The following article by Mark Powell is taken from the MacMillan Education on-line teaching resource site.

Speaking by numbers

I've just spent the past week teaching presentation skills to a fervent numerologist. For those unfamiliar with this particular branch of new-age nincompoopery, it's the belief that numbers have amystical significance that affects our lives. Yes, quite. The trouble is it almost makes sense.

In numerological circles, she explained, zero is the absolute. In presentation terms, this would be to say nothing at all, let them wait. Silence can be dynamite. And it works in any language.

One, she said, is the assertive individual. The lesson for presenters, I offered would be to tell it like it is. "Change! That's what I 'm here to talk about." Straight to business, no messing.

Two, logically enough signifies balance. In a speech that could be simple repetition. It worked for 007: "Bond, James Bond". It could also be contrast ("It's not a question of time, but a question of money") or answering your own rhetorical question("So where do we go from here? I'll tell you").

How about three! Three, she told me, represents communication itself and, indeed, many a famous motto follows the rule of three:"veni, vidi, vici." Grouping points in threes is a classic rhetorical technique, but it's predictable.

So let's try four she suggested. Four is creativity, the surprise, the joke, the twist in the tail: "liberté, egalité, fraternité ... chardonnay!"

Four hits you when you least expect it. As the late Coca-Cola CEO Roberto Goizueta said: "A billion hours ago, humen life appeared on earth. A billion minutes ago, Christianity emerged. A billion seconds ago, the Beatles changed music for ever ... A billion Coca-Colas ago, was yesterday morning."