Axis of Influence » Credibility Marketing

Borrowing Credibility from Other Credible Content

michaellovas — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:00:15 +0000

You know the idea of one hand clapping? And the sound (or lack of) when a tree falls in the forest? Credibility that no one knows about is as good as no credibility at all. But Credibility that your target marketing discovers is worth a fortune. Hence the idea and value of Credibility Marketing.

One of the ways Credibility Marketing works for you is by using credible sources to make your points – thus it’s not just your opinion. That sounds reasonable, but is it merely tall on reasonable and short on – well, short on credibility? That’s a question I rarely get asked, but the people who ask it are my favorites because they demand a higher truth.

On an exhausting Monday in December, I delivered (not one, but) two intense presentations on Credibility Marketing during an internet seminar. The audience consisted of people who were either trainers or students of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP enthusiasts have a Dracula-like thirst for knowledge and truth. They asked tons of questions and did not hesitate to interrupt when they perceived a possible weakness in my logic. It was truly the toughest audience I’ve ever had. And in my younger days I was a stand-up comedian!

To substantiate the process of Credibility Marketing, I told them about:

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner’s research in leadership credibility. They surveyed thousands of business leaders to define “credibility.” See their book Credibility.
Bill Brooks’ research with more than 6,000 decision makers to determine who they buy from, and why. See his book You’re Working Too Hard to Make the Sale.
R.F. Bornstein’s study published in Psychological Bulletin on what causes people to like someone.

Borrowing credibility from sources already perceived as credible by your target market – it’s a powerful way to build an association of credibility. How is that possible? The answer is very simple, and it’s explained by Hume’s Law of Contiguity: (if A appears with B, you will associate them).

In addition to the principles of traditional psychology, Credibility Marketing combines several disciplines to create an irresistible presentation of you and your credibility. Those disciplines include: NLP, non-verbal communication, academic research, journalism, persuasion, public relations, eye-tracking psychology and direct mail.

For more information on Credibility Marketing, contact me personally.

Words that Sell

michaellovas — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:28:50 +0000

What does selling have to do with credibility and/or likeability? If you fail to gain credibility and likeability, you will likely NOT make any sales to that person. Consider that all of your professional activities are actually efforts to become more likeable and prove your credibility. Assuming that’s true, then what (specifically) are you doing to achieve those two trophies? In your defense, most people are doing nothing. That doesn’t eliminate the need, it just makes success easier for professionals who take this seriously! What to do? Learn the specific skills and tools that increase your credibility and likeability. Learn how to use psychology more effectively in your presentations and marketing. Get better. Visit our book store: www.aboutpeople.com

– Michael Lovas

The Sound of Credibility

pamholloway — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:07:48 +0000

We know from the research that the way we talk (speed, pauses, pronunciation, volume, etc.) triggers certain judgements about our Credibility. It seems that we humans have an innate competence detector. Research by Brandeis University Professor Leslie Zebrowitz suggests that “strangers can judge intelligence at levels significantly better than chance from bried exposures to a target’s face, voice and other non-verbal cues.”

Work by University of Victoria researchers Reynolds and Gifford suggests that auditory cues are more strongly related to intelligence than visual ones. Reynolds and Gifford found that the following speaking styles are interpreted as higher intelligence:

Less halting speech
More standard use of language
Speaking more words
Speaking each word clearly
Speaking faster

What does this mean? If you are excellent at thinking on your feet, then you are likely not much affected by it. However, if you’re like most of us, when you have to think on your feet your mouth has to wait for your brain to catch up and give direction. Thus, your delivery is peppered with halting stutters and stammers. Listeners perceive such a delivery as evidence that you lack a certain amount of mental snap.

How can you use it? Prepare. When you are prepared you can improvise more easily and deliver powerful answers in a convincing style. Practice. The more you practice delivering, the more natural and fluid your delivery will become.