The rule of three by Félix Provost-Poulin, MBA, B. Ing
The number 3 has a lot of value in public speaking.
In my experience, this number is useful for three aspects of a presentation: its breakdown, enumeration, and anchoring.
The rule of three works because it is simple, catchy, and easy to remember.
Breakdown
A person can retain a message better if it is told three times. The secret is to express the same thing in three acts: when you introduce what you are going to say, when you elaborate on what has been announced and when you summarize what you have said. A powerful introduction contains a hook that captures the audience through humor and curiosity. A coherent development facilitates the absorption of the message. A memorable conclusion keeps the message alive by highlighting the key elements as well as providing a quick, realistic call to action that ties into the previous hook.
The enumeration
Resist the temptation to give your audience too much. It is easy to get carried away and forget to close the brackets. You know your material better than anyone else and are eager to convey it? Still, get to the point! Summarize your ideas in three clear, concise, and distinct points. You will be able to keep your audience’s attention so that they can recap the essence of your presentation. Tie these three elements together to maximize their impact.
Anchoring
Associate locations on stage with the featured content. Physically divide the stage and anchor three time zones to convey elements of the past, present and future. This will allow the audience to visually locate themselves in your speech and you can play to the fullest potential of the stage.
Control your container, your content, and your environment. Breaking down, enumerating, and anchoring are three of the useful functions of this “Rule of three” in public speaking.
I will continue to write, and I am aware that I have only scratched the surface of each topic. Write to me to enrich your speaking skills or send me a link to a video. I will enjoy listening to you!
Do you see what I did throughout the article? I have broken everything into 3’s!