Avoiding Loss of Your Credibility

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You have many strategies available for enhancing your credibility during a speech. But there are just as many ways to make a misstep and erode your ethos while giving a talk. Anytime you say something that shows a lack of competence, trustworthiness, or goodwill, you damage your credibility.

Such errors are common during political campaigns, and you can probably think of examples of gaffes that dimmed the chances of a candidate for office. But we also have seen such errors hurt the credibility of student speakers. In your speeches, careful preparation can help you avoid credibility-draining mistakes. Here are some common sources of this type of error:

After a speaker’s credibility has come into question, it’s very difficult to repair the damage. Thus, before giving a speech, examine the language you intend to use, and make sure that it communicates competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill. However, even bulletproof ethos isn’t enough to deliver an effective speech. You also need to deliver a solid set of facts to prove the claims you’re making.

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