One of the perks of my job is meeting really interesting and amazing people. Another is being able to meet and help other small business owners and entrepreneurs with professional business headshots. I am often surprised by how many people have cell phone selfies as their LinkedIn profile photos, from small mom and pop shops to top level CEOs. Your professional headshot is the face you present to your business and most times, it is the first impression your clients have of you and of your business. Having a modern, simple business photo is just as important as having a nice, functional easy to navigate website.
In a recent presentation to a group of real estate agents and contractors, I talked about the importance of a professional headshot as the first impression. This may be a stretch to some, and I’m sure I’ll get a few chuckles from my business friends (mainly because they’ve heard this analogy from me in many contexts) – running a business is often like dating. Just like dating, we’re searching for the ideal clients and they’re searching for the right professional. More and more, people are turning to the internet to find professionals to help them with everything from housekeeping, childcare, nutrition advice to large scale marketing projects, and custom built homes. Just like the dating world, we want the right clients to like us and trust us. We want to make an amazing first impression and then we want to continue to impress them. In fact, I’d go so far as to say we want to have an ongoing relationship with our ideal clients. And if your ideal clients are anything like me, when I find the right professional for the job I am loyal and continue to use that company for as long as I can. In fact, I tell everyone I know about how amazing they are and how much I love them. Just like dating.
What does any of this have to do with business headshots? Well, just like dating – especially online dating – photos are key. If you don’t even have a photo up for your business LinkedIn, Yelp, website, Facebook, etc. you’re missing a great opportunity to create an instant connection with your leads. If you do have a photo up and it is a selfie or looks like you took it from a web cam – well, that’s probably not the best first impression. You want your business headshot to convey that you are trustworthy, professional, approachable, friendly and that you have invested in your business.
In the next blog post, I will go over some statistics and case studies that really drive this point home. Plus, I’ll share with you what makes a great professional business headshot and why you should invest the time and money in one.
Because I can’t end a post without some photos, I’d like to share some lovely business headshots of Mariza Snyder – a green smoothie coach and co-author or several books including The Antioxidant Counter, The DASH Diet Cookbook and The Low GI Slow Cooker. I loved her smoothie recipes and she also gave me some great tips on how to use essential oils – not just for relaxation but for health and wellness. Be sure to check out her website at www.greensmoothiegirl.com
Do you have an up to date professional business photo – if not, I’d love to know why. Jump into the comments and share with me.
To book a Modern Business Headshot Session, make your way to the Contact Form and send me a message.
To see more of Modern Business Headshots, click here.
[…] lot like online dating. Fascinating right? If you haven’t read that post yet, catch up on it here. In that post, I argued that just like just like dating – especially online dating – […]