The Power Of Threes: How To Craft A Memorable Message

Have you ever wondered why some messages stick and why some presenters hold your attention while others fade away? The answer often lies in a timeless communication principle: the Rule of Threes.

By Michel Koopman

For Forbes Forbes Business Council

Have you ever wondered why some messages stick and why some presenters hold your attention while others fade away?

The answer often lies in a timeless communication principle: the Rule of Threes. This concept leverages the way our brains process information—we're wired to remember patterns and groupings of three. From childhood stories ("The Three Little Pigs") to professional presentations, the power of threes helps ensure clarity, retention and engagement.

In fact, studies in cognitive psychology support this. George Miller's research, famously outlined in his paper "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two," shows that our working memory is limited, and chunking information into smaller groups makes it easier to process and remember.

Additionally, the brain's pattern recognition capabilities can make triads especially memorable. Aristotle's work also highlighted the power of beginning, middle and end, which aligns with this principle.

In this article, we'll explore how to organize your message using the Rule of Threes. We'll break it down into three key steps: 1) tell them what you're going to tell them, 2) tell them, and 3) tell them what you told them. Each step will include its own beginning, middle and end—another set of threes. (Oh, and there's a little flexibility here: You might want to repeat step two—the middle—up to three times if you have multiple key points to cover.)

By the end, you'll have a structured framework to captivate any audience.

Read the full article at the Forbes Business Council