Chapter 7. Talk in Triplets: Tap into the Trilogy

Did you know that your mind craves information in multiples of three? Three is the world's most powerful number for receiving information, which means it's a secret shortcut to convey messages powerfully. If you want to save time and effort in helping people understand your messages, structure them in variations of threes.

The World's Most Powerful Number

Not sure how to pull this off? Let's see how messages are communicated in threes in all areas of your life. In the chart are just a few of the triplet combinations that participants in my business communication workshops have come up with.

Education

  • 3 Rs: Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic

  • Elementary, Middle, High School

  • Bachelor's, Master's, Ph.D.

Sports

  • NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, PGA, WWE

  • Horse racing: Triple Crown

  • Baseball: 3 strikes, you're out; 3 outs/inning

Entertainment

  • Network acronyms: ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, CNN, HBO

  • 3 Blind Mice, 3 Stooges, 3 Musketeers, 3 Little Pigs

  • Lights, Camera, Action!

Sciences

  • Solid, liquid, gas

  • Animal, vegetable, mineral

  • Fats: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated

Personal Safety

  • Stop, drop, and roll

  • Stop, look, and listen

  • 9-1-1

Law

  • Legal trilogy: Voir dire, opening, summation

  • The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth

  • Attorney, client, witness

Business

  • CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CMO

  • GNP (Gross National Product)

  • Big Three automakers

Basics

  • Day, month, year

  • Area codes

  • Red, white, and blue

Government

  • Executive, legislative, and judicial branches

  • IRS (Internal Revenue Service) ...

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