The Communication Equation Newsletter, Issue #4: Aristotle - The First Swiftie?
Doug Taylor
"Change Advocacy" Specialist | Helping organizations use persuasive communication to drive change & achieve their policies | Creator of The Communication Equation framework.
Aristotle. Steve Jobs. Taylor Swift.
At first glance, that might seem like an extremely strange and unrelated trio, but in reality, they all share one thing in common: Credibility.
They're all widely considered to be experts at what they do, and are looked to as examples and leaders in their respective spaces. When you hear what they have to say, you listen. Steve Jobs is considered to be one of the most influential and impactful business leaders of the last century, and his speeches, concepts and ideas have revolutionized the way we view and use technology.
Taylor Swift is arguably the most successful musician and entertainer of the last decade. Her concerts bring in more money than the economies of some countries. And her devoted fans (which include me...yep, I'm an unapologetic Swiftie) respect and admire her in a way that transcends music, and has influenced everything from get-out-the-vote movements to charitable causes around the world.
Then there's Aristotle. Now we're talking about a guy who literally wrote the book on credibility, defining it as one of the three core elements of communication in his book Rhetoric. He had a term for it: Ethos. Nearly everything we know and practice in the field of communication stems from his ideas and teachings.
Three very different people, one undeniably important similarity: Their credibility connected them to their audience, and shaped the effectiveness of their communication. That's why Credibility is a component of The Communication Equation. Use it effectively, and your impact can be just as unlimited.
Today, we look at Credibility...what it is exactly, and how you can deploy it to get the results you want.
At its core, Credibility is your answer to the audience's question of "Why should I listen to this person?" It forms the basis on which the audience makes a conscious choice to continue to let you in. Without it, your message lacks the believability or significance you need, because the audience is distracted with doubt and distrust. Here's a little thought experiment to illustrate the importance of Credibility: Imagine a rousing persuasive speech on the importance of daily exercise. Now imagine that speech is delivered twice, by two different people:
Whose speech is more likely to move you to action? The answer's pretty obvious, right? But here's the thing to note: You didn't even hear the speech! You have no idea what the message was, what the arguments were, what proof or evidence was provided...you don't even know what the speech is asking you to do specifically! But just knowing the topic and the source is enough for you to form judgments as to the impact.
In this way, Credibility serves as a filter to any message. A credible source will automatically begin to open the door to a message being received. Whereas, conversely, a lack of credibility can lead to a proverbial door in the face of your message.
So, with that in mind, how do we best use Credibility to enhance our message and get those open doors? The answer lies in what I call the SPEAKR framework. It (like everything else within The Communication Equation) is really simple. Credibility is built and enhanced by using the following factors:
Read on to learn how you can become a credible...umm...SPEAKR.
First, let's examine Social Proof. It's a term you might be familiar with, as it's used all over the marketing world, but it has a significant impact in terms of persuasion and influence as well. Simply put, it refers to the natural human tendency to value the opinions of others. If we see that there's a strong social contingent made up of others who are acting or believing in a certain way, we tend to consider that as proof of its validity, and we're more inclined to act or believe that way too.
To establish your credibility through social proof, this is where you'd apply testimonials, case studies, statistics...any information or content you have that reflects other outside opinions of your work. Some general examples of social proof in action might look like:
The only caveat when using social proof is a simple one: It has to be true. I can't believe I actually have to write that, but you'd be surprised. If you attempt to leverage social proof by just making things up out of thin air...well, it kinda undermines that whole "credibility" thing we're going for here. Long story short: Don't be that person.
Next, let's look at Experience and Achievements. These probably don't need a definition - they're pretty self-explanatory. Referencing your level of experience or specific accolades within your niche is probably the most straightforward method of demonstrating credibility there is.
I'll offer one small tip here though: Referencing experience and achievements is undoubtedly powerful, but it can also convey a certain degree of arrogance or elitism. To avoid this, and to lessen the "me-first" impression, it's useful to combine a reference to experience or achievement with another credibility-booster that's more audience-focused, like Kindness or Relatability. Which, as luck would have it, we're going to jump into in just a bit!
I'm going to pause here for a quick side note: I can hear you, after reading about social proof and experience/authority, expressing some understandable frustration..."But Doug, I'm just starting out here! I don't have a client base to give me testimonials or statistics, and I don't have any deep experience or impressive achievements! How am I supposed to use that stuff??"
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I totally get it. In fact, I'm largely in the same boat. But luckily for those like us, we can still use these impactful strategies to boost our credibility, even when we're newbies.
When you're just getting started, the key is in learning how to "borrow" authority and credibility from places it already exists.
The human brain has a natural tendency to make connections, inferences and associations. That's fantastic news for us rookies! All you need to do is make reference to the work, statistics or results of some other source that does have significant social proof, experience or achievements, and the audience will automatically connect you to that information. This associative connection gives you the credibility of your source.
As an example, let's say you've developed a financial investing framework that maximizes your return-on-investment by placing money into various medical stocks. (Note: I am decidedly not a stock guy...this is purely a hypothetical example to illustrate my point, so please forgive any logistical flaws here.) As you enter the market, no one knows about you personally, your company, or your product. But they do know about the issue you're addressing, and fortunately, there are lots of high-authority facts and figures floating around in this space. So, you can borrow some of that authority by saying something like "A recent Wall Street Journal article revealed that medical stocks offer a higher potential for returns than any other category!"
Your audience may not know you at the moment, but they no doubt know The Wall Street Journal. The result? An associative connection: "OK, this person is citing the WSJ for this intriguing fact. I believe it, and they sound like they know what they're talking about."
One key aspect to remember here is this: Aim for neutral sources. The WSJ is a pretty vanilla publication, in terms of its general reputation. There aren't a lot of fanatics, and there aren't a lot of adamant opponents. Its information is generally accepted as truthful. On the other hand, citing a source like, say, Jim Cramer who is far more polarizing would lump you into one side of that polarization, thereby alienating a large chunk of your potential audience. Ideally, you'd want to avoid that.
Find other experts or trusted sources in your area of expertise, and "borrow" their credibility. If your end product is truly legit, this will get you by until you're able to demonstrate your own credibility.
OK, let's return to the next element in our SPEAKR framework: Kindness. You might be thinking "What does some woo-woo concept like kindness have to do with my credibility?" On the surface, I understand. I try to stay as functional and practical as possible myself. But in this case, the answer is "Everything." It has everything to do with your credibility.
Simply put, when an audience evaluates a communicator, the most powerful, influential factor is the audience's answer to the question of "Do I like this person?" We trust those who are likable. Our brains make extra effort to buy-in to what they say, just like we often jump through mental hoops to discredit the opinions of those we don't like - even when they may be accurate!
So how do you get your audience to "like" you? Kindness is key. And in this setting, that kindness comes from demonstrating that you are two things:
Providing your audience with evidence of these two things is where your Audience IQ (you read all about that in the last issue, right?) comes in. With a firm understanding of your audience in place, you can show them the connection between your unique skillset or offering and their specific problem. Once the audience sees that you are able to address their specific problem with your specific abilities, they'll be hooked. That's how you provide.
Similarly, when you fully understand your audience, you're able to preemptively identify their potential objections. Once you do, you can demonstrate your honesty by acknowledging that objection...and then quickly dismantling it. (Notice how I snuck an example of this into my discussion of "borrowed" authority up above? And again into how I introduced the concept of Kindness?) A simple version of "I understand why you might think ________, but here's why that's not an issue." can do wonders to comfort your audience, and make them think "Wow, this person understands me...they knew my concerns, but addressed them up front. They're honest and helpful!"
As an added bonus, by providing value and honesty to your audience, you tap into one of the most powerful principles of persuasion around: Reciprocity. It's human nature to feel encouraged and compelled to do something for someone else if they've done something for you. (Here's my obligatory plug for Dr. Robert Cialdini's Influence, where he dissects all seven of his principles of persuasion. It's an absolute bible for communicators, and I can't recommend it highly enough!) And this compulsion isn't restricted to just physical exchanges - any act or service you provide can trigger reciprocity in your audience. In this case, that "return favor" is their attention!
Finally, we have Relatability. Here, your goal is to establish credibility through connection. In many ways, it's your chance to physically demonstrate the understanding that you've gained through your Audience IQ work.
It's another very powerful tool, and fortunately, it's also one of the easiest to use. Simple phrases such as "I understand," or "I've been there" are tremendous connectors. Stories are also immensely powerful - sharing a story of how you were once in the exact same situation as your audience, and how you made it through, can instantly bond you and the audience through that shared experience.
By leveraging these factors, you'll be able to boost your credibility with your audience, which in turn will allow your message to truly resonate. Taylor Swift, Steve Jobs, and Aristotle would all be proud. Which begs the question: With this hidden connection we've uncovered, can we officially call Aristotle the first Swiftie? That's the real thought-provoker here, right?
Thats all for today! Next week, were wrapping up our walkthrough of The Communication Equation by diving into my personal favorite part: Message Design! Ready to learn exactly how to construct your message so it never misses? I'm excited to teach you my "Bullseye Method..."
Take Care,
Doug
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