committee or board, difficult conversations, negotiations and major announcements.
Assertiveness, charisma and executive presence
Communicating with authority does not mean playing a part.
We help senior leaders strengthen their assertiveness, presence and influence by building on their own qualities.
The work can focus on bearing, body language, managing emotions, use of space and connecting with the audience.
Crisis communication and media training
An interview or a crisis brings specific constraints: limited time, sensitive questions, high exposure and the risk of losing control of the message.
We prepare senior leaders for these situations so they can structure their messages, anticipate difficult questions, keep their reactions under control and adapt their communication to how the media works and to the context.
When a speech is part of a wider crisis management situation, this preparation must also be aligned with the company’s overall response and the other aspects of the situation.
Voice, image and presence
How a speech is received also depends on what goes beyond words.
Voice, pace, breathing, eye contact, gestures, bearing and image all have a direct effect on a leader’s impact.
We work on all these aspects to strengthen presence and encourage more natural, more consistent communication.
One-to-one coaching for senior leaders
Some situations call for fully tailored work: taking up a new role, a strategic presentation, media exposure, a negotiation, a sensitive announcement or preparing for a major event.
One-to-one coaching starts from a real situation, quickly identifies what needs work and prepares the leader in realistic conditions.
Depending on needs, it can complement executive coaching focused on taking up a new role, leadership or sensitive management situations.
These questions of presence and communication can also arise during a career transition or executive outplacement, when the leader needs to redefine their positioning and plans, and how they present them to others.
Training for leaders, future leaders and executive committees
Communication can also be developed at the level of a leadership team or a pool of future leaders.
We design programmes tailored to the organisation’s challenges and the situations its leaders face: management communication, articulating a strategy, influence, negotiation, sensitive communication or public speaking.
These programmes can form part of a wider leadership development and executive education approach.
Expertise for every communication situation
Our support can cover a range of configurations:
- Formats: public speaking, media interviews, strategic conversations, negotiations, lobbying, crisis communication, sensitive announcements or situations involving social dialogue and labour relations.
- Audiences: executive committees, leadership teams, employees, clients, partners, the media, institutions, political decision-makers, the general public or trade unions.
- Stakes: building support for a strategy, managerial communication, commercial negotiation, taking up a role, transformation, crisis or strategic announcement.
An approach centred on each leader
Our programmes are built around three complementary dimensions.
Assert your professional presence
Recognise and take on the leadership role a situation requires, without overplaying it.
The aim is for the leader to fully own their professional space and adopt a presence consistent with their responsibilities.
Develop your style of influence
Bring out your strengths, what sets you apart and your natural charisma, to build communication that reflects who you are.
The aim is to strengthen influence without erasing personality or imposing a single model of communication.
Master communication techniques
Structuring the message, verbal and non-verbal communication, voice, presence, managing emotions and interacting with the audience: the techniques serve a concrete objective.
How does the programme work?
Initial assessment
An initial conversation helps us understand the leader’s context, challenges and objectives.
It also helps gauge how comfortable they are speaking, their communication style and, when a specific event is planned, the conditions in which they will speak.
Recommendation
Based on this assessment, we define the most suitable programme: expertise to draw on, priority topics, pace and format.
The programme can be individual or for a group, and tailor-made to the company’s challenges.
Debrief
At the end of the programme, a debrief with the participant and the experts involved reviews the work done and the lessons learned.
Communication that adapts to every audience
Senior leaders increasingly work in international, multicultural organisations, where communication norms, expectations and practices differ from one environment to another.
Verbateam’s programmes can be delivered in France and internationally, in person, remotely or in hybrid formats, and in 13 languages.
The goal remains the same: to help leaders communicate in an authentic, consistent way while adapting to their audience and context.
Why choose Alixio Group?
Make your communication more impactful
Whether you need to present a strategy, mobilise your teams, prepare for an interview, negotiate or communicate in a sensitive situation, we build the support around your challenges and your own communication style.
Q&A – Executive communication and public speaking
How can a senior leader make their public speaking more impactful?
You need to work on the message and how it is delivered at the same time. Effective public speaking combines a clear structure, key messages, the right presence, good control of the voice and a genuine connection with the audience.
Coaching works best when it starts from a real situation rather than from exercises unrelated to the leader’s challenges.
What is media training for senior leaders?
Media training prepares a senior leader to deal with the media. In particular, it helps them structure their messages, answer sensitive questions, handle interruptions or objections and better control their verbal and non-verbal communication during an interview.
How do you prepare to speak in a crisis?
Preparation starts with clarifying the key messages and the different audiences concerned. The next step is to anticipate difficult questions, work on wording, manage body language and prepare responses to unexpected situations.
Can a leader’s charisma be developed?
The aim is not to impose a single model of charisma. The work involves identifying the leader’s own characteristics and strengthening what makes their communication credible: presence, assertiveness, voice, eye contact, bearing, listening skills and consistency between the message and how it is delivered.
Who are executive communication programmes for?
They can be designed for serving senior leaders, members of executive or management committees, future leaders and high-potential employees. The content and format are adapted to the level of responsibility, the objectives and the communication situations they face.
