Think telegraphing is outdated? Think again.

When’s the last time you got a telegraph? Well, if you’ve interacted with anyone in the last ten minutes – a coworker, friend, boss or even your kids, you definitely got one. And I bet that you sent a couple in the process.

I’m a big John Madden fan. He’s the kind of authentic communicator that makes you want to buy him a beer, sit back, and listen to his stories. So I do (minus the beer) – usually right about the time I take the Fremont exit during my commute into the city – on The Daily Madden, his 8.5 minute gig on KCBS at 8:15am. Today he and the great Tony LaRussa were talking about the typical random and rambling banter of this segment when they turned to the topic of telegraphs. (Listen to the segment here.)

Telegraphing in baseball is common. Turns out that pitchers do it all the time.

LaRussa says that pitchers “get in these habits wherein they start their delivery and they let you know what they’re going to throw. The hitter sees that and they know what’s coming.”

This is pretty amazing. It means that the batter, who is standing 60 feet away, can look at how the pitcher raises his arm, grabs the ball and holds the glove and then that batter can figure out exactly how to hit the ball. They read telegraphs to their advantage, and to literally hit it out

of the park. Don’t know about you, but I’ve got a new found respect for ball players.

LaRussa continues, “Some guys are great at seeing it – it can be really just a glimpse of something…and some can’t, unless it’s really obvious.” And it’s becoming more important. “There’s a legitimate study going on in every big league team more every year at reading pitchers’ little quirks and tips.”

Sounds like business communications to me. Telegraphing is happening in nearly every interaction that you have, and you’d better get good at sending and reading those messages.

On the sender side, there’s nothing that will help you more than video. Just like in baseball (and any other sport for that matter – which is why the best athletes just keep getting better and better), you’ve got to “break down tape.” Until you get yourself on video, you probably have no clue how or what you do in your daily communications. What signals are you sending that either help or hinder your listener to do something with your message? It’s about making what is unconscious to you (your habits, quirks, ‘tells’)…conscious.

And if you can learn to read the telegraphs, you’ve got a game changer on your hands. Whether it’s selling a customer, delivering a performance appraisal, hiring a new team member, or talking with a friend – you’ll be well served to pick up on their telegraphs and respond appropriately. Here’s are a few ways to learn:

• Read Blink. Malcolm Gladwell’s great best seller on how and why we make judgments in the blink of an eye.
• Watch/Listen to your kids: They can’t help but wear their heart on their sleeve. Even though it’s obvious (and pretty funny) it’s a great way to get tuned into telegraphing in general.
• For fun…watch a game of No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em. These guys and gals are good at reading “tells”, and really good at hiding them. At least watch (or re-watch for the umpteenth time) the movie Rounders and learn how even an Oreo cookie can be a downfall.

“Story” is the S of our SHARP principles. Story is also the primary tool in making your message stick, as in Chip and Dan Heath’s great book “Made To Stick.” And in the vernacular of Malcolm Gladwell – story makes ANY idea stick, and if you haven’t read his great book get “Blink.”

The Top Ten Reasons stories are useful and powerful:

• They are real
• They are short
• They are interesting
• They are human
• They give third party credibility
• They are easy to tell
• They are memorable
• They are emotionally connecting
• They move people
• They are the principle communication tool since Man began talking

What Others Say

To be a person is to have a story to tell.
-Isak Dinesen

The story is more important to me than the part.
-Catherine Deneuve

Of course it’s the same old story. Truth usually is the same old story.
-Margaret Thatcher

A compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more emotionally compelling than a dry recitation of the truth.
- Frank Luntz (Communication Specialist in language – also a political consultant)

Eighty percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think. I can change how you think, but how you feel is something deeper and stronger, and it’s something that’s inside you.
- Frank Luntz

From Todd Paulsen, here is some of the power of story, and the reason behind it (see the complete article here):

“THE USE OF STORIES IS A POWERFUL TOOL that aids in material retention, but methodologies of inclusion are rarely discussed. The desire to share emotions and effect the emotional states of others drives us to tell and retell stories. A story is a vector that spreads the information and emotion that is contained within it. No classroom or teacher is needed past the initial storytelling. We have been doing this for years in the form of childrens stories. It has been widely speculated that the story of Hantzel and Gretel (sic) is a cautionary tale used by elders to prevent children from wandering off into the dangers of the European forests alone.”

Jesus told stories and parables. He didn’t talk in concepts – he only needed stories, and he riveted peoples attention. Sowing seeds along the path, the rich young ruler, a house built on sand, faith growing like a mustard seed, and dozens more.

Remember, people buy on emotion and justify with fact.

A great resource for getting great at telling stories is Doug Stevenson’s Story Theatre – after our “Communicate To Influence” program this is one to take – it pays as a communicator to get serious about storytelling.

Create YOUR communication experience – stories will add mightily.