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Why Credibility is a Must-Have in Public Speaking

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Danny Riley | 3 min read

Last updated: 1/12/2025

Why Credibility is Crucial for Public Speakers

As a public speaker, one of the most vital qualities you need is credibility. Without it, even the most well-researched content will fall flat. Your audience must trust you, believe in your expertise, and feel that you’re the right person to deliver the message.

Many new speakers experience the “Curse of Cassandra” – a phenomenon where you know the truth but struggle to convince others.

To combat this, you need to communicate your message with clarity, confidence, and supporting evidence.

Man in suit, looking credible and professional

What Is the "Curse of Cassandra"?

In Greek mythology, Cassandra had the gift of prophecy but was cursed by Apollo – no one believed her predictions. Many speakers today face a modern version of this curse when they feel they have valuable insights, but fail to convey their ideas in a way that resonates with their audience.

To avoid this, your speech, body language, and message must align perfectly. Here are a few ways you might inadvertently lose credibility:

  • Not fully explaining your topic due to insecurity and nerves.
  • Cutting your message short, even though you know there’s more to say.
  • Displaying nervous body language that undermines your message.

Along with over-use of filler words and other public speaking bad habits, we call these “credibility killers” – because left unchecked, they can completely undermine your message.

Avoiding the "Credibility Curse"

The key to credible public speaking is preparation and practice. Research your subject thoroughly and ensure your content is supported by reliable, peer-reviewed sources. Cite evidence to back up your claims and use real-world examples or case studies from your own experience.

It’s not only data that builds credibility, a short personal story or anecdote can be equally powerful in terms of building trust.

Remember, using someone else’s words or ideas without proper citation can harm your credibility. Always attribute quotes or statistics to the appropriate source to remain credible as a speaker.

Tips for Maintaining Credibility as a Speaker

  1. Know your content deeply. When you’re confident in your material, it’s easier to present it in a way that earns your audience’s trust – and not to falter if questioned on it.
  2. Speak clearly and confidently. Your delivery should match your message — don’t let nervousness or uncertainty undermine your authority.
  3. Engage your audience. Ask questions, listen to their responses, and adapt your message to address their concerns. Interaction builds trust.

If you’re struggling to maintain credibility when speaking or presenting, one of the surest fixes is to invest in public speaking training.

We work with professionals and business leaders, and offer a range of training options from 1-1 coaching, to group courses, and corporate team training days.

Credibility when speaking is essential, and we’ll help you quickly get there.

To your speaking success,

Danny

When you're ready, 3 ways to work with me...

Coaching Programme: Follow a proven system to build confidence, find your charisma, and step-up as a speaker in your niche.

1-Day Masterclass: Learn everything you need in 1 day to face your fears, and begin speaking with confidence.

Corporate Team Training: Bring confident communication to your team. High impact workshops, events talks, and leadership training.

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Hey Ed,

Just wanted to share some feedback we had from the delegates after the October Away day 😊 You went down a storm!

– Presentation skills session very good
– The presentation skills session was AMAZING! Very informative and will definitely come in handy.
– Really enjoyed the presentation skills
– Speaker was very engaging and interesting and worked for all aspects of our work
– The presentation was amazing, getting to interact with each other and learning different presentation skills.- there wasn’t a moment which I found it boring or not helpful.

Jess Docksey, Workforce & Education Programme Manager

 

“Absolutely Brilliant training session to do, really enjoyed it. Ed was fab made everyone feel at ease, more confident and relaxed. I will take so much away from this session thanks Ed, you do a great job 👍👏”

Diane Axford — GMCA

 

“Attended an excellent full day session hosted by Ed at Project Charisma, it was a fantastic learning experience and would recommend to anyone who gets the chance.
Ed made everyone feel at ease even when facing our insecurities, individual conversations around the exercises left no question unanswered. A great experience that I can put into practice straight away.”

Siobhan Keane — GMCA

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100% recommendation rate! All attendees gave you a 10 on how likely they would be to recommend the workshop to peers!

Here’s a summary of the group’s feedback from the session:

  • “The workshop was well-timed, with an excellent balance of information, interactive activities, and group work that kept participants engaged.”

  • “Ed, the facilitator, was professional, knowledgeable, and exceptional at delivering clear, constructive feedback. His energy and positivity helped create a safe and supportive environment, which was particularly important given that many participants were outside their comfort zones with public speaking. Ed’s personal story of overcoming anxiety resonated with the group, fostering trust and making the experience more relatable.”

  • “The content was well-structured, breaking down key elements to make the learning process less daunting, and the pacing was comfortable for everyone. The variety of tasks, including the workbook to take away, added value, and the session ultimately empowered participants to deliver speeches with confidence.”

Ideas that resonated with the group the most:

Presentation Structure: Key techniques like planning, the “rule of three,” and the power of pausing.

Audience Engagement: Effective strategies such as the “audience hug” and balanced eye contact (“light housing”).

Public Speaking Elements: Focus on body language, voice modulation, and mindset.

Vocal Variety & Filler Words: Importance of vocal variety and minimising filler words.

Mindset Shift: Emphasis on being prolific over perfect; enthusiasm and charisma over confidence.

All the group have rated themselves as an 8, 9 or 10 in terms of confidence in demonstrating the skills they have learnt in your session.

Other comments:

“This workshop has given me a great toolkit to help build my presenting skills. I feel more empowered in my public speaking and have the confidence to participate in presentations within my role.”

“I thought it was well run, the overall content was excellent. Great feedback throughout the course to support not only the individual but also the group. I would recommend the course strongly to my peers.”

“Was nervous going into the class, worried that it would be a bit school-like or based more in acting (which it was not). Thoroughly enjoyed the experience – would love to do it again later on in the year/next year to look see how my skill has (hopefully) improved.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and was highly impressed with Ed. Ed’s approach to the subject, his personal story, the layout of the workshop and his energy made for an engaging, memorable and impactful workshop. Ed was able to give helpful feedback to everyone whilst also filled us with encouragement and confidence. I feel he shared some life skills that I will take forward with me in my career and I would love the opportunity to work with him again!”