Boost The Retention Of Information With The Magical Rule Of 3’s
A few months ago on a Friday evening, sitting on the couch watching tv, I started the process of engaging a Copywriter for my business.
As part of the form I had to fill out, they asked for my company values (along with other information about my business).
However, the problem was, that I didn’t have a core set of company values I could provide off-the-cuff……
Not because I hadn’t ever thought about them though.
I’d crafted them on many different occasions and felt like they were spot on each time too. But they’d just never *stuck*.
So, that very night, with a wine in hand, I went back to the drawing board.
I brainstormed some values and the list was long. There were so many words I felt needed to be included to represent me accurately, my business, and how I operate. But I knew I couldn’t have 10+ values.
So I cut the list down and landed on the 5 values I thought best represented me and my brand. Then I input them into the form the Copywriter requested and went to bed.
However, the next day when reflecting on my values, I still couldn’t remember all 5 of them off the top of my head.
I spoke with another business owner and they mentioned they also have roughly 5-7 values and they mentioned they have to write them down on a post-it-note so they can reference them when needed.
That seemed counter-productive to me.
Surely for values to be truly useful, they need to be with you at all times, directing decisions and influencing the choices you make!?
But, I just wasn’t sure *how* to get to that place where I could remember them off hand.
However, the answer revealed itself soon enough……..
A few days later I was listening to an entrepreneurial Podcast where a lady was asked about her company values. Interestingly she was able to reel hers off, without a moment of hesitation, just-like-that.
Gahh!! She talked about them with so much certainty! Just like I wanted to.
Straight away the reason seemed obvious to me. She only had 3 values.
I needed to cut my list down to make them stick in my mind and be useful to me!
So, I sat down with a pen and paper and whittled my list of 5 values down.
grouped them, tweaked them, mulled over them, and then landed on just 3.
Three things that I felt actually really did sum me and my business up very well.
They were:
1. Transformation
2. Joy
3. Practicality
Yass! It felt so clear to me at that point!
It was me and my business, in just 3 simple words. It also summed things up better than when I’d had even *more* values!
However, the biggest test was whether they now *stuck* in my mind.
The next day, I was able to recall them. Even better, for every day since, they’re there, top of mind! Able to be recalled wherever I am and whenever I need them.
No need to write them down on a post-it note in order to be able to recall them.
Voila!! Problem solved.
It’s funny because I know about the Power of 3’s.
I teach it in my Powerful Presenter Group Program and with clients whenever I’m prepping them to share information verbally. I just hadn’t connected the dots myself to this type of application.
So, here’s the lesson for you.
If you want others to remember a set of discrete points, sick to the Magic Rule Of 3’s.
When you’re giving people a discrete set of points, whether it’s the benefits of something you’re talking about, or the various causes of a problem, don’t reel off lots of things. Always try and stick to the rule of 3s.
Because, information is only really *useful* to people if they can recall it when required (without having to refer to that Slide Deck you used or that document the details are buried in).
Right!?
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