Book Yourself Solid Illustrated: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling

2.5 CREDIBILITY AND LIKABILITY

All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses.

—Friedrich Nietzsche

Even before we discuss how to position yourself as an expert within your field, let's get down to the nitty-gritty—the standard credibility builders. The standard credibility builders are the things that you need to do and have in place to appear credible and professional. Once you have all your basics covered, then and only then can we discuss how to establish your reputation as an authority in your field and look at how your likability influences your ability to get booked solid.

The Standard Credibility Builders

The standard credibility builders may seem obvious, but without them you won't be taken seriously, so they're worth reviewing:

• You must have a professional e-mail address, preferably one that includes your domain name. [e-mail] doesn't qualify. Neither does [e-mail]. If you don't yet have a web site, then at least use your name: [e-mail].
• Invest in quality business cards. Business cards with perforated edges that you've printed at home, or the free cards with the printing company's name on the back, will undermine your credibility. On the flip side, overproduced cards with hyped-up text or a highly stylized head shot may undermine your authority. Only do something unusual with things like business cards ...