What is credibility What two factors exert the most influence on an audiences perception of a speakers credibility?

Recently I worked with a client who posed an interesting question: “What could she do in to gain credibility with her audience?”

Speaker credibility has its roots in Aristotle’s teachings over 2,000 years ago as he wrote about a speaker’s character, otherwise known as ethos. According to Aristotle, a speaker’s character was just as important as the content of their speech. Ethos, as defined by Aristotle, resides in two areas: character and competence:

  • A speaker’s character is related to a speaker’s perceived honesty, sincerity, and concern for the audience’s well-being.
  • A speaker’s competence is related to a speaker’s knowledge, experience, and preparedness.

Based on Aristotle’s concept of ethos, speaker credibility can be defined as “the extent to which the audience believes you and your message.” In other  words, speaker credibility comes from your audience, and is based on their perceptions of you. However, credibility is dynamic and can change during your presentation.

What is credibility What two factors exert the most influence on an audiences perception of a speakers credibility?

Now, you may be wondering if there are factors that can help boost and maintain your credibility with your audiences? The answer is yes! There are factors that can elevate and enhance your credibility:

  • Competence. One can enhance the audience’s perception of your competence when you communicate your knowledge, experience, training, or background on the topic on which you are speaking. Some speakers come into their presentations with initial credibility based on their professional credentials, roles/job titles, collateral such as books, and/or well-known achievements. If you don’t have first-hand experience with your topic, citing evidence to support your point of view from recent credible research can demonstrate you are well-informed and enable you to gain your audience’s trust that you know what you are talking about.
  • Trustworthiness. When you are speaking, do you have the audience’s best interest at heart? Or are you speaking in your own self-interest? Audiences can tell if you are genuinely interested in their wants and needs. Establishing common ground and demonstrating how your topic is aligned with your audience’s values and beliefs can develop trust between you and your audience members.
  • Preparedness. One of the surest ways to build your credibility is through your confident and dynamic delivery of your presentation. Rehearse your material so that you can deliver with fluency and expressiveness. Even if you have initial credibility due to your role or credentials, you can lose credibility with your audience if your delivery fails to meet their expectations.

The biggest take-away here is that we don’t give ourselves credibility. Credibility is built by how much our audience trusts and believes us and our message.

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the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as credibility

the audience's perception of whether a speaker is qualified to speak on a given topic. the two major factors influencing a speaker's credibility are competence and character.

the credibility of a speaker produced by everything she or he says and does during the speech

the credibility of a speaker at the end of the speech

a technique in which a speaker connects himself or herself with the values, attitudes, or experiences of the audience

supporting materials used to prove or disprove something

the name used by Aristotle for the logical appeal of a speaker. the two major elements of logos are evidence and reasoning

the proces of drawing a conclusion on the basis of evidence

reasoning from specific instances

reasoning the moves from particular facts to a general conclusion

reasoning that moves from a general principle to a specific conclusion

reasoning that seeks to establish the relationship between causes and effects

reasoning in which a speaker compares two similar cases and infers that what is true for the first case is also true for the second

a fallacy in which a speaker jumps to a general conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence

a fallacy in which a speaker mistakenly assumes that because one event follows another, the first event is the cause of the second

an analogy in which the two cases being compared are not essentially alike

a fallacy which assumes that because something is popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable

a fallacy that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject under discussion

a fallacy that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue in dispute

a fallacy that forces listeners to choose between two alternatives when more than two alternatives exist

a fallacy which assumes that taking a first step will lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented

a fallacy which assumes that something old is automatically better than something new

a fallacy which assumes that something new is automatically better than something old

the name used by Aristotle for what modern students of communication refer to as emotional appeal

what two factors exert the most influence on an audience's perception of a speaker's credibility?

1. competence-how an audience regards a speaker's intelligence, expertise, and knowledge of the subject. 2. character-how an audience regards a speaker's sincerity, trustworthiness, and concern for the well-being of the audience

three ways you can enhance your credibility 

1. explain your competence 2. establish common ground with your audience 3. deliver your speeches fluently, expressively, and with conviction

why is evidence important

it can enhance credibility, increase both the immediate and long-term persuasiveness of the message, and help "inoculate" listeners against counterpersuasions 

four tips for using evidence

1. use specific evidence 2. use novel evidence 3. use evidence from credible sources 4. make clear the point of your evidence

why is it important to supplement reasoning from specific instances with testimony or statistics?

because you can never give enough specific instances in a speech to make your conclusion irrefutable, you should supplement them with testimony or statistics demonstrating that the instances are representative

why is the relationship between causes and effects not always clear?

just because one event happens after another does not mean the first caused the second

Why is analogical reasoning frequently used in persuasive speeches on questions of policy?

the speaker may be able to claim that the policy worked else where and it should therefore be implemented here

1. hasty generalization 2. false cause 3. invalid analogy 4. bandwagon 5. red herring 6. ad hominem 7. either-or 8. slippery slope 9. appeal to tradition 10. appeal to novelty

three methods you can use to generate emotional appeal

1. use emotional language 2. develop vivid examples 3. speak with sincerity and convictinon

why is analogical reasoning frequently used in questions of policy

because if the policy has already been implemented somewhere then your argument for using it in another situation is stronger (if it worked there it'll work here)

What 2 factors are credibility based on?

Scholars tend to agree that credibility is a perceived quality and has two key components: trustworthiness and expertise.

What is the credibility of a speaker?

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.

What are the factors of credibility in a speech?

Audiences perceive the appearance of good thinking and relevant knowledge as markers of credibility. Sound reasoning, good organization, solid evidence, and persuasive presentation greatly improves ethos. Character. The presence of admirable moral traits facilitates a more effective reception of the speech.

What are two ways a speaker can establish credibility with an audience?

Lucas further advises that speakers do the following to establish their credibility: Explain to your audience why you are qualified to speak on the topic. Provide your own personal experience with your topic, if relevant. Demonstrate that you have done sufficient research on the topic to speak about it with authority.