Communicate credibility to your audience - three unusual tips to help you do it better
Would you take financial advice from a hobo? We listen to people we think are worth listening to. People we find credible. But what is credibility? And how can communicate your credibility in conversations and presentations? In this article, I will go into the three ways you can communicate credibility to your audience so they give your ideas a fair chance to get through. The first one of the three ways takes a lot of time and may not be for everyone. The other two, however, are easier to apply as soon as your very next interaction. Let us begin.
Define it please – Lessons from a comic book
When you have credibility, people believe what you say. They are more willing to consider your ideas even if they had reservations about them at the outset. Let me ask you - are you familiar with the Hulk?
The Hulk is a fictional superhero character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The summary of the origins of this character is that he was a nerdy, docile scientist who had a freak accident involving radiation. After the accident, he discovered that whenever he got angry, he would transform from a scrawny little weakling to a huge green muscly bullet-proof rage monster able to cover the distance of entire cities in one leap and swat fighter jets right out of the sky like house-flies.
But what does this have to do with credibility? Well, this super hero was originally called the Incredible Hulk. Partly, I suspect, as an homage to the sheer span of the leap of imagination it takes to believe he could ever exist. But more likely, as an indication of how unbelievably strong the Hulk superhero is. And that brings us to a simple one-word definition of credibility.
Credibility in one word
Credibility is believability. There is no need to overcomplicate it. To be credible is to be believable. That is why the opposite – incredible – implies unbelievable. Am I sounding smart yet? Isn't the depth of this insight just blowing your mind? Ok, I am clearly stating the obvious here. But I invite you to read on because I suspect, that like most people, you might be making a common mistake when it comes to your approach to establishing credibility.
What is the core of credibility?
Credibility cannot be taken, it must be given – by the audience. An audience member will make a personal decision whether or not they find you credible. Your job is to make that easy for them. And there are two factors that affect that.
Credibility cannot be taken, it must be given
Two-legged cred
Whether you have an audience of one or one thousand, as we will see in the points below, being credible with an audience is as much about you and how you come across, as it is about your achievements and accomplishments.Most people focus on the latter – their accomplishments - and so they believe that if they recount all their awards or achievements, they will seem credible. While this may sound logical, the reality is that it often has the opposite effect. When done without skill, you come across as pompous or, worse, insecure – feeling the need to cajole your audience into listening to you instead of earning the credibility through the interaction.There is a better way to do this as we will explore in the points below.
1. Notoriety: be well known.
This is probably the most effective form of credibility because it touches on powerful psychological triggers of influence. People who are well-known and widely respected in certain fields will have the power to exert massive influence when addressing audiences within those circles.
Notoriety might come from published articles or blogs, stardom, media appearances, a large social media following etc. In the end, the effectiveness of your notoriety will depend on whether the present audience is made up of the people in the circle of your influence.
The key to getting this method right is that someone else declares you credible. This is much more effective than you tooting your own horn.But what if you are not a celebrity?
Notoriety for the average Joe
You don’t have to be an industry juggernaut to get this form of credibility. It is true that the bigger a celebrity you are, the broader your influence. But also, establishing yourself as knowledgeable even just within the confines of your office or company can grant you enough notoriety within that circle to endow you with credibility.
If you would like to know how to establish yourself as a go-to-guru in a subject area in your office, I will be publishing an in-depth article about that in the coming weeks.
While wide-spread notoriety works for some, it is not available to all and it takes time to build. It is worth building however because the payoff is immense. Like with most things, you get out of it in proportion to what you put into it.In the meantime, you still need to function while you build notoriety. So what are some of your other options – options you can apply right away - for building credibility during an interaction?
2. Share a relevant story
Telling a story about you that relates to the audience is an effective way to gain credibility. Preferably, share this story early in your presentation. A lot of speakers miss this. They opt for dry data or sterile statistics instead of the magnetic and emotionally engaging power of a good story. Accolades and titles can establish your authority but they do not guarantee a connection with the audience. And there can be no exchange – of ideas, thoughts, information or inspiration – without a connection.
There may be times you are required to speak to a group outside your industry – maybe a client group to whom you sell goods or services. Many speakers feel like they need to be a member of their audience’s company or industry or club to have any credibility. In my experience, you do not need to be exactly like the people in your audience for you to help them. In fact, sometimes an audience needs a bona fide outsider to provide a fresh perspective.
While it may help in certain cases, the truth is that being like the average member of your audience is not necessary for your success as the speaker. What is necessary though is that you can relate to the audience. And a relevant, well-crafted story that demonstrates this is a tremendously effective way to achieve that.
3. Share a struggle or weakness you had
As counterintuitive as this might sound, it is true. Most people feel that to appear credible, they must appear perfect. This could not be farther from the truth. These days, audiences want someone they can identify with. And when you try to give off the impression that you have it all together and never falter, they will either think you are faking or that you are not relatable. Neither of which is good for your effectiveness.So go ahead and share something about yourself that shows that you are imperfect.
My only caveat here is that you think of this piece ahead of time and make sure it is not something so bad that it hurts the way you are perceived by the audience. Also, be sure to close on a positive note. Share only about weaknesses you have now overcome or difficult problems you have now solved or at least are enthusiastic you will solve.
...vulnerability can be a sign of strength and hence, a signal of authenticity and credibility.
Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable – vulnerability can be a sign of strength and hence, a signal of authenticity and credibility. It can also be a wonderful gift to the audience – it tells them that if you can overcome a problem or weakness, they can too. And let us not forget, when framed properly, a struggle or weakness can be a good source of self-deprecating humour which helps your audience laugh and relax.
Take me, take my message
People must accept you before they accept your message. This is due to a brain quirk that ensures that we only take advice or information from sources that we feel we can trust. Paying more attention to this important dynamic is crucial in presenting your best self and these tips will get you started. Study them, but more importantly, use them.And till the next article, be your best and do your best.
