You Won’t Build Credibility in Relationships Without This

What makes you credible?

It essentially comes down to one thing. And you must take this into account, especially when you are developing relationships.

If you do not consider doing this, you lose the chance to potentially create a connection with someone who can turn out to be that steppingstone you have been waiting for. Or it may result in a lost opportunity for you to provide a life-changing moment for a contact when they least expect it.

What boosts your credibility?

Building trust. And being trustworthy.

This is what you ultimately want to strive for. You cannot cultivate a relationship without trust. Of course, being honest and dependable play a role in contributing toward a high score in the credibility department! But it does not hurt to make fostering that trust your top goal.

How do you prove you are trustworthy?

You demonstrate it! Through your integrity and sincerity. You also show true interest by asking good questions and learning about people’s ambitions and challenges. And you need to provide value. In order to do this, you should first determine just how valuable you are.

How do you establish your value?

Think of everything that has shaped your life as it is today. It can be your job, family, events, or experiences. They all have a part in establishing your worth. You may think what you offer isn’t very inspiring or influential to others, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! You should take the time to determine exactly what you can give to those in your networks by downloading our Value Assessment tool. The questions presented provide more insight into how valuable you really are.

How can you provide value?

Something that is easy for you could be someone else’s biggest challenge or fear. And if you can play a valuable part in assisting someone with a certain task, this shows just how worthy and credible you are. This is also the bridge to relationship-building and creating connections that matter.

For example, maybe you’re a natural at meeting new people and enjoy going to social events. And you have a friend who is the opposite, who completely dreads anything to do with networking; you can offer to be their wingman at your next gathering! This builds credibility in your abilities to nurture relationships while offering something beneficial to someone in your network.

What does work experience have to do with it?

Your skills and expertise demonstrate your knowledge on certain matters, which helps develop your credibility. But keep in mind your professional background is only a piece of what you bring to the table! And you should not let it define you alone.

How else can you build credibility in relationships?

There are many ways to demonstrate trustworthiness through your practices and routines. Many of them are simple actions! And should really be second nature. I’m talking about:

• showing respect toward other people
• being loyal and genuine
• being competent in your abilities
• and most importantly, being accountable for your actions

Your personal well-being and self-awareness play a huge factor in building integrity as well. If you are generous to others, you perceive yourself as being a generous person, and most likely others will too.

But it also works the other way. If you are dishonest with people, and you perceive yourself as a distrustful person, then this is how others may see you. If that’s the case, you need to change your behavior! Then you gain the confidence of others and reveal how trustworthy you can be.

Always remember that the more credible people find you, the more likely they will get to know, like, and trust you. If you do not build relationships based on this, you won’t get very far!

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