Communication Tips

Follow the Rule of Threes

To get your mind in gear before you put your mouth in motion, you need logic and structure.

In fact, you'll find that the best structures for presenting your ideas are three-part structures. We call this the "Rule of Threes."

Most people think that knowing what to say is the hard part of presenting. Instead, it's knowing what to leave out — and delivering a succinct, coherent message.

The "Rule of Threes" makes selecting information simple, quick, and plausible.

1. The "Rule of Threes" imposes order on any mass of information, thereby avoiding information overload. Trying to deliver too much information will freeze your mind, tie your tongue, and confuse your listeners
2. The "Rule of Threes" weeds out extraneous emotion. It's great to let feeling into your presentation, but emotion persuades only when it's contained within a clear, sensible framework of ideas
3. The "Rule of Threes" frees you to be spontaneous. If you use too many notes, or read them verbatim, you will lose your listener's attention. A simple three-part structure keeps you logical and easy to follow, but it also allows you to fill in the details in a spontaneous, natural way

Three-part structures will suffice to show your thinking is logical, objective, and sound. You can compare and contrast ideas easily, without making things too complicated.

Don't feel that you have to adhere rigidly to the "Rules of Three." Sometimes you'll have only two things to say, sometimes four or five. The "Rule of Threes" is as basic as three-chord rock'n'roll. You can improvise — but if you stray too far from the basics, your song will lose its structure and coherence.

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© 2008 Think on Your Feet International, Inc.