Tell them, tell them, tell them

Whenever I outline a presentation or document, I think, “Tell them what you’ll tell them. Then tell them. Then tell them what you told them.” My Sea Scout Skipper gives that advice in youth leadership meetings. It didn’t sink in as a teenager in the program, but it drives how I communicate now. Why risk your audience missing the point? Instead, dig a pit of success by gently hammering the idea into their head.

The advice isn’t original. Repetition is everywhere. It’s taught in grade school with topic, body, and conclusion paragraphs and evolved into the rigorous abstract, body, and conclusion of research papers. It’s cited in public speaking workshops. It tops communication top-ten lists. But Skip’s format stuck with me — it follows the Rule of Three and shamelessly encourages a straightforward approach. Tell them, tell them, tell them. Don’t beat around the bush. Make the takeaway easy to find.

I share the advice more than anything else. “Tell them what you’ll tell them. Then tell them. Then tell them what you told them.” It sometimes feels like I repeat myself, but then, that’s the point.