Three Messages, One Cue
Prepare spokespeople around three messages and one behavior to correct
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
This preparation method sharply limits the spokesperson's cognitive load. The trainer chooses three core messages that the audience should remember and one behavioral cue that routinely undermines the speaker or brand. The cue might be attacking a competitor, overexplaining, losing energy, or drifting into jargon. Rehearsal then focuses on answering realistic questions while returning naturally to the three messages and noticing the single behavior. The trainer does not attempt to repair every weakness in one session. Because internal meetings can leak and public comments circulate widely, the same discipline supports employee communications, interviews, conference appearances, and crisis situations. The output is a spokesperson who is more consistent, memorable, and coachable without sounding as though they memorized a long script.
Origin
Katie Burke distilled her HubSpot media-training practice into a rule of three key messages and one unhelpful cue.
Core principles
- 01Recall beats message volume
- 02Behavioral coaching must be focused
- 03Simple preparation transfers across communication settings
- 04Internal and external messages now share one reputation boundary
How to run it
- 1
Choose three messages
Define the three ideas the audience must understand after the appearance, using language the spokesperson can say naturally.
Pro tip Make each message short enough to recall under pressure.
Watch out Do not quietly expand the list with submessages.
- 2
Identify one harmful cue
Select the single repeated behavior most likely to damage credibility or obscure the message.
Pro tip Choose an observable behavior such as attacking a competitor or using excessive jargon.
Watch out Trying to correct every flaw at once reduces improvement.
- 3
Run realistic practice
Ask likely and difficult questions while the spokesperson answers conversationally and bridges to the messages.
Pro tip Include questions that may trigger the harmful cue.
Watch out A rehearsed monologue does not simulate an interview.
- 4
Coach the cue
Give immediate, specific feedback when the selected behavior appears, then repeat the answer.
Pro tip Explain how the behavior is perceived, not merely that it is wrong.
Watch out Do not shame the speaker or make the correction personal.
- 5
Verify message recall
Finish with another round and confirm that all three messages emerged clearly without forced repetition.
Pro tip Ask the spokesperson to summarize the messages from memory afterward.
Watch out Do not confuse word-for-word recitation with understanding.
In the wild
Burke coached an executive who repeatedly tried to stick it to competitors and other executives during public comments. She explained that the behavior did not make the speaker sound impressive; it made the speaker sound angry. The focused cue was to stop using interviews to air that dirty laundry while preserving the executive's substantive message.
→ The executive could protect credibility without being asked to change every aspect of their style at once.
Common mistakes
Teaching twelve key points
A long list exceeds what a spokesperson can reliably remember while also listening and responding naturally.
Correcting everything at once
Simultaneous demands about language, energy, posture, and global framing make the session unactionable.
Using interviews to settle scores
Public attacks on rivals often make the spokesperson appear angry rather than authoritative.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for executives, founders, and subject-matter experts preparing for interviews or other high-visibility conversations.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for highly technical testimony that legally requires a larger controlled record.
From the transcript
“your internal communications are your external communications.”
“your goal in any media training should be three key messages and one cue of a thing that they do often that is unhelpful to…”
“this is not the vehicle to air your dirty laundry.”
From the episode
Live from INBOUND: Does PR Still Matter? With Katie Burke and Kipp Bodnar
Katie Burke