Do you use the "rule of three" when putting together flower bouquets, balloon bouquets, or business presentations? We like the way flowers and balloons look when they are arranged in odd numbers or in ways that are not symmetrical. Make a balloon bouquet with three balloons instead of two or four to impress your friends.
Before I talk about business presentations, I want to tell you a cute story about baseball to help you understand the rule of three.
I coached T-ball with a guy who was 6'10" tall many years ago ". At 5'7 "I really looked up to this person, that's for sure. The kids were 5 years old, and this was their first time playing baseball.
Bill saw me telling someone how to hit the ball off the "tee" at one of our early practises. He wanted to know what I was up to. Having played baseball for a long time, I must have looked at him a little dumbfounded. I explained that I was telling him how to hit the ball. I was about to learn something important.
Bill said, "Clayton, there are only three things you can tell the kids. If you're lucky, that's all they'll remember." Bill also said I'd have more success if I linked each point to something the kids could picture or that gave them hints. Lastly, he told me that it's good to be consistent and repeat things.
So the first step was to figure out how to set up in the batter's box. I suggested that their feet turn into tree trunks with deep roots so they can't move. When they stepped up to the plate, ROOTS became our "code." The second was to watch the bat hit the ball. Our code was to put our first two fingers to our eyes as a reminder to WATCH the bat hit the ball. It sounded easy, and most of the time it was. Last, they had to keep in mind to run. When a hit was made, the parents were quick to help the coach by yelling "RUN RUN" from the stands. When our first batter hit the ball in our first game, he ran right to second base and kept going. That year, we learned a lot!
Bill told me later that not only kids but also adults forget things quickly. If you tell them one thing, they'll remember it. If you tell them two things, they might remember it. If you tell them three things, they might remember it. This is what he called the rule of three.
How can the rule of three help you in business?
- First, figure out what the three most important things are that you want to say.
- Second, connect each point to something your audience already knows to get their attention and interest.
- Third, be consistent and keep going over the same three points to get your point across.
Think about the next talk you have to give. What are the three most important things you need people to know? Do you start and end by making them stronger? If you are using PowerPoint, you should only have three bullets on each slide. This makes you think in threes and set priorities for how you talk to people. Last, how do your points relate to the people you're talking to? Do they tell you to do something? Why do they matter? How will they help the people you want to reach? Someone who was wise once said, "Tell them what it is you're going to say. Show them. Then, at the end, remind them of what you said!"
Start putting the rule of three into practise. You will be surprised at how well it works!
