In almost any job, you can get complacent. You can do what you’ve always done, and you’ll probably be just fine. The same goes for public speaking. But if you want to push yourself to grow and improve, you’ll need some new tactics and methods. Today we want to look at three ways you can elevate your credibility by citing great sources, leveraging silence, and upgrading your visuals.
So what is credibility?
In his 2015 TEDx talk called “Why Credibility is the Foundation of Leadership,” Barry Posner asks the following questions: “Why would anybody follow you? Why would anybody pay attention to you? Why would anybody do what you ask them to do? Why would anybody buy a product from you?” He says that what makes someone a leader is that he or she has followers. And we only follow people who have credibility.
He then breaks credibility down into 4 characteristics. He says people who are credible are honest, competent, inspirational, and forward-looking. So when we are looking at ways to elevate our credibility, it’s these qualities for which we are aiming.
Cite Great Sources
One of the easiest ways to improve your credibility is to call upon other experts. When you pull research or writing from others into your presentation, it shows a couple important things. First, it shows that you are actively educating yourself on your topic. Just the fact that you cite other people boosts the audience’s perception of you. Second, it shows that others agree with you. It gives a strong back-up choir to support what you are presenting. And the better the sources you cite, the more you elevate your credibility.
Leverage Silence
One of the ways to tell beginning speakers from seasoned ones is to measure the amount of silence in their presentations. Generally, novice speakers feel the need to fill up all of the presentation with sound. Speakers with more experience don’t. They know that long pauses and moments of intentional silence can add to the impact of their presentation.
Speech coach George Torok says that pausing during a presentation demonstrates confidence. “It requires a tremendous level of confidence to purposely pause during your presentation. When you’re at the front of the room, the audience expects you to speak . . . When you can break free of that imagined need to speak by inserting a pause, they will admire your composure and confidence.”
Upgrade Your Visuals
The visuals you present are one of the quickest ways to boost or damage your credibility. We live in a world where technology and media advance rapidly. Plus, we learn and remember what we see better than what we hear. So if you are using old PowerPoint templates with fuzzy or pixilated graphics, your audience will notice. All speakers these days need to be hiring graphic designers or taking time to develop cutting edge, powerful presentation media.
This tip is perhaps your best way to elevate your credibility because it can accomplish 3 of Posner’s 4 elements of credibility. While better visuals won’t prove that you are honest, they can make you appear more competent. They will give you a better chance of inspiring your audience. And if your visuals are on the cutting edge, your audience will believe your ideas are too, which shows that you are forward-looking.
So let’s look at the questions Posner asked again. “Why would anybody follow you? Why would anybody pay attention to you?” Hopefully because you’ve developed and delivered a great presentation. A presentation in which you display your credibility by citing great research, leveraging silence, and upgrading your visuals.
Want more ways to elevate your presentation graphics or skills? We can help.
