5 Ways to Win Credibility with Audiences

By Gary Genard

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.
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.

5 Ways to Win Credibility with Your Audience

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). As audience
members, we need the full deal. “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 know something
about member relations.

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2. Tell the audience why your talk matters to them. Have you ever listened to a sales rep go on
about his company’s “key differentiators,” “turnkey solutions,” and market share they own? I once
trained 45 sales reps for a SAS company, every one of whom used the same PowerPoint deck that
discussed 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 speakers, we can become so
wrapped up in our content that we don’t present our material as an opportunity to meet those
needs. After all, it’s called “giving” a speech! The earlier you make that apparent, the sooner
listeners will see you as someone who’s speaking for their benefit. That realization 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 this has been a
hobby of yours since you were 15. That credential may be equally valuable in their minds.
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. You’ve already mentioned to listeners why what you’re talking about
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. It’s far too easy to climb into the
cocoon of your knowledge instead, never coming come out again!
One of my longstanding clients 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 5 more ways to achieve emotional power in your speeches and presentations.

5. Demonstrate! 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 to put the gorgeous gem you’ve created for them in
their pocket and take it home. Notice that in this article, the examples and stories I’ve used include:
Bill Gates and Meryl Streep, the 45 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, 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, Ph.D., founder of The Genard Method, is an expert in

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