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Google’s CEO Follows a Simple Public-Speaking Rule to Deliver Clear and Concise Messages
Keep your audience’s attention with the rule of three.
By Carmine Gallo | Inc Magazine | July 30, 2023
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Google’s parent company Alphabet recently posted better-than-expected profits for the second quarter. Analysts on the earnings call with CEO Sundar Pichai were impressed, and the company’s stock rose by 8 percent. Most people don’t listen to the earnings calls of publicly-traded companies unless they’re shareholders or have a vested interest in the company’s future. From time to time, according to the author he listens to quarterly calls when he knows that the CEO behind the microphone is a skilled communicator.
Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai is someone the author calls an “intentional communicator.” That means he’s precise with language and has honed his message down cold before he speaks publicly. One effective public speaking tactic Pichai often uses is the rule of three. Simply put, your audience has the capacity to hold three or four key messages. Give people five, six, seven things to remember, and they’ll tune out. Pichai is well aware of this rule. In response to a question about AI, Pichai divided his answer into three parts:
First, “Ai is an opportunity to expand our market and allow us to win new customers.”
Second, “It gives us an opportunity to upsell and cross-sell into our installed base.”
Third, “I think AI helps us differentiate our core products.”
Pichai spent just two minutes answering the question. The analyst who asked the question sounded delighted and said, “Great. Thank you.” He was happy because people appreciate concise and clear answers to even the most complicated questions. Is there any doubt that Pichai can spend hours talking about AI? Of course, he can. But he knows that most shareholders, investors, and analysts want the big picture, and they want it fast.
You might not be heading a trillion-dollar company, but even small business owners can follow a three-step process to prepare for customer, employee, or stakeholder questions.
Step 1. Identify common questions. Pichai knew he’d be asked about AI since the technology is dominating the news. What questions do you expect from your audience? Identify the top questions your audience is likely to ask.
Step 2. Create a three-part answer. The answers to likely questions could be very complicated–all the more reason to develop three messages you can quickly deliver in a short paragraph.
Step 3. Add one example to support each point. One example in one sentence is all it takes to make the point.
3 key takeaways from the article
- Google’s parent company Alphabet recently posted better-than-expected profits for the second quarter. Analysts on the earnings call with CEO Sundar Pichai were impressed, and the company’s stock rose by 8 percent.
- Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai is someone the author calls an “intentional communicator.” That means he’s precise with language and has honed his message down cold before he speaks publicly. One effective public speaking tactic Pichai often uses is the rule of three: Identify common questions, Create a three-part answer, and Add one example to support each point.
- Your message is essential. Avoid getting lost in the weeds and confusing your audience. Stick to the rule of three to keep your explanations concise, clear, and compelling.
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Topics: Communication, Social Skills, Personal Development, Entrepreneurship