The Power of Three

I am about to give away one of my biggest go-to secrets in regard to how I work, how I present, and the basis for almost every sales strategy I have put in place. If you have ever heard me speak, or if you hear me in the future you will now be able to recognise this foundation tool that I use to great effect. It is the concept of “The Power of Three”.

The Power of Three is a technique I picked up from an experienced Toast Masters member. He was simply referring to the use of three points within a statement. It is enough information to ensure you deliver a lot of substance to your point or argument, while also keeping the statement succinct as to keep the audience’s attention. The Power of Three is a great format to ensure you can give effective punctuation and rhythm to what you are discussing.

But I say – don’t stop there! This translates very well to other areas of work and play. In a sales environment, I always find that offering three product options to a customer is very effective too. It ensures there is more than a yes/no decision to make, but avoids confusion which happens when we are presented with too many options. In sales you can also use The Power of Three to offer three options based on a pricing tiered system – this is very effective.

I also find that The Power of Three is especially useful in building team goals, measuring individual performance, and to isolate key focusses in the business. If we only focus on one driver to grow the business we are putting too many eggs in one basket so-to-speak. If we aim to implement four or five focusses this can be way too much to actually deliver over a sustained period. Applied at an individual level I have always found that three KPI measurements is easy to understand and track while ensuring the individual is kept accountable.

My recommendation is to review your business objectives for the year (or year ahead), review your upcoming speech or team talk, and review your performance metrics to see where you can utilise The Power of Three. It is beautiful in its simplicity, and if you are still reading this with vigour and interest then The Power of Three has worked as I have been using it throughout this whole piece.