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Skip the Apology: Retain Your Credibility

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

An accomplished physician and researcher from Puerto Rico was presenting at a conference of her peers in the United States.  “First,” the doctor began, “I want to apologize for my English.”

Sitting in the audience, I wanted to rewind the tape and skip the apology.  Like other speech coaches, I advise against apologizing in a speech—especially during the introduction. 

A primary goal of an introduction is to establish the speaker’s credibility.  To begin with an apology is to begin by undermining your own credibility.  Not only did the doctor’s apology expose a lack of confidence, it diverted attention from her expertise.  The apology was entirely unnecessary—the doctor’s skills as a clinician and a researcher had earned her the right to present.

It is appropriate to acknowledge an obvious difference that might distract audience members from your content, something like a heavy accent or the presence of a wheelchair.  The doctor might have begun, “I’ve come from Puerto Rico to report significant findings from my research.  These findings may impact your clinical practice in substantial ways.  As we work together today, you might notice that English is not my first language.  Sometimes my brain goes faster in Spanish than my tongue can translate.  Thank you for your patience.”

Acknowledge differences, but skip the apology.  Your credibility depends
on it.

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2008 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

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