Many communication techniques are used for rhetoric effect - to persuade, to leave lasting impressions, and to motivate. Using a three part list not only is incredibly satisfying for our brains to receive, but it is memorable, eloquent, and dramatic. When perfected, using these in both speech and written forms, can further enhance your style and allow for truly compelling communications to take place.

Hi it’s Fliss at Zen and welcome to this latest Insight into language and communication mastery.

Today I want to talk you about one of the most powerful rhetorical devices - and that’s the three part list.

It’s been used by script writers, speech writers, leaders, and advertising copywriters the world over and pretty much since the beginning of time. You only have to think back to Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered) which was attributed to Julius Caesar to recognise its place in history.

Now the brain finds three of anything immensely satisfying. For some reason and theories around this abound (but there is no consensus), the brain is soothed, is stroked when three of something are presented to it. There’s a sense of completeness.  What that means is whatever you’re including in your message is grounded better, it's more memorable, it's better received, and usually it comes across as more confidently and more eloquently presented.

Now you can use a three part list in writing or in speech, so across multiple modes of communication.

Think about advertising straplines that are particularly enduring.

Rice Krispies - snap, crackle and pop.

Think of the Green Cross Code - stop, look, listen.

The brain takes these instructions on board, and acts on them and that’s why they’re so enduring.

But don’t just think that you have to use them in the most reliable and predictable way.

There are brilliant examples, particularly from the world of politics, of the three part list being slightly altered so that it has a slightly more dramatic and memorable effect.

We go back to 1996, to Tony Blair at the Labour Party Conference when he very famously said, “ask me my three priorities in Government and I will tell you - education, education, education”. So he took the three part list rhetorical device and repeated the same word. The brain will have recognised that and will absolutely have landed in.

One of the best examples, in my opinion, dates back to 1940 - to May 1940 and to the indomitable Winston Churchill.    Now Churchill gave a speech to his cabinet and then later repeated it in the Commons, when he was asking for a vote of confidence in the newly formed government.

He was talking about what he would bring as Prime Minister and he very famously said, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”. What he did, and bear in mind he was a master of rhetoric (I mean just one of the greatest speech writers and crafters and presenters in living memory and probably well beyond) was take a three part list and extend it so it became a four part list.  But, he was very mindful of the order in which he presented that, “blood, toil tears and sweat".  If he ended on tears, the overall impression would have been emotive, would have been a lack of energy, perhaps a lack of dynamism. 

But actually he ended on sweat. So what people took from that subconsciously was that this is a man who will work hard for us, and that was what was needed. It was a confidence generator, a confidence builder for the people that heard it. You know this is a man who is in this. He knows it’s hard but we can do hard things.

So I’m going to leave that there.

Do give some thought to how you could use three part lists to best effect in your own speeches and in your own conversations and briefings, and in your own writing.

Do let me know how that lands. As always follow #ZenCommsMaster for more Language and Communications Mastery Insights and I will see you soon, thanks so much.

Meet the Author

As one of the UK's leading experts in the applied psychology of language, Fliss has helped Boards, leadership teams, and c-suite executives from across the world to communicate with influence, integrity, and impact. A psycholinguist, voice dialogue, and NLP Practitioner, Fliss is also trained in influence and persuasion, and behavioural psychology, and is a certified empowerment coach and trainer. Fliss heads-up The Ultimate Advantage, a dedicated language and communications mastery coaching and training consultancy, as well as Zen Communications, a successful PR and content agency. She regularly speaks on all aspects of compelling communication and is a popular podcast guest.