The "3-1-2" method

The "3-1-2" method is a refinement of the "Tell’em" method. All presentations should have three parts--a beginning, a middle, and an end. Most people start drafting their presentation by writing in the order in which they will deliver the presentation--(1) the introduction, (2) the body, and (3) the conclusion. This "1-2-3" method is intimidating, like standing at the bottom of a steep hill and envisioning the long climb to the top. Just thinking about the task can cause procrastination. When finally initiated, the "1-2-3" system can lead to false starts because it lacks focus.

The "3-1-2" method, in contrast, is less intimidating and results in a focused presentation with thematic unity, so necessary in an oral presentation. Start your draft with the "bottom line" conclusion (#3), then develop an opening (#1) that grabs the attention of the audience, spells out the benefits they will achieve by listening to you, and tells them what you are going to address. By starting with your conclusion, you now have a destination--you know where you are heading with your presentation. With the beginning and ending on paper, your task of enumerating supporting data and arguments (#2) will be much easier. It will be like standing on top of the hill and contemplating your descent to the bottom--not as intimidating as the "1-2-3" method from the bottom of the hill.

Here is where a lawyer’s education and experience can be very beneficial in the boardroom. The "3-1-2" system derives from a concept with which lawyers are very familiar--the "Doctrine of Recency and Primacy." As trail lawyers know so well, juries--and probably senior corporate officers--tend to pay more attention to what they hear at the beginning and the end of presentations, with much less comprehension during the middle. Thus the importance attached by lawyers to their opening statement--their version of " Tell’em what your are going to tell’em" and their final summation to the jury--the "Tell’em what you told’em/ Placing the focal point of the presentation at the end and the beginning of the presentation increases the likelihood the audience will listen, retain, and act upon this message which is supported by the elaboration of the supporting evidence in "2."