Credibility statements are meant to build trust with your client. When done properly, a credibility statement can be amazingly powerful. When done improperly, it can come off as a canned presentation. A bad credibility statement can even create trust issues for your client. RELATED – How to Build Profitable Relationships
This is a short story about the absolute best credibility statement I have ever heard, and it had very little to do with certifications or skills.
It starts with the birth of our daughter
Willa is our daughter. She is truly a special kid. Intelligent, active, and funny! However, she had a very rough start.
Willa was born with a genetic disorder called Pierre Robin Sequence. This malformation of her jaw caused severe difficulties in her breathing. It was very common for Willa’s blood oxygen alarms to go off all through the night. Once, the doctors even had to restart Willa’s heart. Because of this, Willa was in the NICU unit of Dell’s Children’s Hospital for the first eight weeks of her life.
The NICU staff were highly trained in premature babies. However, they were not all highly trained in the special needs of a baby with Pierre Robin. To prevent any possibilities of mishaps, Shannon or I would go to the hospital during shift changes to go over Willa’s special needs.
Can you imagine how the nurses felt about us? Sure, they understood that were speaking as concerned parents, but we were getting on their nerves. Imagine how you would feel if your client kept telling you how to do your job.
Despite the risk of agitation, Shannon and I knew we had to be there for Willa. She was our top priority, and she truly had special needs.
Sheer exhaustion
On top of having a sick newborn, Service Excellence Training was also in it’s infant stages. The company was just a few months old, and we had just a few clients.
Between hospital visits, I would go down to the lobby of the local Starbucks and do client work. RELATED – Business Consulting. When there was free time, I would go home to get fresh clothes.
Shannon stayed by Willa’s side. I’m convinced she never slept. When she wasn’t taking care of Willa, she was researching possible treatments.
It gets worse
At the point of pure exhaustion, I get the following phone call,
“Todd, this is XXXXX XXXXXXX of XXXX law firm. Our client is suing you. We demand that you shut your business down immediately!”
Yeah, that phone call was a whole lot of fun.
I won’t bore you with the details of the lawsuit. Just know that in the end; “both parties settled with mutual agreement.”
Also know this, we were dead tired, and needed a friend.
The moment of the best credibility statement on the planet
With all of this weighing on us, Shannon and I returned for another shift change at the hospital. That’s when the magical moment happened. Linda, one of the ER nurses, came up to us and said these words:
“I love your baby, and I understand her special needs. If it is ok with you, I’d like to ask my floor supervisor to be Willa’s exclusive nurse when I’m on duty. I understand Willa’s needs, and I’ll make sure that the nurse that takes my shift understands too. I know you guys need to get some rest.”
That moment has stayed with me for 4 years, and it will be with me the rest of my life.
What Linda said to us in that moment was one of the most transforming things anyone has ever said to me. I need to explain why.
The transformational power of a great credibility statement
Prior to Linda’s statement, I knew who she was. She was a sweet little old lady. That’s how I saw her. Sweet and little. In my mind, she wasn’t the most skilled of the nurses. She certainly wasn’t the one I would have picked to take care of Willa.
After her statement, Linda transformed in my eyes. She morphed into a powerful ally. A friend! A protector of my daughter! A nurse charged with Superhero powers that restore peace and well being to the planet. (Or at least to Shannon and I.)
It was the most powerful credibility statement I had ever heard. The reason for the power was the following:
- Shannon and I had a problem.
- Our service providers, while skilled, didn’t truly care.
- Linda cared about what was important to us, and had a desire to serve.
I encourage each of you to find the power in your transformational credibility statement.
