Credibility Statement Composer
Craft a compelling introduction for your presentation
Welcome
Please note: This is merely a tool to help guide you through your thinking process. Your credibility statement will only be as good as the content you insert, and whilst this tool will help you articulate and format a statement, once you have understood how to connect your content and your thinking to your audience, we recommend you create without the use of a tool to ensure your content and messaging is authentic and not formulaic.
Let's begin to coach you to craft a credibility statement for your presentation.
Step 1: Assess Your Credibility Needs
There are 3 aspects to credibility: personal, professional (or subject matter), and organisational. Let's begin by finding out what type of credibility you need to establish with your audience.
1. Does your audience already know you and trust you?
2. Does your audience know why you have authority, expertise, or experience to speak on your topic?
3. Does your audience know and trust the organisation you are representing (if applicable)?
Your Credibility Requirements
Step 2: Frame Your Presentation
Regardless of the credibility you need to establish, let's start by framing your presentation for your audience.
Complete the following: "I feel this will really benefit/assist/support you today because..."
Review Your Framing Statement
Checkpoint: Does this statement make sense? Now is the time to edit it. Please edit this statement before proceeding to ensure your topic as described aligns with the second part of your statement where you share how this will benefit your audience.
Your generated statement:
Personal Credibility
"People do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it."
Let's begin by starting with you and your relationship to your work/topic.
Please answer the following questions relating to your work/topic that you are discussing today:
Select Your Strongest Statement
Please review your answers. Select the strongest statement that your audience could relate to and find interesting:
If you feel none of these are relevant, relatable, or interesting for your audience, or if you wish to make any changes, please go back and edit your answers.
Review Your Personal Credibility Statement
Checkpoint: Review your personal credibility statement below. You can edit each part directly to make it more natural and authentic to your voice.
Your generated statement:
Validate Your Personal Credibility Statement
Congratulations! You now have your personal credibility statement. Remember, if they do not TRUST YOU, they will not engage with you further and are unlikely to receive your content.
Your statement:
Do you feel your final statement for your personal credibility is:
If you cannot check these boxes, we suggest returning and reconsidering your statement.
Professional / Subject Matter Credibility
The next layer of trust is ensuring your audience trusts that you have the expertise, experience, or necessary investment in your topic to be able to navigate it competently.
There are many ways in which we can establish this and we aim to ensure we stand out and are remembered at the same time when we do this. Stating our job title or qualifications usually is not enough and people seldom hear this.
How do you think you would best establish authority regarding your topic with this audience?
Describe Your Professional Credibility
Review Your Professional Credibility Statement
Checkpoint: Review your statement below. You can edit it directly in the text box to ensure it reads naturally and authentically represents your expertise.
Your generated statement:
Organisational Credibility
How do we establish Organisational Credibility?
As a brand advocate, your role is to uphold your brand identity throughout your presentation whilst adhering to your corporate CI. This may not be enough if your audience is not familiar with your organisation.
You need to inform your audience who you are representing and share your organisation's strengths and capabilities during your content, but be careful to ensure you have created enough interest before unpacking a lengthy presentation that speaks to who you are.
Remember: Your audience will not be engaged unless they can understand why this is important, so start by speaking to their needs then speak to how and why you are positioned to address them.
It is therefore recommended to insert a minimum amount of content in your introduction about who you represent – just enough to get them interested and just enough to show you are a worthy candidate for consideration.
Would you like to add a brief statement about your organisation?
🎉 Congratulations! Your Credibility Statement is Complete
You have successfully crafted your credibility statement. This statement is designed to build trust with your audience from the very beginning of your presentation.
Your Complete Credibility Statement:
⚡ Important Reminder
This statement is a starting point only. Try to insert your story to make it more credible when sharing your why. Feel free to adjust the wording to make it authentically yours.
The principles are the most important learning points – share why you care authentically in a relatable way and your investment in your topic whilst speaking to why you feel your content will benefit your audience to establish trust.
Your why must be clear and relatable to their world.
Have fun with your credibility and build meaningful relationships with your audience.