Chapter 18: Methods of Persuasion

Building Your Credibility

When you’re just starting out as a public speaker, your audience members may not immediately recognize your credibility. You’ll need to build your ethos through what you say during your speech—and how you say it. Here are some helpful strategies:

Share your qualifications to speak on the topic. If you have some expertise in the subject, outline your credentials for your audience. In some cases, this might involve listing your educational qualifications and work experience (“I have a degree in finance and have worked in banking for six years”). In others, it might mean telling the audience about your personal stake in the subject, just as Maya did when she spoke about her uncle’s having been exonerated of murder by DNA evidence. If your knowledge is based mostly on your research, that should be indicated, too.

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Present strong evidence from reputable sources. When you provide evidence for your claims, you indicate that you have carefully researched your topic, which communicates your competence. Citing a number of well-balanced and credible sources shows the audience the extent of your research and helps establish your credibility in the process.
Highlight common ground with the audience. Reminding the audience of your shared experiences can make your message—and you—more credible. A teacher speaking to parents of preschoolers, for example, might mention the anxiety he felt the first time he dropped his own young son at preschool before attempting to persuade them that their nervous child will have fun when school activities start.
Choose your words carefully. The words you select for your speech also can demonstrate your understanding of your listeners and thus your goodwill toward them. Be careful to use any technical terminology appropriately to show that you understand the subject matter, and make sure to avoid language that your audience might find insensitive or offensive.
Show respect for conflicting opinions. Throughout your speech, use respectful language to refer to people who disagree with you. For example, “Some of you may not share my thinking on this, and that’s OK. There are lots of ways to look at this issue.”
Practice your speech until your delivery is fluent. When you demonstrate effective delivery skills during your presentation—for example, by interacting comfortably with the audience—you are more likely to come across as trustworthy.