Do Business Headshots Matter ?

Why do Commercial Headshots Matter?

It’s undeniable that we are living in an age where there’s more than a good chance that the first-time people see you in an employment context, it will be in the form of an image online.

Whether this be for a job application, or prior to a business meeting or potential sale, your online presentation is just as important as your in-person style now. That, of course, will vary according to the field in which you work – a suit and tie might not be required for many occupations – but the professionalism of the image that you need to project remains just as important.

A quick scroll through LinkedIn shows that many folk are still using selfies and poor quality phone photos as their profile image in this business to business arena and, while books shouldn’t be judged by their covers, it’s something that we all do. Your professional online presence should be just that – professional.

When we talk about headshots in this context, we’re not talking about brand photography, or creating a wide range of images that represent who you are and what you are an expert in. We’re simply talking about a professionally lit clear, (and flattering of course) head and shoulders image. It’s worth making that part clear up front in this article – as soon as you talk about photo shoots, so many people get nervous and back away from the whole concept.

We are firm believers in high quality images in all areas of your business of course, but a head shot session is simply that. You don’t need to create reams of briefing, bring props and outfits changes, and decide on the whole direction of your approach. You simply need to turn up with your hair and makeup done if that’s what you like to do and relax – we do the rest.

Why Get Professional Images Taken?

It’s so important to look the part when you’re representing your business or brand online and especially in crowded arenas such as LinkedIn. A professional headshot can make all the difference – looking professional in the first image that someone sees of you could make you stand out from the crowd.

If you think about when you look at online portals such as LinkedIn, you’ll be more than familiar with those little image circles that appear alongside any post and comment that you make. It’s a tiny piece of real estate but it can convey so much about your professional approach in your field. A clear and uncluttered image means that you are also more immediately recognisable to the people that follow you – if they know it’s you, they’re more likely to read what you have to say.

Simply the fact that you’ve gone to the effort of having a professional headshot taken speaks volumes about how serious you are in terms of your business. It’s an extra effort, it shows you want to be noticed, and seen as professional.

A smiling image can help to instantly create a positive connection in the mind of your viewer – they’re already going to be feeling more positive about what you have to say before they even go ahead and read what that is. Of course, your favourite photo of yourself might be one that was taken on holiday when you are on the beach, happy and relaxed but those type of images will rarely pack the punch of a professional photo in a business environment.

You’d be right in thinking is what you are selling in terms of your business is your product or your knowledge or expertise in your service but in a digital age, you also have to sell yourself in order to get your voice heard. Your headshot image is the perfect way to do this – presenting yourself as serious about your business, professional and prepared to go the extra mile when it comes to your image can only help to get you in front of your potential clients. When you care, your customers notice.

An up-to-date head shot is also a handy thing to have when you’re preparing business cards, job applications, website content or submitting articles and presentations for publication. You can get a lot of value out of a short and sweet photo shoot when it comes to promoting yourself and your business.

What’s a Head-Shot Photo Shoot Like?

The first thing that people leap to when they think of a photo shoot (after they’ve thought that they don’t really like their picture being taken as it makes them feel a bit self-conscious) is that it’s going to be a big production.

While that’s certainly true of some times of photo shoot, it’s not the case when it comes to head shot sessions. These are short and sweet sessions where you just pop in to visit at our studio in Crawley Down, West Sussex and spend a few minutes in front of the camera.

There’s no need for elaborate hair and makeup, costume changes or stress – we’ve got years of experience in relaxing people in front of the camera and creating the best possible images of them. There’s no pressure and no sales meetings – come dressed as you want to be photographed, and you’ll be driving home within the hour glad that you did it.

First Impressions, are they Important?

When people first see you or an image of you, they take a tenth of a second to make all sorts of decisions about you from your competence to your socio-economic status – it’s a process call thin- slicing – making a wider inference from a very small amount of information. As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

A professional head shot photo shoot is a tiny investment with a very big potential payback in this department.