Use “credibility sprinkles” ™.

First – you must know how you’re credible. What experience brings you to the senior level of your organization? What’s on your list of accomplishments that are compelling? How have you gained your gravitas? What examples or stories support your answers to these three questions?

Second – Use these stories and examples as add-in conversation. Do NOT list your accolades. We will delete you mentally (in person dialog) or physically (on email) if you start telling us how great you are.

Third – Sprinkle your credibility “list” as part of your conversation, as if by default, even though you’re doing this by design.

Is this technique manipulative? No, unless your “credibility sprinkles” are false or exaggerated.

Example: “One time I asked this audience of 900 home inspectors at their annual meeting in California, ‘What does BS stand for? They yelled out, Better Service! I replied, NO… you know what I’m referring to… the classical definition of BS!’” This story is part of a conversation about how we all have BS light bulbs and how you have to show that you know and care about what you’re talking about.

Example: “One time I spoke in Toronto to a group of meeting professionals and no one showed up! Why didn’t I get the memo that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was about to enter this fancy hotel? Everyone was hanging over the mezzanine waiting to watch him enter.” I tell this story when I talk about speaking mishaps.

Do you see the Credibility Sprinkles? Speaking at a national association meeting to a bunch of people? Speaking at a major hotel (good enough for His Holiness the Dalai Lama) to people in my own industry?

It’s bragging without bragging. Call it “positioning” yourself strategically.

Email me at Karen@SpeakForYourself.com with your Credibility Sprinkles. I’ll send you my critique.

© Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, Albert Einstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.

Read more at www.SpeakForYourself.com/blog

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