credibility

n. The quality of something capable of being believed or relied upon or that is worthy of confidence. See also veracity. (Webster's New World College Dictionary)

Nothing beats credibility for turning an audience on to what you're about to say, except perhaps honesty. And in terms of persuading listeners, the two are nearly inseparable.

Display credibility & confidence to audiences with my books How to Give a Speech, Speak for Leadership, Fearless Speaking, and The Confidence Book. They're also on Amazon.

The interesting thing about credibility, is that it has to exist in the audience's mind, not your own. It's a speaking quality, then, that can only be created by the right kind of focus. By that, I mean the kind that emanates from a speaker who is more interested in the audience's needs than his or her own.

So how can you get this magic speaking quality working for you rather than against you? Below are 5 ways to make that happen, so you can convince listeners and get them on your side every time you speak in public.

Learn how to establish credibility within the first 60 seconds! Download my free cheat sheet, "4 Characteristics of an Influential Speaker."

How to Be Instantly Credible with Audiences 

1. Tell us your full name and title. Some speakers have "perceived credibility." That is, before they even show up, they are a known quantity concerning their topic. If your name is Bill Gates or Meryl Streep, we'll automatically listen to you when it comes to software or movie acting. The rest of us need to alert listeners that we own some expertise to speak on a subject.

Doing so starts at the very beginning of your talk (and continues with #3 below). Audiences need the full deal from you, not chumminess. "Hi, I'm Liz," is a distant second in terms of building confidence in an audience compared to: "Good morning. I'm Elizabeth Williams, VP of Member Outreach at Irresistible Products."

Speak on, Elizabeth! From my place in the audience, I'm beginning to think you probably know something about member relations.

2. Tell the audience why your talk matters to them. And here (and also in point #4) where the concept of 'target audience' comes in. The idea here is inescapable: you have to know this audience as well as you can if you're going to say things in a way that turns these particular listeners on.

Have you ever listened to a sales rep go on about his company's "key differentiators," "turnkey solutions," and market share? I once trained forty-five sales reps for a SAS company, every one of whom used the same PowerPoint deck that trumpeted the company's uniqueness. Would you care to hear that at as audience member—or would you be waiting to hear how they can help solve your firm's problems?

Audiences are always strongly in a "What's in it for me"? mode. As a speaker, you can become so wrapped up in your content that you don't present your material as a way to meet listeners' needs. After all, it's called "giving" a speech! Don't be afraid to explicitly say why you're talking to them about this topic, i.e., how the information is going to benefit them. The earlier you make that apparent, the sooner the audience will see you as someone who's speaking for their good. Once that realization comes, it confers instant credibility.

3. Establish your credentials. Your bona fides are legitimate and necessary adjuncts to your concern for your listeners. If you've been a structural engineer for 30 years, the audience needs to hear that before you discuss the changes that will take place along this highway corridor. If you don't hold a Ph.D. in Apiology as you give your talk at the local library, tell your audience that beekeeping has been a hobby of yours since you were 15. That credential may be equally valuable in their minds. Here are 4 tips on how to establish trust and confidence in you. 

Note, incidentally, that this item is third in the list, not second. Mentioning your credentials directly after your name and title can seem arrogant. And anyway, it's better to get right to telling the audience how they can benefit from what you're about to say.

4. Live in your audience's world. Again, target what you say—and just as important, how you say it—so that it resonates with listeners' interests and experience. Presumably, you've already mentioned why your topic matters to them. Now, demonstrate it in every aspect of your talk. What I mean by that is: at every opportunity, relate what you say to the audience's experiences. E.g., "As spinal surgeons, you know that one of the major problems with surgical equipment in your specialty is . . . " It's far too easy to climb into the cocoon of your knowledge and products, never coming out again!

One of my longstanding clients at The Genard Method is a scientist who probably gives 50 speeches a year. In one of our coaching sessions, I learned that an upcoming talk would be to a group of IT professionals. So I asked him, "Why can you say, right after you introduce yourself, that will interest them in your topic . . . how can you present it in terms of their needs?"

Another essential way you can live in your audience's world is to remind them that you know they're there. Say things like this: "Isn't this something that you see in your industry?" "You can relate to this, can't you?" and "What do you think . . . does that explanation make sense?" I call it touching your audience. Here are 20 great ways to connect with an audience. And here are 7 tips for overcoming audience resistance. 

5. Be concrete, and give examples! Remember that your most important task as a speaker is to engage and influence your audience, not deliver information. The information you're delivering will take care of itself. Develop your ear so that you can hear when you've been speaking too theoretically or in generalities. Even discussing your vision without end can be too much of a good thing.

People need examples, illustrations, and stories so they will accept the gem you're offering them and take it home. Notice that in this article, the examples and stories I've used include: Bill Gates and Meryl Streep, the forty-five PowerPoint presentations from the sales reps, the engineer discussing changes in the highway corridor, the amateur beekeeper speaking at the local library, and my frequent speaker client and his audience of IT professionals.

When you bring stories like this into your talks (and they can be that brief, or longer), your audience will see you as more human and interesting. They'll consider you all the more credible because of it.

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Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching  and corporate group training worldwide. For nine consecutive years, he was ranked by Global Gurus as one of The World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals. He is the author of the Amazon Best-Seller How to Give a Speech. His second book, Fearless Speaking, was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time," and he has been named as One of America's 5 Top Speech Coaches. His handbook for presenting in videoconferences, Speaking Virtually offers techniques for developing virtual presence in online meetings. He is also the author of Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence. His latest book is The Confidence Book: 75 Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety, Let Go of Your Fears, Change Your Negative Thinking, and Live Fully in the Moment. He is also the creator of The Dr. William Scarlet psychic mysteries. Contact Gary here.