The Power of Three

I found out the other day that over 1.3 Million PowerPoint presentations are being presented to audiences a day around the world. Think about that number - and even more important think about the amount of information that means for people to process. So in this entire flood of information how can we bring messages across in an effective way - the people remember the core of what we are trying to express. The answer - the power of three .

Essentially the power of three describes a tool to use in presenting to an audience. It means to sum up your message into three key points you want to cover. For example if you want your team to deliver on goals - tell them three core goals that form part of your strategy. But why specifically three?

Three is essentially the smallest number needed to form a pattern. And our brain works best with patterns that make us remember and recall things quickly. We could of course also take 5 or more items to form a pattern, however three really is the sweet spot to aim at here.

Many times people around us use this method without us consciously recognising it. Obama for example in his election campaign used this technique a lot. Italy is a very effective technique to essentially engage audiences.

The power of three is therefore an easily applicable tool to deliver a powerful message and cut through the clutter. It makes people remember your message faster, as our brain works in patterns to recall information. I can only recommend to try it and see what happens to the engagement of your audience.