Important Things Come in Threes

Three is an extremely important number in business and in life. You have probably heard that bad things happen in threes, which means that after the third occurrence, you can relax. Well, a lot more than bad things can be applied to that principle.

The concept of threes has applied for many centuries

There are numerous examples of important groupings of threes. There is a mind, body, and spirit, which makes you whole. Three is considered the number of harmony. Wisdom is acquired through reflection, experience, and imitation. Wealth is acquired by giving, consuming, and losing. In numerology, the number three means teamwork, sociality, generosity, playfulness, and self-expression, which are all wonderful qualities in business. The list goes on and on.

Three is also a very significant concept in religions.  All religions have foundational principles based on that number and on the whole, people believe in its power and use the concept to understand and excel at making connections with other people.

The triangle of rhetoric

Rhetoric, which is the art of effective speaking or writing, can only be really effective if the person doing the speaking or the writing focuses on each point of the triangle. That means that he or she must focus on his or her target audience, on the knowledge of his or her target audience, and on how he or she can successfully engage the target audience.

When it comes to the message that the person wishes to convey, the content and the structure of the message are both critical. The person who is sharing the message is the person who controls the tone of what is being delivered as well as the way that message is being communicated. The person in control must be fully conscious of exactly how his or her message and his means of communication are understood and which emotions are likely to be invoked.

The three-part purpose

The traditional purposes of rhetoric are to teach, to delight, and to persuade. First and foremost, teaching requires that the information (or knowledge) that you are presenting must truly be absorbed by the person who is trying to learn from you. The actual information is not the entire message. In fact, it is only a part of the whole. You must take the information and weave it into an effective and compelling message that resonates with your target audience members.

If you stick with the three elements, you will be successful every time with your target audience. Of course, although it seems like a simple concept, you may find that it is not that easy to accomplish all of the time. When you present your message, you will need to be extremely persuasive. In fact, you will have to get the audience’s buy-in, which can be challenging at times. You have to take your audience members on a journey until they are with you 100%.

Persuasion in three parts

When it comes to your message, whether it is written or a presentation in which you are standing in front of your target audience, your conceptual approach will be the same each time. As long as you have the correct elements, you are bound to succeed. One more thing that you must have if your audience is really going to accept what you are telling them is that they must find you credible. That doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for them to trust you and to find your credibility unshakeable.

Conclusion

The number three is really significant and if you stop to think about it, a profound pattern will start to emerge and you will see important groupings of threes. Interestingly, once something is done three times, it is considered permanent. It is a clear way of thinking and it can guide you to great success in business.

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