Credibility: How to get others to do your talking for you

We've all been there, haven't we??Stuck with that guy at the table. ?I'm pretty sure you remember him, the one who couldn't stop talking about how great he was.

All the important people he knew.

All the things he'd done at work.

All the stuff he'd bought.

Maybe, just maybe, you seized a rare moment of silence when he paused to breathe. ?You changed the subject and started to tell your fellow hostages about how much you had enjoyed going canoeing last weekend with a cousin you hadn't seen in a while.

But lo and behold. ?There he was again, taking up the challenge. ?He, of course, had kayaked around Greenland three times; once fighting off a polar bear with his paddle.

If only that bear had… ?Well, let's not go there.

As a freelancer, being credible is a must?

Credibility, at its most basic definition, is the quality of being trusted and believed in.?Substanceless and exhaustive bragging is not typically the way to go.

As an independent consultant or freelancer, being perceived as credible isn't just a nice to have.?It's your bread and butter. ?

You need to get clients to choose you over other options and to pay you what you are worth.?Compared to hiring a big brand consulting firm, your client is buying YOU, the person, not the impressive blue logo.?

The basics of establishing credibility

Many things influence whether or not others think you are credible as a professional. ?If you have already worked with them, they will have had time to form their opinion and know what you can do.

But how do you go about being seen as credible by people you have never worked with or delivered projects to??

There are a number of tried and tested methods that can work to establish credibility with people who don't already know you:

• Deliver high-quality work: This might seem obvious, but building credibility will be an uphill battle if you are not actually good at what you do. ?In other words, you need to spend significantly more time doing and upskilling than telling people how great you are.
• Write outstanding proposals when you pitch for work: You'd be surprised how little care many freelancers take when submitting proposals to potential clients. ?By spending an additional hour or two, your credibility skyrockets and immediately put you in the top 10%. And by the way,?here's how to do it. ??
• Have an online presence: If you are in a creative profession, having your own website is a great idea to showcase your work. ?If you are a Programme Manager, maybe LinkedIn is enough.
• Be helpful online: If you are active on LinkedIn or other platforms or communities relevant to your niche, share your expertise generously. ?Chances are potential clients, collaborators, or referrers see it. ?This will not yield immediate results, but it will pay off over time.
• Write articles, blog posts, or speak on topics you are an expert in: This shows off your knowledge and positions you as a thought leader in your field.

What methods work best for you depends on your expertise, how senior and established you are, how comfortable you are at public speaking vs writing, etc. The important thing is to get going. ?If not yesterday, then today!

The ultimate credibility builder: Get others to vouch for your skills

So let's go back to the boast at the table.?What if instead, Kate had been the one bringing up that he had kayaked around Greenland and, indeed, had fought off that polar bear?

When SOMEONE ELSE vouches for you, your feats immediately feel more credible, and people pay attention – in a good way. ?If they hear similar things from not just one person but over and over again from multiple people through different channels, then magic will start happening.

So, getting others to vouch for your skills will set you apart from your competition. But in my experience, getting people talking about you will not happen by itself.

Building Outsized I figured once we had won a few early clients word of mouth would take care of the rest.

Surely, we would be swamped with incoming business as people heard from their connections how my cofounder Anurag Bhalla , the rest of the early team, and I rocked and how we were giving a fantastic experience to our clients.

Well, we were wrong.

It turns out that everyone is very busy with their own life. ?Important deadlines, a sick aunt, a conference to attend. ?Actively thinking about how to help Outsized land more clients never really made it to the top of anyone's list, and understandably so.

But it wasn't because they didn't want to help you out and give you a great review or even make a few introductions. ?It's just that they had more urgent things on their mind, things that mattered more to them.

At Outsized we recently implemented a structured approach to encouraging reviews and ratings from our clients https://www.trustpilot.com/review/outsized.com as well as from our independent consultants. ?

It's still early days for us in terms of actively soliciting feedback, but I've been surprised how many are happy to share their experiences – if only you ask!?

Implementing a systematic approach to building credibility

So here's what you should do to create your very own "Credibility Machine" using external testimonials and reviews.

First things first: Decide where to showcase your testimonials and reviews.

For most freelancers, LinkedIn is the best place to start. ?There is a section called Recommendations and you can invite people to leave a review or a recommendation.

• If you have your own website or blog, consider putting them up there, too.
• Always send a nice and personal email, and ask for permission to share their feedback on a public website.

1. Backfill testimonials and reviews

If you are an established independent pro, do reach out to all the client stakeholders you have delivered projects to in the past and ask them to give you a review.

If you are new to independent work, ask for testimonials from your past bosses!

2. Set up a review collection system

If you only take away one thing from this post, then I hope it is this one: Have a system in place to ask for feedback from your clients actively and regularly.

3. Ask at the right time

Timing is critical when asking for reviews. ?Ask for reviews right after project completion when the experience is fresh and satisfaction is high.

4. Request specifics

Instead of asking for a generic review, ask clients to discuss specific aspects of your work. ?For example, you might ask how they felt about your communication, timeliness, quality of work, etc. ?This can lead to more detailed and convincing reviews.

5. Leverage social proof

People are much more likely to leave a review if they see that others have already done so. ?Therefore, be sure to display existing reviews prominently to encourage new ones.

6. Personalize your request

Instead of sending a generic request, personalize it. ?Refer to specific aspects of the project, and remind them how important their feedback is to you.

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So there we have it. ?Do great work, be helpful to clients, peers and even competitors. Share your knowledge and show your skills through a killer portfolio and relevant case studies. ?And, importantly, get out of your comfort zone and ask for those testimonials!

Keep these elements in mind and put them into practice, and you'll see your credibility as a freelancer take off. Not overnight, perhaps not even this month - but slowly but surely.