Establish Your Credibility For Better Public Relations Written by Ana Ventura
I had a college professor one semester that was so captivating in his lectures that I was hesitant to leave when class was over. I probably would have been content to sit there and listen to him spout off about anything as long as he kept talking. He was interesting, yes, but even if he had stated that cats could talk and buildings could walk, I probably would have believed him solely based on how much I trusted and respected his knowledge.There are many aspects of public speaking that should be taken into account when incorporating speeches and presentations into a public relations campaign. One of first ones that should be considered, though, is issue of credibility. What is credibility? Well, it incorporates a lot of things, but main point to remember is that when you are credible, people are more inclined to trust you and believe that you are a reliable source of information. So how do you go about building your credibility? Well, let's take a closer look at what defines credibility. Competence: If you stand up in front of an audience and decide to talk about Darwinian logic without any sort of conception of who Darwin even was, your audience probably isn't going to believe that you have authority to be speaking on such a subject. However, if you list your information sources in your presentation along with a quote or visual aid, your audience will know that you did your research, and that you know your stuff. Other ways to show your competence is to let audience know about your educational or professional background. You don't have to sound like you're putting on airs here, because simple truth is that more work you've done in a specific area, more you will know about topic. Confidence: Looking like you are nervous and uncomfortable doesn't say much for your knowledge. It doesn't matter if you spent twenty five years living with gorillas, people aren't going to have nearly as much respect for your points about primate communication if you don't look like you have any self-assurance. Delivery packs just as much of a punch as a thorough intellect, as long as you remember that you need both to give a great presentation.
| | PUT ON A HAPPY FACE: Confidence is the Key!Written by Alvin Apple
Every time you turn on a radio or TV these days, you hear doom- and-gloom news about US economy. As a businessperson, it's hard NOT to get discouraged. However, we need to do exactly that if we want to keep our businesses thriving.Even if you have been hard hit by recent events (and who hasn't, one way or another?), it is still important that you put forth a confident image to your customers. In fact, it is part of our job as business owners to make sure that our customers don't lose hope. If you are confident in your business, your customers will follow suit. The first step to creating confidence in your customers is to be confident yourself and focus on positive. Don't dwell on problems you might have -- you can talk about your problems, but think of them as obstacles that have been overcome, rather than as disasters. For instance, don't say to your customers, "Slow sales have caused us to discontinue some of our items." Instead, say, "Recent events have given us opportunity to reevaluate our product line and focus on products that are most important to you." Look at opportunities that a situation provides, rather than problems it causes. You can also help reassure nervous customers by giving them concrete examples of success. For some reason, real-life examples are MUCH more reassuring than just giving hypothetical "here's what you COULD do" examples. That means that you should not skimp on your real-life testimonials. Give your customers plenty of stories of people who love your product or who succeeded after joining your opportunity. If possible, give customers a way of contacting one or two of your satisfied customers -- talking to a real "success story" will do a great job of calming shaky nerves.
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