CHAPTER 25

CREDIBILITY:REALITY VERSUS PERCEPTION

One can stand as the greatest orator the world has known, possess the quickest mind, employ the cleverest psychology and have mastered all the technical devices of argument, but if one is not credible one might just as well preach to the pelicans.

—GERRY SPENCE

When you have credibility, people see you as believable, and you come across having the expertise to make things happen or solve their challenges. Credibility is based on three things: your knowledge, your track record, and your appearance. What has happened in the past? Have you kept all your promises? Are you known for revealing half-truths or, even worse, hiding some of the truth? Do you keep all of your commitments? Do you own up to ...

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