Is Your Old Headshot Costing you Money?

Does Your Headshot Cost You Money?

Picture this with me.  You are super excited for a presentation at work that you have been prepping for all month.  This is the kind of presentation that could make your entire year if you land the client.  The morning of the presentation you wake up, maybe work out to get the blood moving, have a good breakfast, take a shower and then choose what to wear.  You reach into the back of your closet and pull out your oldest suit.  The one that doesn't fit so well, is out of fashion, and makes you look 20 pounds heavier than you really are.  You grab an old pair of scuffed up shoes and a shirt that has a stain on it that you hope no one notices, then leave for the office.

Now if you are like me, that would NEVER happen.  You would make sure that you looked your absolute best with a well fitting, clean, pressed outfit, possibly something brand new that you felt great in. 

You would never show up to a big meeting in outdated clothes or send in a 10-year-old résumé for a job you wanted.  That just wouldn't happen.  So why are you still using that old headshot?

Let’s be real, in today’s business world, your photo is often the first thing people see. I say it over and over in these blogs posts.  If it’s not doing you justice, it could be quietly costing you job offers, clients, speaking gigs, or collaborations.

Here is how your outdated professional image is holding you back in ways you probably didn't even think about.

People Judge Fast, Really Fast

Psychologists Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov from Princeton demonstrated that people form a full impression of someone’s face in just 100 milliseconds.  That is 1/10 of a second.  Meaning this happens on a subconscious level that we can't control.  People don't want to think that they are judging others that quickly without giving them a chance, but the fact is that it happens every. single. time.  If you are doing it, so is everyone else.  

If your headshot screams “I don’t take myself seriously” or looks like it was taken in a dim hallway during happy hour, it sends a message.  And probably not the message you want.  

According to LinkedIn's data, a pro headshot can make you 14x more likely to have your profile viewed. 

They NEED to Trust You

If your photo doesn’t look like the real, present-day you it can create confusion. And confused people don’t hire, don’t refer, and don’t hit “schedule a call.”

Trust is a key factor in how people choose to do business with you.  In this world of increasingly slick marketing that doesn't always tell the truth, even from our largest brands, people want to be able to trust you.  They won't do business with you unless they do.  

Being Polished can = $$

You can’t show up with a presentation that is scattered all over the place, includes typos and grammatical errors, that has water stains on it and expect to land your biggest gig.  If your presentation looks like it is thrown together, that is how you and your work will be perceived.  

Your headshot is a piece of your brand. It should say: "I’m confident. I’m relevant. I take myself and my clients seriously." When you invest in how you show up, others feel more confident investing in you.

It’s Time to Get a Headshot That Works as Hard as You Do

You’ve done the work. You’ve put in the hours. You’ve earned your seat at the table. Now let’s make sure your professional image reflects that.

I work with professionals who are ready to level up their brand and stop letting an old photo stand in their way.  There are many packages available from simple studio headshots that provide a traditional look to more involved branding days where we curate a full image makeover.  Whatever you need,  I got you!

📸 Let’s create a headshot that gets you noticed for all the right reasons.
Click here to schedule your session

My photography studio is conveniently located two miles from the Whiele Road Metro Station and Dulles Toll Road in beautiful Vienna, VA.  Sessions are available for simple headshots or more involved branding days.  Click that button below to connect!