It is an age-old mantra worth repeating, stick to the rule of three. This was observed by Aristotle and is arguably the oldest and most effective of all presentation techniques.
Using this rule, it is easier for the audience to take on board what you are saying, it has a pattern and has been shown to have more impact.
Put another way, an audience can only effectively take on board three points.
All too often presenters prefer to dazzle with too much content. Combine this with a small font and multiple pages, and unless the presenter has the charisma to pull it off, they will lose their audience.
We have all seen this before and most of us are guilty of over-complicating things. Often you get one shot to wow an audience, so maximise everything you do and the amount of time your audience spends listening to you.
The three takeaways for any presentation:
Have a definite start, middle and end.
Be clear, concise and provide examples.
Every slide should offer three takeaway points you want the listener to take on board.
The rule of three is just one of the reasons why we have taken the trident as our symbol, representing brand, marketing and communications.