Picture This: What Does Your Photo Say About You?
- October 12, 2009
- Posted by: Rochelle
- Category: Brand + Design, Marketing + Selling
Consultants and advisors are used to building gravitas—showing their smarts to the right buyers. But posting a snazzy photo? Not so much…
Social media is changing how people meet and engage their advisors. If a client (or referral source) meets you on-line first, they will make a snap judgment from your photo.
The old headshot just doesn’t cut it anymore. The right photo is the one that gives the viewer an authentic preview of the real you. A few things to consider:
Stuffy is out. That highly posed studio shot where you look exceedingly awkward, and anxious to be anywhere else? Ditch that. You can look smart without looking stiff.
Lose the yearbook shot. You know the one. You haven’t looked like that in, oh, about ten years. Be sure you look relevant. And current.
Multiples don’t make you more captivating. Yes, your wife, husband, son, daughter, dog, cat are incredible but they don’t belong in your professional profile photo. Save those for your friends.
The bottom line is this. Spend the extra dough to get a great photographer who will work with you to bring out what’s real and fabulous about you. You won’t regret it.
4 Comments
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Hi Rochelle,
you continue to raise some really interesting topics. Thanks.
Although we are in Electronics and Embedded Software Development in Australia is it amazing how many concepts are mutually applicable regardless of the industry or the country.
I think the time for some new photos is at hand.
Ray Keefe
http://www.successful.com.au
I certainly agree. Your photo is an excellent example of what is right – it says "Yeah, I really could work with this person and trust what she says".
I constantly find people who do put their photo out there with family, or sports, or even cartoon characters that doesn't help me at all – especially if I would like to know what they look like before meeting them for the first time. I always have a tough time putting a name to a face, so the ability to study that before the first in-person meeting allows me to focus on the meeting, and not on memorizing the face to the name.
Well Rochelle, Let me just say that your pic is great….specially those red shoes! Love your work.
Gloria
South Africa
Mobile Consultant
http://www.g3mobile.co.za
Thanks for this awesome post. Nicely explained the topic and very helpful for beginners.
Please continue writing.
Regards:-Offshore software development company