A simple 4-step exercise to establish credibility

When you propose and pitch work for clients (through referrals, cold outreach, and even when you draft up proposals for brands that want to work with you)... you'll want to craft a short "credibility statement".

Lots of creators are missing this in their email outreach... so I figured I'd share a simple exercise that can be helpful if you struggle with this or just want to up your game!

The goal is to establish your credibility by highlighting your past successes, expertise, or unique qualifications. This helps to build trust and shows the recipient that you're capable of delivering on your promises.

Here's how you do that:

1️⃣ Reflect on Your Past Successes: Think back on your career and identify three instances where you achieved significant results, had successful collaborations, or demonstrated relevant skills or experience. These could be projects you completed, goals you achieved, or problems you solved. They should be relevant to the service you're offering in your cold emails.

2️⃣ Describe Each Success: For each instance, write a brief description that includes the following details: What was the project or task? What role did you play? What was the outcome or result? How did this benefit the company or client?

3️⃣ Craft Your Credibility Statement: Now, take these descriptions and craft a paragraph that establishes your credibility. This should be concise and focused, highlighting your achievements and experience in a way that's relevant to the recipient. Remember, the goal is not to brag but to demonstrate that you have the skills and experience necessary to provide value to the recipient. Your credibility statement should make the recipient feel confident in your ability to deliver on your offer.

4️⃣ Review and Refine: Finally, review your credibility statement. Is it clear and concise? Does it highlight your most relevant achievements? Does it demonstrate your ability to provide value? If not, refine it until it does.

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Let's go step-by-step with a fictitious example of Jane Doe; a social media creator in the fitness niche.

Step 1: Reflect on Past Successes

Collaboration with Lululemon that led to a sold-out line of activewear.
Partnership with Noom, where I contributed fitness content which helped in user engagement and retention.
Developing wellness programs that received positive feedback for innovation and effectiveness from outdoor activity enthusiasts.

Step 2: Describe Each Success

Collaborated with Lululemon to design a line of activewear, incorporating insights from the fitness community. The line sold out within days, highlighting a keen understanding of market needs.
Partnered with Noom to create custom fitness content. This partnership resulted in increased user engagement and contributed to a higher retention rate.
Developed a series of wellness programs tailored to outdoor activity enthusiasts, which garnered positive feedback for innovation and effectiveness, and helped in building a dedicated community.

Step 3: Craft Your Credibility Statement

"Having worked closely with brands like Lululemon, I’ve honed my ability to identify and incorporate market needs, as evidenced by the rapid sell-out of our collaborative activewear line. My partnership with Noom in creating custom fitness content led to notable increases in user engagement and retention, highlighting my expertise in creating content that resonates with health-conscious consumers.

Additionally, my experience in developing innovative wellness programs for outdoor enthusiasts has not only received positive feedback but has also built a thriving community. Together, these achievements reflect my commitment to enhancing brand value through insightful collaborations and effective content creation."

Step 4: Review and Refine

Consider the client perspective and the context (is this an email, pitch, in-person presentation, and so on) and refine.

Final Credibility Statement:

"In my collaborations with leading brands such as Lululemon and Noom, I've leveraged market insights to drive tangible results, including a sold-out activewear line and a 20% increase in user engagement, respectively.

My tailored wellness programs have also cultivated a dedicated community of over 10,000 outdoor enthusiasts. These successes demonstrate my ability to generate impactful content and foster strategic partnerships in the health and wellness space."

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