How you can rent credibility

Zero to one credibility hacks

I recently came across this quote from Kanyi Maqubela and the idea of “renting credibility” really struck me. 

Everyone has, at one point or another, been in a situation where they don’t have any credibility in a particular area. This could be a new job, a new role, a new venture, or even a new hobby or area of interest. Nobody is born with credibility, it has to earned over time.

While this will always take time, there are ways to accelerate your credibility. Below are some of the ways that I myself or others have done this:

Hack #1: Associate yourself with reputable or soon to be reputable companies

In reality, resumes don’t matter much more than the paper they’re printed on. However, the average person still indexes heavily on credentials. In those cases, associating yourself with companies that people carry in high regard can be an unlock early in your career.

The challenge is often that these credible companies are highly selective. They may have no positions for junior or less credible people.

The workaround is being able to identify a startup that is not yet reputable and helping contribute to its ascension into a reputable company. The scope of your role and your career progression will be much faster and you’ll still earn the benefits of working at a reputable company in the long run.

For companies themselves, this can also hold true. Reference customers that people recognize and hold in high regard can make a difference. Ultimately, your product will have to stand on it’s own but a strong reference customer can get you in the door.

Hack #2: Associate yourself with reputable or soon people

The best way to earn a reputation is by word of mouth. What do people say about you when you’re not in the room.

People value the opinions and assessments of the people that they trust so if you can get in the good graces of individuals with a strong reputation it can be a major accelerant. 

This works on a company level as well. If you hire great people, anyone who knows them will associate your company with that person. Over time, this can create a groundswell of trust in your company.

Hack #3: Speak the lingo

Language is how we connect as humans. Your language quite literally informs who you can communicate with.

The same way you’ll stick out if you move to NYC from the Deep South and use the word “y’all,” if you enter a new role or a new industry and don’t know the lingo you’ll seem out of touch. 

It may seem like a minor detail to customize your marketing materials by industry or adjust your sales scripts, but using the right language might just be the difference.

Hack #4: Work hard

This falls more into the category of ‘creating your own credibility’ but nonetheless should be mentioned here. There’s few substitutes for hard work. Especially earlier in your career, you have the capacity to work longer hours and dedicate more raw input into your role or your company. People notice hard work whether it’s coworkers, investors, or customers.

Hard work doesn’t excuse everything but you’re going to get the benefit of the doubt if people recognize that you’re working hard. 

Are there other ways you’ve seen people or companies rent credibility? If so, I’d love to hear!