Credibility Statements

I’ve been travelling far and wide up and down the country, and I’m so very glad for the bluetooth in my car to keep me educated and entertained as I travel. Way down in the south of England recently I introduced people to the idea of  ‘Credibility Statement’ at the start of their presentations. But they didn’t like the idea, because to them it sounded like bragging.

It isn’t – it’s just giving people a reason to listen to you… let me tell you what I mean. A Credibility Statement is something you’d use instead of starting a presentation with either of the two typical/traditional introductions in the boxes below…

The problem with the first approach is that it undermines your credibility as a presenter. My time is important to me, so why would I want to spend it listening to someone who admits they don’t know what they’re talking about? Even if they do know their stuff, and it’s just false modesty, it makes them look like they don’t.  (So don’t do it. Clear?)

And the problem with the second approach is that you just look like a tosser. No one likes an ego on stage in front of them.

A Credibility Statement cuts to the chase and gets past these problems by establishing why I should listen to you in a way that doesn’t sound like bragging because it’s not opinion, it’s fact.

The rules for a Credibility Statement are:

1. it should be short
2. it should be overwhelming / unarguable
3. it should be objective (that is, without opinion).

Mike Lever of New Results Training receiving his award as Sales Trainer of the Year

Let me give you an example: Mike Lever is a friend of mine and a great sales trainer. A bad start for Mike might be something like “I’m the best sales trainer in the country” which is contestable, because it’s just a matter of opinion. On the other hand he can (honestly) say “I’ve been voted Sales Trainer of the Year”. It says the same sort of thing but it’s not anything you can argue with as it’s a (simple) statement of fact.

If you’ve got the stomach for it, have a listen to (the first few minutes of) this famous video (below). It shows candidate Phil Davison at a hustings. When youv’e had enough, stop it and then ask yourself the question under the vid…

Instead of the list of qualifications he gives, wouldn’t it have been better if Mr Davison had stood still and said something like “I have four degrees: two at masters level”?

So lets try out a few reasonably good credibility statements I’ve heard from my clients recently:

Hi – my name is X and I’ve got four black belts, two of them at top Dan

See what I mean? For a presenter talking about how powerful martial arts are in helping the development of children, this is a strong start. Or how about

Hello. We’re going to explore the way sportXXX can benefit your health. I’m captain of the woman’s national team and we’re currently ranked fourth in the world

Bang. Straight in. I’m going to listen to a woman who captains the national team and is fourth best in the world. But she said it in a wonderfully calm, almost matter-of-fact voice that meant there wasn’t a hint of bragging about it.

But if you’ve read much of my work before you’ll not be surprised that I’m going to finish with a challenge… ;)

“If you don’t have what it takes to craft a good Credibility Statement, you don’t have the right to be up on the stage in the first place”

So, what’s your thinking, good reader?  Credibility Statements rather than traditional introductions?