The first four factors of Max Cred: Credentials, Content, Confidence and Candor can compel credibility, but it also help to be liked by others, which you can accomplish by improving your skills (yes, skills) of caring more for others and connecting with them on a personal level.

Your engineers may be one of the greatest untapped sales assets you have, because they have access, credibility and knowledge. The big question is: will they and can they? Spoiler alert: the answer is yes, if they understand the essence of selling.

Candor is a powerful factor in credibility because it does so much for you. It checks off every one of Aristotle's tests of credibility, showing your good sense, good character, and goodwill.

Confidence is the third factor of Max Cred because others won't believe if they don't think you believe. In this podcast, I talk about the four levels of confidence and what you can do to project just the right amount.

Valid credentials are like putting a deposit on your listeners' belief, but you need solid content to complete the transaction. Content is the most permanent element in credibility; it's the solid core inside your outward image.

Credentials are the first Max Cred factor we discuss because they start speaking for you before you open your mouth. In this podcast, I talk about what constitutes a valid credential and how to present your credentials in a way that guarantees maximum credibility.

If you're a knowledge worker, your personal credibility is your most precious asset. It's not your knowledge, which is worthless if others don't believe what you say; it's not your eloquence, if others don't listen; it's not your power, if others only agree grudgingly. Like any asset, you want to preserve it, grow it, and put it to work.

My fondest wish is that this podcast will change someone's life—maybe even yours.

If you've held yourself back from accepting speaking engagements because of nerves, it can make an immediate and obvious change to your career. That's not a bad benefit, but the ideas I'll talk about here will apply to just about any challenge you face in your life and even impact your physical health.

Listening is one of the most important activities of your job and your life, but you don't do it nearly as well as you should and you could. In this episode, I tell you why, and what you can do about it.

How many times have you walked out of a meeting with someone with a clear sense that everybody is on board and knows what to do, and after time passes nothing has happened? In this podcast, I cover the three principal reasons for inaction and what you can do about it.