8 Dec 08 @ 9:46 am
A Commentary on the Theory that Guides Us: Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Part II
This is the second installment of a four-part series.
Ethos (Credibility)
What did Aristotle think about how to establish credibility? To him, credibility was the product of embodying three characteristics: 1) practical knowledge; 2) virtuous character; and 3) good will. It’s interesting to note that if you lack any one of these, either your know-how or your honesty can be challenged. What struck me about these three characteristics is that establishing credibility is not limited to expertise or knowledge of a particular subject. You can present yourself as incredibly knowledgeable, but if you don’t convey a virtuous character or good will, people might think that you know what you’re talking about, but for whatever reason aren’t telling them. Thus, being a good, honest, and dependable person—and conveying this fact—is as important to your credibility as knowing what you’re talking about.
Coaching Points:
- The overall practical point is not to forget that establishing your credibility is essential to communicating persuasively. You don’t want to be a braggart, but you can’t appear so deferential and humble that it takes a couple years for people to realize that you are smarter than you first appear. (A) One way to communicate credibility is never to talk down to an audience. Without inundating them with jargon or acronyms, speak to them as you would a colleague, except make sure to define terms, elaborate on concepts, etc. If you dumb it down too much, you risk your audience thinking that the whole thing is obvious, and that you haven’t clarified anything. (B) If you are giving a speech in front of an audience that doesn’t know who you are, make it a point to convey your experience and practical knowledge subtly through a story or aside at the beginning of the speech. For example, tell a personal story that both references your role in a high-profile engagement and makes headway in the overall presentation.
- One way to establish yourself as virtuous is to tactfully reference a charitable activity that you do: volunteer work, non-profit work, etc. In addition to the fact that these sorts of activities build your character as a virtuous one, your public participation in them sends the message that you are not simply a Gordon Gekko from Wall St. lacking scruples and a moral compass.
- One way to establish yourself as having a sense of good will is to offer free advice. Since so few people do it, it makes CRA stand out when one of our consultants explains to a client exactly what we would do in a given situation. It helps establish our brand as friendly, open, and willing to provide expertise even when we might not gain financially from it.
posted in category(s): Miscellaneous
