It’s no small feat to attract and persuade 9 million viewers to watch a news broadcast each night and yet Brian Williams at NBC has done it for years and has managed to stay in the number one spot for most of that time.

photo credit: Brian Williams viaphotopin(license)

The news is the news and everyone is reporting essentially the same events each night so it comes down to trust – the reliability of the anchor that reads it.

At the core of the flap over Williams’ embellishment of his war reporting is a moral question of credibility and truthfulness, as well as the business question of his credibility and capacity to persuade viewers to tune in. His persuasiveness is what earns him nearly $10 million per year as the Nightly News anchor.

Williams’ ability to be a persuasive messenger has been seriously compromised. Persuasion researchers have determined there are three main characteristics of a good messenger:  expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity. Here’s why.

Expertise. We all turn to experts when we need advice and guidance but something very interesting happens when we receive expert advice – our critical-thinking and counterpoint arguing abilities go dormant. Our brains tend to believe the advice and go along with it. Persuasion lesson:  Establish your expertise early to get people leaning your way.

Trustworthiness. Credible and effective messengers deliver pros and cons, and the sequencing is important here. You need to start with weaknesses or drawbacks, then use the word “but” before delivering your strongest message. A lawyer who says, “No contract will guarantee project success, but this one will take care of most construction situations” strengthens his trustworthiness and credibility. Persuasion lesson:  A weakness must precede a strength for best results.

Similarity. We identify with and connect with people that are like us. A persuasive messenger finds common ground with her audience. For example, a doctor who advocates vaccinating children might find it useful to point out that they are also a parent. Persuasion lesson:  Finding similarities with your audience will immediately forge a connection and a foundation for persuasion.

The message is important, but the messenger is just as important when it comes to engagement and persuasion. Persuasive messengers matter. Make sure you and your messengers have the above qualities covered if you really want to make an impact.

Have a great week.