Are You Helping or Hurting Your Credibility?

Between Nashville-based guests that I have interviewed on my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast and visits that I’ve made to Music City, there have been plenty of opportunities for me to hear established folks there say that getting approached by newbies who just arrived in town more than likely is not going to result in a co-write.

While you could make the old argument, “How can I get experience if you’re not going to give me some experience,” the fact remains that credibility will have a lot to do with someone’s decision to engage with you or not.

I do a lot of speaking engagements.  I have presented at songwriters festivals, author conferences, podcasting events, and more.  When I’m giving a talk about podcasting, I mention that for those doing interview-style shows, you need to establish your expertise (your credibility) rather than just give the whole show away to the guest each episode.

I was recently listening to someone introduce themselves by saying that they are a three-time founder.  First is that yes, it was a rather odd reference.  But moreover, this person sounded (and for the most part looked) so young that all I could think of was something that immediately hurt any credibility they might think that they're implying.  “You’re who knows how young and have already gone through three attempts at founding a business?  These companies must not be lasting very long at all.  It’s hurting your credibility with me and why would I put a lot of stock in much of what you say?”

Whoops.  I guess that actually backfired on you.

It’s also worth mentioning that my opinion was further impacted by the above continually saying, “Like,” harkening back to a Valley Girl-type persona, to use a 1980s reference.  Again, it doesn’t do much to help your credibility.

For those that think they are influencers, you better be able to back it up.  If you refer to yourself as an Instagrammer and yet you have 118 followers, no one is going to think that you’re helping shape opinions.  Or you tell people you’re a YouTuber and you have eight subscribers, and your channel consists of two videos and one Short.

People are going to check you out and if you don’t have a robust account on whatever platform you’re trying to claim you’re influencing followers through, no one is going to “smash” the follow or subscribe button.

In the music world I think of artists who indicate that they performed at a major festival with top names, only to find out that what they really did was sing the national anthem.  While technically their statement isn’t inaccurate, not telling the whole truth and it having just been that two-minute song certainly hurts their credibility.  What it also does, then, is makes me wonder what else they’re bending the truth about.

Meanwhile, if you’re someone who is entertaining the services of some sort of professional – I say this at author conferences to those considering hiring an editor, publicist, agent, publisher, etc. – and you look at their website and you can’t tell real clearly what services they provide for clients and they don’t give you any indication of any results that they get for people, you should question their credibility.  (I’m proud that Now Hear This posts result after result after result that we’re getting for our clients and it’s pretty clear to anyone that’s looking at our agency what are examples of some of the things that we do for people.)  (See the links for Facebook, X, and LinkedIn at the very bottom of this page to go see for yourself.)

So, it’s very much a credibility issue if you’re being vague, if there are generalities.

How recurring is this issue?

I recently saw someone speak who was giving their background but really highlighted some success that they had in the 1980s.  That’s great, but in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, it’s all well and good what you did way back when, but the fact is that nobody really cares at this point.  And so, it doesn’t really do a whole lot for your credibility if you’re putting too much emphasis on something that happened 40 years ago.

For that matter, it’s also going to beg the question, “If you had that success back then, why are you talking about something completely unrelated that you’re doing now?  Why didn’t you stick with what you’re telling us you were so good at?”

Be careful not to fall into one of the above traps.  Consider having an independent third party give you some sort of assessment to make sure that your work and your word stands up.

For more than twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.