Gaining credibility

When people think of A subject they should think of your name next. Credibility means you make A prospect feel comfortable there first or so time checking out your product or service.

There should be no questioning if you are A trustworthy expert at what you do.

When being an expert, interview an expert- How better to learn to be an expert then to talk to one. Even listen to the way he structures his sentences and motive for why hes saying it, he may be trying to sale his way of thing to you and you wouldn't even know it. When you ask questions to someone willing to give you the answer. You will increase your context and gain content. Both are important to being an expert at work at home or MLM job.

Do ustream or webinars?

On both ideas you can talk live to people about A topic of your chose, talk about A product to promote, People can ask questions. This positions you to look like an expert and someone trustworthy. Specking of which don't rip someone off and later do A ustream show they will tell about there personal experience with you. If done right this increases your credibility, personal branding, gives you A fan base and gets your name known. This can help you be an expert in work at home jobs and MLM. Also is part of personal branding.

Be interested

Be interested in the people in your social network, list, or prospects. Its also part of personal branding. Customers will give you clues to what they expect or want from you. You just have to in gauge them and listen. This can help you be an expert in work at home jobs and MLM.

Cody Knights is a full time internet marketer and professional consultant who specializes in keyword selection and ethical, sustainable, and free website traffic strategies. Watch over my shoulder as I takes you through each step for creating and marketing a profitable website at http://webnetmentor.com.

Watch for my newer articles coming very soon. See my 6 day video series, free e-book, and join my business opportunity.

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Towers Perrin, the corporate benefits consulting firm, surveyed over 1000 American workers and found the following:

* Only 51 percent of all workers trust their organizations to tell the truth in employee communications

* Only 48 percent of all workers with more than five years of tenure believe their companies are honest in their employee communications

* Only 44 percent of all workers over age 50 trust their organizations to tell them the truth in employee communications

Organizations then wonder why worker productivity decreases, employee loyalty is at an all time low, and human resource situations increase. Your employees see everyday, at least in their eyes, the following:

* Record profits, yet massive layoffs

* Hearing how important they are, yet having their jobs outsourced

* Experiencing changes to their jobs, yet not being asked for their ideas

* Being told how they are doing a great job, yet being yelled at for mistakes in front of colleagues

No wonder there is tension in the workplace. When I work with organizations, the following three concerns are the ones usually express:

“My supervisor, manager, etc., doesn’t know how to communicate with me.”

“I am the last to hear about bad news.

“He/she never asks me for my ideas.”

Because of these concerns, there is a divide, professionally, emotionally, mentally, and physically between the employees and their supervisor/manager, etc., which leads to lost
productivity.

The following are five secrets that will increase your credibility with employees and produce outstanding results for your organization:

1. Be Honest
You owe it to your employees and to colleagues to be honest. Tell your employees exactly where they stand within the organization. Be positive, yet don’t sugar coat it. Once your employees know where they stand, use this as a stepping stone for improvements and solutions you can work on together.

2. Be Consistent
Be consistent with your communication among employees. You will lose credibility with employees if they see you communicate differently with different employees concerning
the same situations. For example, if you berate an employee (which I’m sure you would never do) for a mistake, yet say nothing to another employee for the same mistake, you will
lose credibility. Also, be consistent with the way you communicate your moods. Remember, if you project a professional manner, no matter the situation, your employees will emulate your behavior.

3. Communicate Bad News ASAP
There is nothing worse for employees than hearing bad news from human resources, shareholders, the news, friends, family, and even their religious leader, but not from you, their
manager. The biggest reasons I hear for not telling employees are the following:

“Management asked me to keep it secret.”
“I don’t have all the facts yet.”
“I don’t think the employees can handle the bad news.”

Well, guess what:

* Employees always find out about bad news (sometimes before their supervisors/managers, etc.).

* Employees always appreciate when you share whatever information you have with them as long as you are honest with them.

* Employees can take more than you think if you are sensitive to their concerns and express these concerns with them.
Will some of them be unhappy in the short run? Some employees may not be happy; however, they will respect you as a manager that respects them and keeps them informed of all news, good or bad.

4. Give and Receive Constant Feedback
Employees want feedback on, “How am I doing?” By giving constant feedback, you are developing a bond of trust that improves the performance of your employees.

Remember, your employees are always doing something well. Make sure you come from a positive position of improvement when giving feedback. Let your employees know that you appreciate their efforts and the difference they make each day.

Also make it “safe” for employees to give you feedback. Let them know that no one is perfect (I know we think we are) and that you value their feedback to make the work environment a “win-win” situation for all involved. Teach your employees how to give feedback, both positive and constructive. Remember, as a leader, you are constantly developing your employees for the next level.

5. Ask for Employee Solutions
People go to work to succeed, not fail. Employees also go to work because they want to make a difference at their job. One of the best ways for employees to feel they are making a
difference is to involve them in the solution creation process.

Make asking for solutions from your employees an ongoing process. Whether during staff meetings, one-on-one sessions, etc., make it safe for employees to develop their
own solutions. If given the opportunity, your employees will come up with solutions that are innovative, proactive, and in some cases better than any solution we can ever develop.

To motivate your employees to create solutions, you must do the following:

* Give them credit for the solutions

* Create reward systems for solutions

* Make it easy for them to communicate solutions

* Massage solutions for positive results

Very importantly, if employees share a solution with you, please, please, please, give them feedback ASAP. You will lose employee credibility if they think you don’t care or are taking credit for their ideas.

Apply these techniques now and you will gain credibility and increase productivity with your employees while developing a high performance environment that achieves outstanding results.

Source: Towers Perrin, Enhancing Corporate Credibility-Is It Time to Take the “Spin” Out of Employee Communication? January, 2004

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Goto his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, “Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional.”

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Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose it, Why People Demand it (J-B Leadership Challenge: Kouzes/Posner)

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Retail Price: £13.99

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When asked about the definition of credibility, you might say, “I know it when I see it,”-like I know friendly or likable. When pressed, however, do you really know the definition of credibility?

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is an academic or unimportant question. Credibility is positively correlated to success in every sphere of life. If you can’t define credibility or identify its elements, you can’t take advantage of opportunities to boost your credibility and your success.

Identifying the elements that make up credibility is important because a high score on one or two elements does not guarantee a high credibility rating. It’s the interplay between elements that matters. Once you know the elements and see your strengths and weakness, you can take positive steps to boost your credibility in the eyes of others.

Credibility Element #1: Integrity

A key element of credibility involves transparency, trustworthiness, and moral predictability. We feel good about people who embody the phrase, “what you see is what you get.”

From Webster’s perspective, integrity is the essential element. The dictionary definition of credibility is the power to inspire belief. Credibility implies a commitment to truth, fairness, and objectivity.

Don’t underestimate the importance of honesty and integrity in the workplace. People who have a track record of being objective and truthful are perceived as more credible than those who don’t. Companies who open their books to union representatives are more credible than those who do not. Conclusions based on scientific or systematic inquiry are credible conclusions.

To boost your credibility on this element, take the following actions:

-Invest time in clarifying your values and examining your behavior in light of them

-Build a reputation for truthful and ethical behavior

-If you make a mistake, be truthful about it rather than cover it up

Credibility Element #2: Competence

Experts enjoy a much higher degree of credibility than those who lack expertise. We trust experts to understand the scope of an issue or project, to know the right questions to ask, and to know how to find the answers to those questions.

Expertise comes from a blend of a person’s education and experience. People with doctoral degrees in a field obviously have more credibility than those who lack a degree. At the same time, people who have “come up through the ranks” or have worked in diverse jobs within an industry are considered to be experts. These folks usually have more perceived expertise than new college graduates.

Expertise turns into competence when it is put to the test. A person earns her credibility by succeeding at assignments and projects over time. A track record of successfully applying knowledge and a willingness to continue learning increases credibility.

To boost your credibility on this element, take the following actions:

-Obtain a license to practice or a professional certification appropriate to your field

-Request high-visibility projects to establish a track record

-Ask to participate on task forces with key people in your organization so they can see your competence firsthand

Credibility Element #3: Sound Judgment

As a good friend can be counted on to listen well and encourage you to make wise decisions, a credible person can be counted on to analyze complex situations, ask intelligent questions, and make good decisions. A person with sound judgment usually has both cognitive and intuitive gifts. This person takes a big-picture rather than a myopic view and a long-term rather than a short-term perspective.

A savvy CEO, for example, might have a track record of acquiring businesses or creating products just ahead of demand. This person has a track record of correctly anticipating future trends and preparing for them.

To boost your credibility on this element, take the following actions:

-Ask others for input into your decisions-especially regarding the impact on them

-Avoid snap judgments

-Stay current on the trends within your industry and company

Credibility Element #4: Relationally Sensitive

People with high credibility know how to ask questions about our values and interests, to listen intently and with empathy, and to pull people together. These are the people with high emotional intelligence to balance the arrogance that sometimes comes with expertise.

Jay Conger, an expert on persuasion, puts it this way:

“On the relationship side, people with high credibility have demonstrated-again, usually over time-that they can be trusted to listen and to work in the best interests of others. They have also consistently shown strong emotional character and integrity; that is, they are not known for mood extremes or inconsistent performance.”

A person develops a track record in relationships in the same way he develops a track record in performance. If he becomes known for building commitment and cooperation, for being level-headed and fair, everyone will want him on their team.

To boost your credibility on this element, take the following actions:

-Demonstrate willingness to learn from others and from your own mistakes

-Demonstrate concern for others’ values, goals, and objectives

-Take time to understand another’s point of view before refuting or rejecting it

Credibility Element #5: Likable

Research studies consistently reveal that people respond positively to others whom they like. They trust them, they cooperate with them, they approve their proposals, and they buy from them. Mitch Anthony, author of Selling with Emotional Intelligence, puts it succinctly, “Likability is as important as ability.”

Emotional intelligence guru, Daniel Goleman, and co-authors Boyatzis and McKee, remind us of the importance of optimism and a lighthearted perspective in the workplace, asserting that leaders who have the ability to express enthusiasm and upbeat emotions attract other people.

Further, the authors remind us that a smile (friendliness) is contagious, drawing others to smile in response. A smile, however, can be faked. Laughter is too complex for faking, and, at a deep, non-verbal level, people know this. Accordingly, we trust (assign credibility to) people who laugh with us.

To boost your credibility on this element, take the following actions:

-Communicate optimistically by describing challenges rather than problems

-Go out of your way to be friendly, even if you aren’t an extravert

-Practice finding the humor around you, especially in stressful situations

-Express gratitude privately, publicly and in writing.

Credibility is a Package Deal

No single element described here can guarantee high perceived credibility. After all, an expert without integrity might be a dictator. A likable person who lacks judgment will make stupid decisions.

People assign you a degree of credibility based on how they rate you on the interplay between the elements of credibility: integrity, expertise, sound judgment, relationship sensitivity, and likability. Perceived credibility is a package deal.

Understanding the elements of credibility provides you with opportunities to boost your perceived credibility and your success. Review the elements and action steps in this article, and choose one action to work on at a time. With time and consistency, you can boost your credibility at work and in your community. You need to know the definition of credibility-and you NEED to care!

Copyright 2006 by inCredible Messages, LP

Now, I invite you to download a FREE copy of Secrets to Get Busy People to Respond to Your Messages: 86 Tips to Compelling presentations, letters, e-mail and proposals ($12.00 value) at http://www.inCredibleMessages.com

When your sales team, corporation, association or department needs coaching in presenting, selling your ideas, or influencing others, Bonnie Budzowski is the perfect resource. She is a keynote speaker, seminar leader, and coach, with engagements across the country. Clients include sales teams, corporations, associations and universities. Contact Bonnie at http://www.inCredibleMessages.com

Copyright 2009 by inCredible Messages, LP

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