Firstly, the trouble with using 3x the cross wind component or twice the component is that these are quite course rules of thumb. Far better use 3x the cross wind component BUT reduce this to twice the cross wind component if the heading is within 30 degrees of the outbound track.
I find the best way of "working out" the cross wind component reasonably accurately is to remember for 20 degrees of cross wind it is about a third, 45 degrees about two thirds, and 70 degrees or more nearly all cross wind component. There are other "rules of thumb" but you will not be too far out.
There are a few other "tricks" he may have mentioned. If you look at the plate you will see that as you complete your outbound turn you should end up at right angles to the beacon. If you do not logically the bearing to the beacon will provide a give away as to whether you previously made the "corect" adjustment to the abound heading. Exactly the same is true of the base turn.
There are (I guess they are still around) one or two really simple downloads which simulate flying an NDB porcedure allowing you only to adjust the wind heading and component and the course you would fly outbound. They provide a brilliant way of enabling you to build up the mental picture of what is going on.