What is a key message matrix? It's a convenient way to deeply analyze your audience, their interests and capabilities, pain points and favorite topics.

Why deeply analyze your listeners' interests and pains? Because they'll forget anything that doesn't fulfill their interests or pain points.

Why is it important to us that they remember at least something? Because any speech solves a specific problem and leads the audience to a specific action if we direct the communication wisely. If our opponents in negotiations or the audience of a conference nodded, clapped and immediately erased us from their memory — no miracle has happened.

Now let's clarify how we can be useful to the audience and what messages will become bridges for our ideas.

Key Message Matrix: 5 questions

Use the five questions to complete the matrix and identify the key messages of your speech.

1. Who are all these people we are speaking to?

Keep in mind that more often than not, you're speaking to representatives of several groups at once: for example, a marketing conference will be attended by target marketers, digital agency owners, bloggers, and advertisers.

2. What is important to them? Why are they here, at this conference or meeting?

This question can be a great resource. Be realistic in your search for an answer, but don't stop at the surface. If you feel like people are only coming to this conference at the behest of an executive, think — why are they so skeptical, what content will be a pleasant surprise to them. I'll tell you below how to get to the bottom of it using the method of ultimate meanings.

*3. What should they do after our presentation?

This column should not be a spiritually uplifting slogan, but a concrete step towards the audience. For example, you want all these people to download TikTok and click the buttons there. Or leave you their e-mail addresses. Or discuss with your clients the prospects of new channels of promotion, so that at the next meeting you can discuss these channels in detail.

4. What do they need to remember for this? (key message)

Believe me, the audience will forget 99% of everything that happens at this conference. You need to formulate a precise key message that clearly leads the audience to a key action. It is very important that this message works for the audience's personal interests and pains from the second column.

*5. What will we use to deliver this message?

Think about what form your key message will be most compelling, native and useful. Examine your audience's digital footprint — the media these people read, the posts they make themselves and sherry. For some, the best form will be an emotional story, for some a chart or graph, for others a detailed case study. The form of the message that is obvious to you is not always the most interesting and understandable for your audience.

The above is an extended version of the Matrix for those who want to dig deep. In speaker training, we usually use a more concise 3-column version, which is often enough. (segment — need — message). In the template below you can use the matrix as you like.
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Template of KMM in Miro

The Ultimate Meaning Method

In any unclear situation use the method of ultimate meanings: consistently ask three to five questions “Why?” — this will reveal the right cards in front of you.

Example

What's important to the targeters at the conference? Eating at the buffet and leaving as soon as possible.

Why? Because all these conferences are the same.

Why? Because speakers promote themselves but don't disclose budget, work process, risks at the start.

Why? Because the solutions are generic, the KPIs are vague, and the results are modest.

Why? Because in reality, a targeting specialist survives between the client's “wants” and the daily change of algorithms in social networks.

So what really matters to these people? Perhaps learning how to justify for the client a new channel of promotion in concrete figures, calculate the profit from learning a new tool and foresee the risks one step ahead.

The more detailed we can segment the audience, the more accurately we will understand their interests and pains. Then we will be able to formulate a key message for each group. A speech built on this audience analysis will be useful, memorable and effective. That meeting, conference, phone call will be the first step of your communication strategy.