SOME INFO REGARDING YOUR ETHOS:
That is, your CREDIBILITY See
also: http://worldtraining.net/credibility.htm
http://worldtraining.net/credibility.htm http://worldtraining.net/credibility4.htm
http://worldtraining.net/credibility3.htm
http://worldtraining.net/credibility5.htm
Some of the advice below
applies better to speaking in a public arena
or for a
business presentation than it does for your next speech, a six minute speech
that shows us you know your topic and at its end you will propose a solution to
something we need (or need to do) that leads us to accept (or reject) your
proposed action step at the end of the third speech. The following info is
still useful as a guideline.
1. Dress appropriately for the situation.
Casual clothes won't make you appear impressive in a formal group. For most
speeches, it's not recommended that you show too much skin, wear baseball caps,
t-shirts, flip-flops, or otherwise suggest that you just got off the
high-school bus or even worse, you just hopped off the truck from the pumpkin
farm ( a seasonal reference ! ) Inappropriate
attire can make you look like you're trying to distract the audience because
your topic isn't important and might communicate the wrong message about your
seriousness.
2 Show your confidence.
If you make it clear that you understand your topic, the audience is more
likely to believe you. Appearing to be nervous or unprepared can make you seem
less qualified to speak on the topic. Keeping good eye contact can show your
confidence. See the Thumos page: Thumos:
Nervous? Read this short article and Òfake it until you make it."
3 Share your personal experiences
WHENEVER RELEVANT :
Testimonials from experts are necessary as you
are not yet a recognized expert in your topic area. On the other hand, if the
audience realizes that you have gone through some situation related to the
topic personally, they can sense that you know what
you're speaking about to some extent as it suggests your commitment and
interest in the topic. Keep your experiences related to your topic, but don't
overdo the personal experience angle.
4 Pronounce all your words
correctly. (see these links on
the topic page: Pronunciation Guides for
Proper Names and Technical Terms (mispronouncing
a term can undermine your credibility!) You
won't establish your credibility while speaking if you're mispronouncing words
that you should know for your subject. If you have too much trouble with a
word, you should find a different one that has the same meaning. Also watch how
you phrase things [ keyterm:
equivocation] . You don't want your statements taken the wrong way.
5 Give evidence that supports
what you're saying. Seeing that another
credible source agrees with you can enhance your own credibility. Don't give
any false statistics. This will destroy your purpose of trying to establish
your credibility while speaking.
[http://sixminutes.dlugan.com Read
more: How to Establish Credibility as a Public Speaker | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2054641_establish-credibility-speaking.html#ixzz1rg8KWwkm ]
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Ideas on How to Establish Credibility Before Your Speech
Set yourself up for success before you say a
word. Credibility is basically a measure of how the audience
perceives your integrity, believability, and authority on the topic youÕre
presenting, and how they receive your message will largely be based on this
factor. Unfortunately, itÕs not as simple as just presenting your message; your
credibility can take a hit before you even step up to the lectern. Read on for
some tips on setting yourself up for success.
Show us more than a blank screen: You must have AT LEAST one
slide for each speech (the keystone image); How
many additional slides are appropriate for your speech is your judgment call.
Too many slides also create problems as you may go over the six minute limit.
For example, if youÕre trying to persuade the audience to support a local
animal shelter, a looping slide show (if you know how to do this) with pictures and quotes of happy families adopting
pets could set the tone before your speech even starts OR you could go the
opposite route with nasty images at the start to get attention and interest and
then proceed with the speech. OR.... If it
works for your message, a single quote on the screen can get the audience
thinking about your message. I remember walking into a seminar on
creativity to see Robert SchullerÕs quote, ÒWhat
would you attempt if you knew you would not fail.Ó This really set the tone for
the workshop. Keep in mind, however, that this is supposed to be an
introduction. DonÕt give away your entire presentation in the pre-show before
you begin like many previews that give away any suspense!
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Definition of Ethos
1. Trustworthiness: Does
your audience believe you are a good person who can be trusted to tell the
truth?
2. Similarity: Does
your audience identify with you?
3. Authority: Do
you have formal or informal authority relative to your audience?
4. Reputation: How
much expertise does your audience think you have in this field? Is this your
major or minor concentration? Are you considering this field (e.g.,if you pick a banking topic ,
are you looking at Finance or Accounting as a career choice?
We will refer to these dimensions
throughout as we link practical actions back to their roots. Look for
them in parentheses, like this: (Similiarity). When a
certain tactic applies to all four dimensions of ethos, weÕll denote it like
this: (All)
Remember that these dimensions are not always
independent; rather, they are often intertwined. Caution: Ethos is not an
exact measure.
Consider the difference between your weight and your overall
health. * Weight is precise. Yesterday, you
weighted 121 pounds. Today, you weigh 120.5 pounds. If you burn 3500 calories
through exercise, youÕll drop one pound in weight. Last week, you weighed three
pounds less than your sister. * Health, on the other hand, is
not precise. Your health cannot be described by a single
number. Still, you can make some assertions. You can be pretty sure that
one person is healthier than another. Further, you can be confident that certain
actions will improve your health (e.g. exercising more; eating spinach) and
other actions will damage your health (e.g. smoking; eating
cake).
Ethos is not like weight.
You canÕt say ÒOh, my ethos score with this audience
is 165 today. Yippee!Ó (Well, you can say it, but it would be
meaningless.) Instead, ethos is like your physical
health. Having come to this epiphany, you should also realize
that there are certain actions which improve your
ethos, and certain actions that damage your ethos. Examples of these actions
will be the focus of the remainder of this article. Ethos is
about your audienceÕs perception of you, and this perception can be formed over
many months or years, or perhaps over many past speeches. So, weÕll first
examine things you can do in the long run to improve your ethos.
#1: Be a Good Person (Trustworthiness)
LetÕs start with an easy one. Be a good
person, do good things, and think good thoughts. There are far more important
reasons to follow this mantra than to gain speaking ethos. Nonetheless, your
ethos will grow. The positive effect you have on those around you will spread,
and will become known to your audience. Example: How much ethos does
Tiger Woods have (in the wake of the fidelity scandal) in terms of trustworthiness?
#2: Develop Deep Expertise in Topics You Speak About (Reputation) ÒYour
expertise will often differentiate you from competing
speakers.Ó People are busy. (ThereÕs a news flash!) There are many
things competing for their attention, and there are often many other speakers
competing for their attention. Why will they choose to listen to you speak?
Your expertise will often differentiate you from competing
speakers. Example: Suppose an audience has two options for
concurrent sessions at a conference:
1. Speaker A has very
interesting ideas, but only 2 years of work in a related field.
2. Speaker B has written two
best-selling books in the field, and is a sought after consultant with 15 years
of experience.
Who is the audience going to choose?
ThereÕs a corollary for this rule too.
Stick to speaking about topics for which you have deep expertise.
#3: Market Yourself (Reputation)
Developing the expertise doesnÕt earn
you any ethos if you donÕt market yourself and let the world know about it.
YouÕve got to take charge of your personal brand and make sure that itÕs a
brand that emphasizes the qualities you want to emphasize.
#4: Analyze Your Audience (Similarity)
Thorough audience analysis is critical
for improving your ethos. (ItÕs critical for improving your pathos and logos
tooÉ but thatÕs a topic for another article. Stay tuned.) Audience
analysis will reveal valuable clues that you can use to adapt yourself to your
audience. Seek to find common traits that you share and highlight them. For
other traits, find ways to adapt your language, your mannerisms, your dress,
your PowerPoint visuals, or your stories to match the audience. Example:
YouÕve been invited to speak to a company that is new to you. You donÕt know
whether their corporate atmosphere is formal or relaxed. Through audience
analysis, you discover that nobody in the company wears a suit to work. So, you
choose a less formal outfit to adapt to your audience.
How to Improve Ethos — Before Your Speech
ÒShowing up early demonstrates your
dedication to serve the audience.Ó The day of your presentation is
too late to develop deep expertise about your topic. However, thereÕs much you
can do before you say your first words:
#5: Show up Early to Welcome the Audience (Trustworthiness)
Showing up with minutes to spare gives
the impression that you almost had somewhere more important to be. Showing up
early demonstrates your dedication to serve the audience. This, in turn, builds
trust.
#6: Share Event Experience with Audience (Similarity)
[When your presentation is part of a
larger event, try to attend as much of it as you can. Every minute you spend
with your audience as an audience member builds your level of affiliation with
them. The event becomes a shared experience. The audience sees you as one of
them.]
#7: Highlight Ethos in Marketing Materials (All)
Depending on the event, you may have an
opportunity to provide an authorÕs bio to complement your speech title.[NOT NEEDED for our class!] Seize this opportunity. Make
it clear to your potential audience why they should spend their time (and their
money) to listen to you. This is particularly critical if you are at an event
with concurrent sessions. DonÕt assume that people make their decisions on
topic alone. Example: Suppose you will be speaking at the Arizona
Teachers Association Annual Conference. Positive testimonials from past
presentations to teacher associations would be effective to establish your
reputation.
#8: Highlight Ethos in Introduction (All)
Your introduction is probably the single
best opportunity for you to establish your ethos with this audience on this
day. For this reason, you should always write your own introduction. DonÕt let
an event organizer wing it. Highlight the essential facts that establish your
trustworthiness, similarity, authority, and reputation. As in the example
above, pick the material specific to this audience and topic. Beware
that you donÕt overdo it. Long introductions are boring. Long introductions
filled with every accomplishment youÕve had since age 21 are boring and
pompous. ÒYou should always write your own introduction. DonÕt let an event
organizer wing it.Ó Example: Suppose you are delivering user training for
employees to introduce the new corporate financial system. Key items to
highlight in your brief introduction might be:
1. You were the
project manager for implementing the new system (Reputation)
2. You have implemented
similar systems twice before in your career (Reputation)
Note: Much more on effective evaluations can
be found in the article: How to Introduce a Speaker: 16 Essential Tips for
Success.
If youÕve done well so far, your
audience is listening from your first word. DonÕt get complacent. Continue
building your ethos through your presentation.
#9: Tell stories or anecdotes which show you are consistent with
your message (Trustworthiness)
DonÕt be a hypocrite. Nobody will act on your
advice if you donÕt. Example: Suppose you are trying to persuade
your audience to support Habitat for Humanity, an international organization
that builds homes to eliminate poverty. You can raise your ethos by crafting
stories or anecdotes which demonstrate that you are
active in the local Habitat chapter. By demonstrating that you follow your own advice,
your audience is more likely to believe you on other points which cannot be so
easily verified (for example, statistics about Habitat for Humanity). ÒDonÕt
be a hypocrite. Nobody will act on your advice if you donÕt.Ó
#10: Use language familiar to your audience (Similarity)
Using language familiar to your audience
is good for two reasons:
1. It aids in their
understanding (which, indirectly, makes you more persuasive).
2. It helps the audience
identify with you which boosts your ethos.
By Òfamiliar languageÓ, I mean more than
English versus Dutch. As well, I mean more than using words
which are understood by the audience. To really get your audience to
identify with you, you must use the terms that they would use to describe the
concepts.
Example: A few examples might make this
clearer:
1. Many people would
understand that property agent is the same thing as a real estate agent.
However, depending where you speak, one of these terms will be more common. Use
it!
2. Acronyms are dangerous if
you are using ones that your audience doesnÕt know. Conversely, if everyone in
your audience uses the term P.M. on a daily basis, you should use that term
rather than project manager.
#11: Use visuals/examples which resonate
with your audience (Similarity)
For any given message, you have a
multitude of options for stories, anecdotes, visuals, or other techniques to
convey your speech. From this multitude, try selecting the ones
which have the biggest impact with this audience. Not only will you get
the big impact, but the audience will also start thinking that you are just
like them. ThatÕs good for you! Example: Suppose you are speaking to
company management on the topic of goal-setting.
Through audience analysis, you discovered that the company sponsored employees
to run the local marathon. Although there are many metaphors and visuals you
could use to talk about goal-setting, you choose to
draw parallels between corporate goal-setting and the goals one sets when
tackling a challenging race. You feature several vivid photographs of marathon
races to complement your arguments.
#12: Choose quotations and statistics from the right sources
(All)
Quotations and statistics are common speech tools which, on the surface, may contribute more to your
logos (logical argument) than ethos. Nonetheless, if you choose the right
sources, you can boost your ethos too. ÒWhen you reference a
reputable source, you boost your ethos by association.Ó Example: When
researching a speech about cancer research, you discover two statistics that
will help you make your argument.
1. The source of the
first statistic is some unknown author on Wikipedia.
2. The source of the second
statistic is the Mayo Clinic.
Which statistic is your audience more
likely to believe? If you guessed the Mayo Clinic, youÕre right. When you
reference a reputable source, you boost your ethos by association. So,
the general guideline is to use quotations and statistics from sources which
have high ethos to your audience, whether by trustworthiness, similarity,
authority, or reputation.
#13: Reference people in the audience, or events earlier in the
day (Similarity)
Earlier, we mentioned that, if possible,
you should try to share the event experience with your audience. When you do,
you can increase your ethos by incorporating something from that shared
experience (or someone in the audience) into your speech. Your audience sees
you as Òone of themÓ, and a silent bond forms. Example: In the
presentation preceding yours, the speaker repeated a memorable phrase ÒItÕs
never too late.Ó If you can do it in a meaningful way, try to weave this phrase
into your material.
How to Improve Ethos — After Your Speech
Your talk is done, but your
effectiveness as a speaker is not yet written in stone. HereÕs
a few things you can do to continue to build up your ethos with this audience,
or with your next audience.
\
#14: Make yourself available to your audience (Similarity)
Whenever possible, stick around after
your presentation is over. Mingle with the audience and continue to share in
the event experience. Not only will you have the opportunity for productive
follow-up conversations, but your audience will see
you as accessible, and accessible is good. In short, your ethos will
rise.
#15: Follow through on promises made during your presentation
(Trustworthiness) One
technique for managing a short Q&A session is to defer thorny or complex
questions to a later time. Example: If someone asks a question
as part of a 10-minute Q&A session that would take you 20 minutes to
answer, itÕs okay to defer the question saying: ÒIÕd like to give the complete
answer, but we donÕt have time today. IÕll send it out to the group on
email.Ó ItÕs okay to do that, but only if you do follow up! If you
fail to do so, your audience will judge you as being untrustworthy. Even if
your presentation was great, your influence on their future actions is
diminished.
Ethos in the short term versus the long term
In the above examples, you may have
noticed that trustworthiness and similarity were mentioned much more often than
authority or reputation. This is not an
accident. * You can significantly influence
your audienceÕs on-the-spot assessment of your trustworthiness and similarity
by following the advice above. While your audience may have preconceptions
about you in these dimensions, you may be able to change their mind.
* It is much harder to
change your audienceÕs on-the-spot assessment of your authority and reputation.
Your audienceÕs perception of you along these dimensions is mostly fixed before
your speech starts. Either you are an expert in the field, or you are not.
Either you have formal authority over your audience, or you donÕt. Not much that
you say in a one hour speech will change either of
these.
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