Build Your Credibility

What is Credibility?

Credibility is the quality, capability, or power to elicit belief.??And it’s the cornerstone of persuasion. That’s because when others see you as credible, they’re more likely to commit time or resources to your idea or proposal.

You establish your credibility on two fronts:

·??????You as a person.?Credible people are seen by others as believable, trustworthy, sincere, and well informed about their ideas. For instance, you show that you understand all the implications of a new offering you’re recommending—because you’ve carefully researched target markets, customer interest, and the competition. And your past actions show that you consistently and thoroughly research your ideas before presenting them.

·??????Your ideas.?Credible ideas are sound and reasonable. For example, the idea you have for a new offering makes sense, given current market conditions and your organization’s business strategy.

For you and your ideas to be seen as credible, you need to earn others’ trust and establish your expertise.

You can think of credibility in terms of this formula:

Credibility = Trust + Expertise

The more trust you earn and the more expertise you establish, the more credible you?and?your ideas become—and the more persuasive you can be.

1. Earn others’ trust:

When people trust you, they’re more inclined to accept your ideas. That’s because they see you as believable, well informed, and sincere. They know you have their best interests at heart. They perceive that you’re open to ideas, but not gullible—someone who weighs things objectively and thoughtfully, not impulsively. Finally, they believe that you’re honest and reliable.

To earn others' trust:

·??????Be sincere.?Demonstrate your genuine belief that your ideas are worth others' time and attention.

·??????Build a track record of trustworthiness.?Follow through on promises and commitments you've made. By?behaving?in a trustworthy manner, you earn a reputation for?being?trustworthy.

·??????Respect others.?Share or give credit to those who contribute good ideas.

·??????Encourage exploration of ideas.?Value others’ ideas. Listen to people’s concerns, encourage dialogue, and demonstrate your openness to their perspectives.

·??????Put others' best interests first.?When people believe you have their interests in mind, they tend to trust you and your ideas more.

·??????Acknowledge your flaws.?When you own up to your flaws, people see you as truthful and therefore trustworthy. That’s because many people assume that most individuals want to conceal their faults.

These practices presume that you have a relationship with those you want to persuade—for example, as a colleague, boss, partner, or customer. Such relationships provide opportunities to develop trust over time.

?But in some cases, you’ll be seeking to persuade strangers, or people to whom you’ll have only one exposure. In these situations, you’ll need to show that you have a record of being trustworthy.

2. Establish your expertise:

People see you as having expertise when you are clearly knowledgeable about your ideas, make reasonable judgment calls, and accumulate a history of successes. But establishing your expertise isn’t something you do only when you have a specific persuasion goal in mind. Instead, you need to do so on an ongoing basis when opportunities arise.

Tips for using technology to establish your expertise?

Making sure others perceive your expertise takes some communication skill. But we live in an age when more work is being done by global and virtual teams. That means you may not have many opportunities to demonstrate your expertise face-to-face. So you might have to rely more on technology.

However, it can be harder to “sell” your expertise convincingly when you showcase it through email, online technologies, wikis, social media, and so forth. That’s because others can’t see your facial expressions or body language and, in some cases, can't hear your tone of voice. Those nonverbal aspects of communication can often help you convey your credentials or endorsements with modesty and humility.

·??????Provide quick updates on your achievements.?Use short emails, text messages, social media posts, or blog entries to update others on your achievements relevant to ideas you’re proposing.

·??????Make your communications personal.?Avoiding using mass emails and other impersonal communications to let people know of recent achievements that speak to your expertise. Something like “Check out the article I just published in TechMagazine!” may make others conclude that you only see them as business contacts, not as individuals. Instead, tailor your messages to the recipients by addressing them by name and acknowledging something unique about your relationship with them.