Experts are trusted; CEOs are not.

observation — attributed to Ben Parr

Parr cites the Edelman trust survey. Two-thirds of respondents consistently say they trust experts in academia. CEOs sit at the bottom of the list. The implication for business communicators is operational. The CEO speaking about the business sounds like advocacy. The credentialed expert speaking about the same topic sounds like analysis. The same content lands differently depending on who delivers it. Executives who want their messages heard benefit from establishing genuine expertise, or from finding credentialed experts who can carry the message. The discipline applies to investor relations, public affairs, and any context where the speaker's credibility shapes whether the listener engages.

For corporate communicators, investor relations leaders, and executives trying to land messages with skeptical audiences. The observation is most useful as a frame against the default of letting CEOs deliver substantive content.

expertise, trust-survey, edelman, credibility