We are persuaded by things everyday. When we make purchases, select shows, like and share posts, follow profiles, register for accounts, join lists or groups, and spend time interacting or communicating with people, we’ve been persuaded those actions are worthwhile, because the agents or objects prompting those actions seem worthy of them. They seem credible - believable, convincing.

Credibility is the quality of being trusted. A credible person, product or situation can persuade people of a reality or a possibility: A credible witness is one we believe to be telling the truth; a credible source is one whose facts we consider concrete; a credible threat is a warning we heed as a plausible danger. What is incredible is difficult or impossible to believe; what is credible inspires faith, loyalty and action.

When you want someone to trust you - to follow you, to like what you do, to feel or act as you want them to - they need to perceive you as credible. Credibility is the cornerstone of persuasion.

How to cultivate credibility

Credibility is a function of two factors: reputation and authenticity.

The first of these - reputation - is the more substantive of the two and requires commitment and nurturing. Reputation is an established character and social standing based on known reliability and trustworthiness. The reputation of a person or product is generally earned over time, and relies on the experiences of others to be recognised and promoted. Our reputation is who and what we are to other people.

Gaining and maintaining a good reputation for what you offer or stand for is crucial to your credibility. Your reputation can be cultivated by investing time and energy in these building blocks:

Credentials - achieving recognised and respected qualifications in your chosen area of expertise;
Experience - putting the time in, over time, to gain experience using the skills and sharing the knowledge you have gained in your education and career;
Relationships - developing meaningful and valuable connections with people through your work;
Consistency - setting, managing and meeting people’s expectations.

How to convey credibility

The second factor in credibility is authenticity, which is your perceived genuineness and sincerity. Certainly living according to your values and working hard to build and maintain a good reputation contribute to your credibility - but people need to perceive that integrity in your character when they interact with you. If reputation is who and what you actually are, authenticity is how others trust that reputation.

Authenticity can be conveyed by adopting the following qualities when communicating:

Warmth - being personable, finding common ground and sharing our own stories puts people at ease;
Steadiness - maintaining an appropriate and stable tone of voice and posture in interactions both conveys and inspires confidence;
Firmness - stating opinions and positions clearly, and presenting knowledge and facts with authority makes people trust what you say;
Humour - encouraging lighter moments of laughter - through mild self-deprecation, and funny or witty remarks - humanises you and bonds you with your audience.

Use the methods above as a combined credibility checklist to take stock of which ones you may need to implement. For instance, you might consider:

Are you cultivating credibility, but not conveying it as well as you could?
Do you have credentials, but need to build experience in your field?
Are you warm and funny in interactions, but needing to be firmer in stating your position on issues?
Do you need to adopt a steadier tone or posture when speaking to others?
Are you consistent in the work you do, but needing to build better relationships with people?

Building your reputation and giving the impression of authenticity are crucial to boosting your credibility with your audience. These two factors, working together, will inspire the trust you seek.