Which of the following is another term for building credibility as the core of effective persuasion?

• Maria Airth

  Maria has taught University level psychology and mathematics courses for over 20 years. They have a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Arts in Human Factors Psychology from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Flagler College.

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• Instructor Cathryn Jackson

  Cat has taught a variety of subjects, including communications, mathematics, and technology. Cat has a master's degree in education and is currently working on her Ph.D.

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• Expert Contributor Maria Airth

  Maria has taught University level psychology and mathematics courses for over 20 years. They have a Doctorate in Education from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Arts in Human Factors Psychology from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Flagler College.

  View bio

Learn about credibility statements and speaker credibility. Understand how to establish credibility in a speech, identify the types of speaker credibility, and see speaker credibility examples. Updated: 10/19/2021

Credibility equates to being trustworthy. When a person is giving a public speech, the audience is invested in the credibility of the speaker - knowing who the speaker is and why they are qualified to give the speech. The speaker should open with a credibility statement that answers these questions. The credibility statement explains why the audience should listen to the speaker. The main items covered in the credibility statement should be:

• The identity of the speaker.
• The speaker's credentials (experience or knowledge that makes them appropriate to give the speech).
• The speaker's reason for giving the speech.
• The main purpose of the speech.

Audiences will truly listen to a speaker only when they believe the speaker is worth listening to.

Credibility Statement Examples

Establishing credibility in a speech starts with the credibility statement. Here are a few solid credibility statements.

• At a conference addressing zoo employees: I've been working with elephants for my entire 20-year career and through my research, I've learned some really important things about elephant enrichment activities I'd like to share with you.
• Principal to the staff at annual meeting: You all know that I've been the principal here for 5 years. They've been great years and we've done lots of good work together. For the coming year, I'd like to focus on three key areas of student improvement that I studied in during my doctoral dissertation preparation.
• Speaker at a press conference during a weather crisis: I'm Jane Doe from the National Weather Bureau and I've been keeping a close eye on this situation. In my decade of experience, I've never seen a situation quite like this. Here are some tips on how to keep yourself safe during this time.

Notice that each of the credibility statements started with identifying the speaker and moved quickly into the speaker telling the audience why the speaker was worthy of making the speech. The elephant keeper had been working with elephants for 20 years and wanted to talk about elephant enrichment activities. It makes sense that the speaker would have some great experience and knowledge and would be qualified to speak on the topic.

A credibility statement can also be called a credibility position and its purpose is to establish/demonstrate the speaker's credentials and legitimacy in reference to the topic. The speech should open with an attention-getter and then move directly into the credibility statement.

Building Credibility

If you think about it, you are constantly being bombarded by persuasive strategies. Many of these strategies depend on the ethos, or credibility, of certain people to persuade you to buy a product, sign a petition, do business with a certain company, and so on. You'll see companies use credibility in the form of celebrity endorsements, doctors' or dentists' recommendations, or testimony from people that have experienced the benefits of a product or an excellent service. These are just a few examples.

In this lesson, you will learn about credibility, the types of credibility, and strategies for gaining credibility in a speech.

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What is Speaker Credibility

An audience of adults would not accept the words of a teenager if that teenager were trying to give a speech on how to balance a household budget.

If a person who had owned a driver's license for only a month attempted to give a lecture on how to drive safely, the audience might not be swayed.

Why would these two scenarios not be received well by audiences? What is speaker credibility? Speaker credibility is the trustworthiness a speaker brings to the stage of a speech. It consists of the credentials that qualify a person to speak on the topic being presented. Without speaker credibility, the speech, itself, cannot be credible.

How to Establish Credibility in a Speech?

If the goal of a speech is to make it credible, the question that must be answered is, 'What is credibility in a speech?' Credibility in a speech is simply the level of trust an audience is willing to put in the information presented in a speech.

When giving a speech on any topic it is important to start with a credibility statement to establish credibility.

If the success of a speech centers on the trustworthiness, or credibility, of the speech, then the next issue is how to establish credibility in a speech.

Remembering that credibility is about trust, there are a few things a speaker can do to build trust in their audience.

• Very early in the speech, the speaker should give the audience his/her full name, title, and any credentials that qualify him/her to speak on the topic. This should be done immediately after the attention-grabber opener to the speech.
• Dress appropriately for the topic (this could be either casual or professional as long as it matches the topic).
• Build emotional investment by explaining why the topic is important.
• Demonstrate a level of common ground or being able to relate to the audience. Know the audience.
• Use emotion, stories, verbal (and physical) illustrations to connect with the audience.
• Use credible evidence.

Trust is the key to credibility.

Speaker Credibility Examples

Here are a few speaker credibility examples to illustrate methods to build credibility as a public speaker.

What is Credibility?

Credibility is the characteristic of being trustworthy. If the audience can't trust you, then they won't believe you. Credibility is often related directly to the audience's perception of the speaker's competence and character.

First, the audience must believe that you are a competent speaker - that you are capable of creating valid arguments and sound reasoning. You can establish credibility with your audience by mentioning your expertise in the particular field in which you are speaking. Credibility can also refer to the reputation of the speaker. If you have a positive reputation, or are an expert in the topic area of your speech, then that can help establish credibility in your speech.

Reputation doesn't just mean you are an expert in the field, however. If the speaker has a poor reputation, or does not appear to be trustworthy, then the audience will be less likely to listen. The character of a speaker is also related to the credibility of the speaker. This means you will have to watch your demeanor towards people before and after you speak. If you are rude to the hostess of the event or act stressed out in front of a classmate, then you will lose credibility with your audience.

Types of Credibility

Each speaker has different types of credibility. For example, if you go to a technology conference to hear a keynote speaker, you can bet the speaker has some sort of credentials in technology. If you are listening to a classmate give a speech, you may find that you have learned to trust this classmate and value his or her speeches. There are three types of credibility:

• Initial
• Derived
• Terminal

Initial credibility is the credibility an individual has before beginning his or her speech; this is mostly based on the reputation and credentials of the speaker, if they are known to the audience. You can remember initial credibility by thinking about the initials in your name. If someone asks you for your initials, they are asking for the first letters in your name, right? Initial credibility is the first credibility a speaker has with an audience. If you are speaking in front of classmates with whom you are unfamiliar, then you probably have very little initial credibility. Your initial credibility will come from how nervous you appear to be, how prepared you are, and even how you are dressed.

Derived credibility is the credibility an individual has developed while delivering a speech; the quality of the speech and the professionalism of the speaker creates this credibility. Think about the word 'derived.' The dictionary definition of this word means 'to take or get something from' or 'to get something from a source.' In this case, your credibility is coming from the speech that you give. For speakers that have no initial credibility, derived credibility can be very important. Not only do you experience the concept of derived credibility in public speaking, but also in the case of job interviews, where your only initial credibility may be your resume or contacts.

Terminal credibility is the credibility an individual has gained or lost after delivering a speech. Think of terminal credibility as more of the lasting impression that an audience has of a speech and a speaker. This is different from derived credibility because terminal credibility lasts long after derived credibility. For example, if there is a speaker that you really like and has high initial credibility, then the speaker gives a poor speech, the derived credibility from the speech may be quite low. This will change your impression of the speaker and may lower the overall credibility that you have of the speaker. However, just because a speaker gave one bad speech, if he or she has high initial credibility, the one bad speech won't completely ruin his or her credibility. This is where terminal credibility comes in - your impression of the speaker may be altered beyond the initial credibility, but not as low as the derived credibility.

Gaining Credibility

Now that you understand the different types of credibility, let's discuss how you can gain credibility during your speech. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Establish a credibility position
• Establish common ground
• Use of supporting materials
• Language
• Delivery

Building Credibility

If you think about it, you are constantly being bombarded by persuasive strategies. Many of these strategies depend on the ethos, or credibility, of certain people to persuade you to buy a product, sign a petition, do business with a certain company, and so on. You'll see companies use credibility in the form of celebrity endorsements, doctors' or dentists' recommendations, or testimony from people that have experienced the benefits of a product or an excellent service. These are just a few examples.

In this lesson, you will learn about credibility, the types of credibility, and strategies for gaining credibility in a speech.

What is Credibility?

Credibility is the characteristic of being trustworthy. If the audience can't trust you, then they won't believe you. Credibility is often related directly to the audience's perception of the speaker's competence and character.

First, the audience must believe that you are a competent speaker - that you are capable of creating valid arguments and sound reasoning. You can establish credibility with your audience by mentioning your expertise in the particular field in which you are speaking. Credibility can also refer to the reputation of the speaker. If you have a positive reputation, or are an expert in the topic area of your speech, then that can help establish credibility in your speech.

Reputation doesn't just mean you are an expert in the field, however. If the speaker has a poor reputation, or does not appear to be trustworthy, then the audience will be less likely to listen. The character of a speaker is also related to the credibility of the speaker. This means you will have to watch your demeanor towards people before and after you speak. If you are rude to the hostess of the event or act stressed out in front of a classmate, then you will lose credibility with your audience.

Types of Credibility

Each speaker has different types of credibility. For example, if you go to a technology conference to hear a keynote speaker, you can bet the speaker has some sort of credentials in technology. If you are listening to a classmate give a speech, you may find that you have learned to trust this classmate and value his or her speeches. There are three types of credibility:

• Initial
• Derived
• Terminal

Initial credibility is the credibility an individual has before beginning his or her speech; this is mostly based on the reputation and credentials of the speaker, if they are known to the audience. You can remember initial credibility by thinking about the initials in your name. If someone asks you for your initials, they are asking for the first letters in your name, right? Initial credibility is the first credibility a speaker has with an audience. If you are speaking in front of classmates with whom you are unfamiliar, then you probably have very little initial credibility. Your initial credibility will come from how nervous you appear to be, how prepared you are, and even how you are dressed.

Derived credibility is the credibility an individual has developed while delivering a speech; the quality of the speech and the professionalism of the speaker creates this credibility. Think about the word 'derived.' The dictionary definition of this word means 'to take or get something from' or 'to get something from a source.' In this case, your credibility is coming from the speech that you give. For speakers that have no initial credibility, derived credibility can be very important. Not only do you experience the concept of derived credibility in public speaking, but also in the case of job interviews, where your only initial credibility may be your resume or contacts.

Terminal credibility is the credibility an individual has gained or lost after delivering a speech. Think of terminal credibility as more of the lasting impression that an audience has of a speech and a speaker. This is different from derived credibility because terminal credibility lasts long after derived credibility. For example, if there is a speaker that you really like and has high initial credibility, then the speaker gives a poor speech, the derived credibility from the speech may be quite low. This will change your impression of the speaker and may lower the overall credibility that you have of the speaker. However, just because a speaker gave one bad speech, if he or she has high initial credibility, the one bad speech won't completely ruin his or her credibility. This is where terminal credibility comes in - your impression of the speaker may be altered beyond the initial credibility, but not as low as the derived credibility.

Gaining Credibility

Now that you understand the different types of credibility, let's discuss how you can gain credibility during your speech. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Establish a credibility position
• Establish common ground
• Use of supporting materials
• Language
• Delivery

• Activities
• FAQs

Credibility Critique

In this activity, students will practice the concepts associated with building credibility through critiquing the credibility of known public speakers.

Materials

• Access to public speakers, such as:
  • Speakers at a political rally
  • Speakers at a conference
  • Television ads with a single speaker
  • Ted Talk recordings
  • A speech given at a family gathering (like the best-man's speech at a wedding)
• It is okay to use recorded public speeches from history if desired.

Instructions

• Students should pick three different public speeches to critique/evaluate.
• For each speech, the students should:
  • Note the name of the speaker, the date of the speech and the reason for the speech.
  • Document his/her opinion on the speaker's initial, derived and terminal credibility.
    • Students must give explanations for each of these opinions.
  • Note if the speaker attempted to establish a credibility position (if so, state it).
  • List any common ground the speaker attempted to gain with the audience.
  • Discuss the supporting materials used.
  • Evaluate the language used during the speech: was it appropriate? Why or why not?
  • Critique the delivery.
• After critiquing all three public speakers, students should write a brief reflection highlighted what they have learned about building credibility to persuade an audience in public speaking.

Example

• Imagine a student chose to evaluate an infomercial speech in which the speaker is attempting to sell a product.
• Types of Credibility:
  • Initial Credibility - The speaker is unknown to me, thus there is no initial credibility. I am also unfamiliar with the product, so there is no credibility offered to the speaker based on my knowledge of the item either.
  • Derived Credibility - The speaker seemed knowledgeable; derived credibility was strong.
  • Terminal Credibility - The final words spoken were demonstrably wrong. This tainted the entire speech, thus left the speaker with very low terminal credibility.
• Gaining Credibility
  • The speaker established a credible position by opening with the number of years he has been using the product being sold.
  • The speaker referred to a common problem most people have that can be fixed by this item. I have had the problem as well, so this built common ground between myself and the speaker.
  • The speaker used supporting materials and examples to prove his point.
  • The speaker used very coarse and informal language, including slang, which did not lead me to feel confident in him. More professional language should have been used.
  • The speaker spoke very quickly, such that I had a difficult time following what he was saying. The delivery of the speech was difficult to follow, thus lowering his credibility.

How does a speaker establish credibility?

A speaker must earn the trust of the audience when giving a speech. To establish this trust, or credibility, the speaker should:

• State his/her name and credentials.
• Give reasons why the speech matters.
• Show/illustrate/demonstrate instead of just tell.
• Relate to the audience.

What is an example of a credibility statement?

An example of a credibility statement:

Hi, my name is Maria Airth. I have a Doctorate in Education and have been teaching at the university level for almost two decades. I'm here to talk to you about how to establish strong educational parameters in your university classrooms.

What are the three elements of speaker credibility?

Initial credibility, derived credibility, and terminal credibility are the three elements of speaker credibility. Their differences are related to how and where they are achieved in the speech process:

1. Initial credibility - achieved prior to or at the beginning of a speech.

2. Derived credibility - achieved during the speech.

3. Terminal credibility - achieved as an afterthought (level of credibility after a speech is concluded).

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