You may have seen or heard snippets of QE2's rallying speech to the nation yesterday (6 March 2020).
Classic stuff.
And exactly what is needed in these confused, panicked, chaotic times.
She was so reassuring.
It starts with the tone of voice: Measured. Even. Unflustered.
Then elements of wonderful storytelling, harking back to her times in WW2 when she was a mechanic and truck driver, and evoking the strength and resilience of that generation and unpacking what great British DNA is made of.
Echoes of Churchill at his oratorial heights.
Pumping us up with hope that this, too, shall pass.
But to me the lasting memorable masterstroke was the use of a tripartite or triad (often called the 'rule of 3'):
"We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again."
A brilliantly evocative soundbite, that is collective, inclusive, and embodies all that is dear to us.
"Omne trium perfectum" (loosely, everything that comes in threes is perfect).
The repetition creates a pattern, The repetition aids clarity. The repetition makes it pop in terms of importance.
So, think about how you might introduce and use the Rule of Threes in your writing, speaking, and presentations.
It might just be what separates you from common communicators.
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