Building credibility is an essential component of keeping clients. Where there is trust, there is a growing and sustainable relationship. Trust and likeability are two keys of persuasion that are necessary when building a business online.

Credibility has nothing to do with success. It means others look at you as a reliable resource and decision maker. It allows those who rely on you to know they can count on you when they need you, trust you to make the right decisions, do business with you, and align with you.

If you have strong credibility and communicate it well, others will be eager to trust you and like you. However, if you don’t have credibility, others will wonder why they should choose your business and products over the others.

1. Honesty and integrity

• Be yourself. Be unique. Tell the truth even if the truth is ugly. Better to be honest than to delude others, because then you are probably deluding yourself, too.
• Stop comparing yourself to others and learn to be yourself– the principled person you are, standing tall for the values you believe in.
• If there is something you don’t know, ask your upline or mentor.
•  Be the person you would want to work with you.
• By being honest and true to your words you will gain the respect of your team and audience.
• You want transparency, so just be straightforward about the business and your goals.

2. Be genuine

• Always help your team no matter what.
• You need authenticity to cultivate credibility; when you’re trying to win trust, you can’t rely on the “fake it till you make it” approach
•  fully understand the backgrounds, desires and needs of all your team members. Not everybody want to get successful and are happy to just purchase a product.
• Your priority is to focus your energy and resources on only those tasks and assets that help you meet your goals

3. Take Actions

•  Don’t give other people tasks that you don’t like, do the tasks to show that you know what you’re doing. It’ll earn you respect and credibility  
• Everything you do, say and think should be consistent ie. the messages you’re sending out, the actions you take. Credibility only happens when everything is consistent, from the inside out.
• Your credibility grows when you opt for the best interests of those around you.

4. Competence

• Be an expert of what you are doing.
• Be confident in your capabilities so people know you are the one they can count on.
• Know about your product and platform for when your team asks questions they are reassured that you are a good authority figure and leader that knows what they are doing.

5. Accountability

• If you make a mistake, acknowledge it.
•  If you don’t know something ask someone or look if up. It is better saying ”I don’t know” than something stupid that would end up losing respect from your team and audience.  
• If something is truly an honest mistake there is no reason not to own it, apologize, take accountability to fix it, and put safeguards in place to make sure it won’t happen again.

6. Trust

• Trust is built over time as you follow through with the promises you make
• Don’t be afraid to trust and delegate your team with tasks.
• Delegate your responsibilities with your team, it shows that you have confidence and respect with your team which will make your team respect you.

The more you are willing to accept responsibility for your actions, the more credibility you will have.     
Brian Koslow

7. Loyalty and respect

• If you don’t accomplish what you are expected to do, explain why. Your team members will respect you for this.
• Don’t change company every six months. Stick for at least 3-5 years
• If you do change company, tell your team members why and reassure them it has nothing to do with them.
•  Keep your team in the loop, if there is a problem with the company/products tell them
• Praise and recognize your team members when things are going well, highlight achievements and allow the team to revel in their accomplishments

I hope these tips helped you and I wanted to conclude by this.

Act as a human. By demonstrating that you have made mistakes or have stumbled a bit throughout life, you indicate to your audience that you are relatable. They are also more likely to trust you because humans don’t believe in perfect, they will expect something hidden that will come later.

Always strive to improve yourself to become better today than you were yesterday, work to serve those around you and the world with the core conviction that is uniquely you.

Kathy