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Subject:RE: Features of a well-written procedure From:"Le Vie, DonaldX S" <donaldx -dot- s -dot- le -dot- vie -at- intel -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 18 Dec 2000 07:14:55 -0800
Mike Stockman said:
>> The justification for the five-to-seven rule
has never made sense to me, because it seems based on research about
memorization, which isn't relevant. Perhaps others who know the research
better will chime in...
I used to write the Home-Based Business column for the Austin Business
Journal and I researched the use of the "Rule of Seven" quite a bit for one
issue.
The five-to-seven rule is a valid principle used in documentation, sales,
and marketing. The Rule of Seven" has been taught in business schools for
years. The average prospect needs to be exposed to a sales message at least
7 times before they will become a motivated buyer. One of the earliest
applications was first observed by Bell Telephone when researching the
optimum number of digits for phone numbers to be easily memorized (hence,
recall, which seems to me to be especially relevant to procedures). Thus,
your seven-digit phone number (before the need for area codes).
The Rule of Seven is also observed in ancient literature for the exact same
reason: easy recall for the oral traditions.
1. The Seven Wonders of the World (described first in the great library at
Alexandria)
2. The Seven Seas (in pre-15th century, "seven" also meant "many" but those
seas where the Red, Adriatic, Mediterranean, Persian, Black, Caspian, and
Indian Ocean)
3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
4. The Seven Voyages of Sinbad
5. The seven notes of the music scale (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti...8 if you want
to count the octave, do)
These are just a few examples. I once presented a workshop on using the Rule
of Seven for marketing. Someone in the audience asked about "the 10
commandments." Good question. I asked everyone to write down the 10
commandments as they remembered them. Then, I took an unscientific poll
(raising hands) by asking "how many did you get?" The average
was...........seven.
Donn Le Vie
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