In our media training courses we tell people to have three facts to use in an interview. Three is a magic number, not too few not too many. It is part of the human psyche and it works well.
Make more than three points and your audience is likely to get confused and loose track. Make fewer than three and you begin to sound like a broken record.
And this works for everyone even US Presidents. In a recent article in Forbes.com TJ Walker gives examples of how Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton stuck to three points and these not only helped them win the elections but are still memorable today.
Ronald Reagan
- Cut taxes.
- Strengthen defense.
- Balance the budget.
Bill Clinton
- Change versus the status quo.
- It’s the economy, stupid.
- Don’t forget healthcare.