10 profile mistakes that turn your prospects away...

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10 profile mistakes that turn your prospects away (unwittingly)

What difference does a good photo make?It generates greater engagement, connections and ultimately sales.

Take my recent client, Alex Smith, as an example. Alex is a Chartered Financial Planner.

Alex was taken aback to receive this feedback from one of his new clients. They continued “And I expect you think that’s a strange approach!”

Now here’s the thing, it’s not and I guarantee you do exactly the same, subconsciously. Alex’s client is just saying it out loud.

Alex has received many new clients as a result of his updated business photos. And to help extend the lead over his competitors they are, for their own part, committing errors as identified below, to extend his business growth gap further.

New business contacts these days, be they prospects, colleagues (very common in large organisations), influencers, employers or employees, most likely first ‘meet you’ online. As a further example of the impact of a good photo:

• Uploading a good professional photo to LinkedIn gets you 21x more profile views and 36x more messages

PART 1

"You'll laugh when I say ... you seemed to have the nicest, most honest-looking face.” ALEX’S NEW CLIENT

AT TR ACT the clients you seekPART 1 of 31

Alex has welcomed many new clients as a result of his updated business photo.

The goalWe should be aiming to make life as easy as possible for potential clients to develop trust and build rapport with you.

There are, most likely, a lot of people out there offering similar services and products to yours. We all know showing what you offer differently, is key.

There’s also an overwhelming amount of content already, and this is only going to increase. Standing you and your business out from the sea of bland content is therefore even more important.

Standard corporate-style photos do a good ‘id’ job, but they’re not going to stand you out in the ocean of content.

Before and after shots of Simon, one of my clients. To attract your target clients, you need to stand-out from the sea of bland content.

See Mistakes #5 - Out of date photos & the challenge with facial hair changes

With my clients, I follow my unique ‘ATTRACT the clients you seek’ methodology, to move from these typical ‘it’ll do’ style ‘before’ profile photos (left) that you see on LinkedIn and business websites; to the impactful prospect-engaging ‘after’ images.

PART 1


What first impression is your profile photo creating for your new prospects?When an ‘it’ll do” photo is used, the difference in today’s social media world is that a lot more people will see the holiday shot or the ‘bad-day-in-the-office’ photo, not just your colleagues.

BEFORE AFTER BEFORE AFTER

PART 1

Insightful Images specialises in working with: • Boutique-sized businesses

• Teams

• Business owners

• Leadership teams

• Business individuals

In the following areas - health, fitness & well-being, technology, consultancy, estate agency and lettings, logstics and transportation, professional services, financial services, media and town planning.

This guide is for you when, in business, you want to:• Build your profile

• Increase your sphere of influence as a specialist or expert in your chosen field

• Increase the number of prospects who engage and contact you/your business

• Make it easy for new contacts to recognise you when they meet you as part of their trust and rapport-building process in you

• Ultimately increase the quality and/or quantity of your targets clients

And/or you:

• Want to develop or expand your own personal business brand

• Have a role and/or business where high levels of customer service are a key part of your unique selling proposition (USP).


PART 1

First impressionsWe all know the impact of a first impression.

It’s a fast process. First impressions are gained within 1/10th of a second. Yes, within a blink of an eye.

Here’s the thing though – this split-second assessment occurs not only when we meet someone for the first time; BUT also, when we look at someone in a photo.

Showing up in person Now, to add to this, in everyday business life you most likely prepare yourself ahead of meeting prospects and clients, with respect to:

• How you present yourself both in attire and personal presentation

But also, what you have planned for:

• The structure, content and intended outcome of the meeting

How many prospects are you unwittingly turning away?


Showing up in a photoOften, however, something curious happens when profile photos, and to some extent a lot of the photos, are chosen to upload to a website, LinkedIn and other business social media platforms.

All the planning and prep that any other medium would receive, very frequently goes out the window. I’m sure a short gander around a number LinkedIn profile photos will bring this to your attention, if you’ve not already noticed.

Hate having your photo taken?Often people have a photo that’s not showing them at their professional best, simply because they hate being in front of a camera. If this is you, you’re far from being alone. 80% of people, in my experience, do not welcome the prospect of being photographed. For this reason specifically, I’ve developed a specialised approach for when it’s getting in the way of your business and/or career.

Additionally, I’ve teamed with sports psychologist, Dr Josephine Perry, with a blog article and short film video series. Josie highlights techniques used in the sports and stage performance worlds that will help you become more comfortable with having your photo taken.

https://insightfulimages.co/confidence/

PART 1

Showing up in wordsWhen you write and plan a:

• Customer-facing document

• Presentation

• Your CV

A lot of thought goes into who the target audience is, what their needs are, how your offering makes a positive difference to them.

It is so easy to upload an 'it'll do' type of photo to your linkedIn or website profile. First impressions count as much in a photo as they do in person.



Thank you for reading the first part in this series.

Next up - Parts 2 and 3 which feature the 10 mistakes that turn your prospects away - unwittingly.

PART 1

Following my unique ATTRACT methodology, I work with you to understand who you are, what you’re aiming to get across about yourself and your business, what’s different about you and your business, who your target clients are. And we chat through the images that really bring this to life to attract the clients you seek.

ATTRACT

GOALS

PREPARATION

ASSESSTALK

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ATTENTION TO DETAILC

ONFIRM

THE CLIENTS YOU SEEKTR

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Insightful Images’ clients include Heathrow Airport Limited, Guidant Group, Impellam Group, Oracle Corporation UK Limited, West London Business, Invest Hounslow, ACCA, Konetic, Institute of Directors, Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 45 Degrees North, Dynami Career Transition Consultancy, Red Trouser Day, Horton & Garton, Short Walks London, Go View London, Disabled Ramblers’ Association, Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, British International Studies Association, 9MM PR, Rebalancing Life, PodFitness, as well as a substantial number of business individuals and owners, and senior executives.

A visual messaging specialist, photographer and speaker. Denise’s unique approach is purely focused to create great photos of you and your business, to attract the clients you seek.

07774 613224

[email protected]

https://insightfulimages.co

ABOUT DENISE QUINLAN & INSIGHTFUL IMAGES

@Insightfulimages

@insightfulphoto

Denise Quinlan

mailto:denise%40insightfulimages.co?subject=


https://instagram.com/insightfulimages

https://twitter.com/insightfulphoto

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/denisequinlan

• The difference a good business profile photo makes

• The goal of a first impression in business

• The huge rise in online content and the resulting even greater need to stand out

from the ocean of bland material

• The impact of the first impression

• Showing up in person, in words and in a photo, and the curiously different approaches typically taken for each

Business profile mistakes

Wearing sunglasses We’re primevally programmed to see the ‘whites of the eyes’ to assess whether flight or fight need to occur. And whether rapport and trust can be developed. If your eyes can’t be seen, your prospects become subliminally suspicious. Do you recall meeting someone who’s wearing sunglasses? It’s hard to connect with them, literally. You can’t see their reactions. They are (unwittingly or otherwise) keeping themselves at a distance. A tactic often used by the rich and famous.

When you’re wearing sunglasses in a profile photo, exactly the same ‘distancing’ effect happens as when meeting in person. You’re making it hard for people to connect with you. And you’re subconsciously turning them away. When you’re aiming to expand your influence and build rapport and trust, sunglasses in a photo, as when meeting people in real life, is a big ‘no-no’. And for selfies, see Mistake 10 in concluding part 3.

1


PART 2

Here in parts 2 and 3, we look at the mistakes that, unwittingly, render your business profile less engaging. The result being that the unique aspects of what you bring to a prospect, don't stand out. And your prospect, purely from your profile, is unlikely to connect with you.

In part one of this three-part series, we looked at:


Sunglasses: A big 'no no'.

A headshot is a portrait ‘head and shoulders’ photograph.

Or literally, as it suggests a shot of your head. A good test of an effective headshot is whether a new contact can recognise you purely from your photo when they go onto meet or see you speak at an event. When people tell you that they didn’t recognise you from your business photo, it’s time to review and change it.

A headshot is a close-up which means your new contacts – see your face clearly and your eyes.

“I didn’t recognise you from your photo” When a new contact tells you this, it’s a big clue that it’s time to update your profile photo. A current up-to-date profile photo makes it easier for your new prospects to:

• Build that important trust and rapport, first and foremost.

• Recognise you when you then go onto meet.

People buy from people, they know, like and trust.

Full length body shotsThe more distant your face is in a shot, the less people will be able to recognise you when they

meet you in person. I know it can be hard to imagine because you see and recognise you. Your friends and colleagues see and recognise you too.

The best test is the reaction someone gives you if they’ve only ever seen your profile photo, when

they first meet you.

In short, in a full-length body shot, your face is too far away to help your prospects recognise

you. These can be useful for secondary shots (see Mistake 4), but not for the primary profile photo.

2


PART 2

2

A group of people as a profile photo

When there’s a group portrayed in the photo, if

your contact hasn’t yet met you, how do they know

which is you?

It may sound obvious but it’s not uncommon to see a

group of people as a profile photo!

No profile photo at allWhen you have no profile photo your potential new prospects can’t see you. They can’t start to build rapport and trust with someone they can’t see.

As mentioned, we’re primevally programmed to see the ‘whites of the eyes’ to establish rapport and trust. If they can’t see you, it’s human nature for your prospects to become subliminally suspicious. And they move onto someone they can see. Unwittingly, with no profile photo at all, you’re eroding their opportunity to build trust in you, before you’ve even started.

When there’s a choice of, for example, financial advisers some with profile photos and others without. Guess who gets contacted first? Prospects will be drawn to the face of the person they believe they can trust in a blink of an eye. Revisit the Alex Smith story featured in Part 1, if in doubt.

3

Logos instead of peopleThis is almost the same as having no profile photo at all – see above. People connect with the white of eyes of people, not logos.

4


This type of shot can act well as a secondary photograph. When your prospects can clearly recognise you from your primary headshot image, they'll then be more likely to recognise you in a crowd shot, even at a distance.

PART 2

3

Out of date photosThe headshot needs to be a recent one. If, for example, you have radically changed your hairstyle or are now sporting a beard, you’re making it harder for your new contacts to recognise you. Much as I’d like to be as fresh-faced as I was in 2005, you’d most likely not recognise me today with or without the hat. Or the red-eye flash effect!Make it easy for your potential new contacts to recognise you when you arrange to meet.

Cutting people out of a photo is fine for Facebook perhaps, but isn’t giving a strong impression of independent capability. I seriously can stand on my own two feet!

To add, when your profile photo is out of date, it can raise a red flag of doubt to your potential new clients. In which other areas might you also be less than current?

5

Thank you for reading the second part in this three-part series.

Next up - the concluding part of 10 mistakes that turn your prospects away - unwittingly.

PART 2

Beware using a several years old profile photo. Much as I'd love to look as fresh-faced as I did in 2005, it's not going to help my clients recognise me in person when we first meet!


07774 613224

[email protected]



@Insightfulimages

@insightfulphoto

Denise Quinlan






An adventure shot as a profile photoYes, they do tell us that you’re an adventurous soul. But back to many of the points already covered, if your new prospects can’t recognise you, it’s not going to help them build trust and rapport in you. Even if you are a paragliding instructor!

Shots of you kayaking, hiking, running a marathon, next to an iconic landmark, speaking at a conference, in your drama group’s latest production – relative to what you’re aiming to convey about yourself – is valuable though. And worth attaching in the ‘Experience’ section of LinkedIn (as media) or on your business website as a secondary shot. Your new contacts get a sense of who you are and what you enjoy. These types of secondary shots further help to start a conversation. Especially when your target client, as an example, is also into jumping off mountain tops!

6


In parts one and two of this three-part series, we looked at:

• The impact of the first impression; showing up in person, in words and in a photo and the curiously different approaches typically taken

• The difference a good businessprofile photo makes

• The goal of a first online business impression

• And the huge rise in online content andthe resulting greater need to stand out from the ocean of bland material

• Business profile mistakes 1-5. Classic errors that do very little to engage your target clients or, worse still, repel them

Business profile mistakes


PART 3

Here in part 3, we continue to look at the mistakes that, unwittingly, render your business profile less engaging. The result being that the unique aspects of what you bring to a prospect, don't stand out. And your prospect, purely from your profile, is unlikely to connect with you.

This type of photo is great as a secondary shot, but not as a primary profile photo.

1

Dress for your profile photo as you would when you meet business contacts. Skip the wedding outfits, … random people in the background & drain covers.

Out of focus or poorly lit shotsYour eyes in focus, your face well-lit and

the shot well composed are key!

I won’t go into the camera technicalities here as to why this happens, but shadowed face shots appear very frequently as profile

photos. You and your friends will ‘see you’ due to the amazing ability of the brain. [It relates to real blind spots.] It’s hard to

imagine but someone who has never met you will just see shadow. They won’t see you, let alone be able to start building trust

and rapport with you. And they definitely won’t be able recognise you should they you meet in person.

Low resolution or stretched shots are equally unhelpful.

Dressed for your holiday or a wedding

Back to your primary profile photo, from an attire perspective, be the best version of ‘you’ dressed as you would for a meeting with your new business contact. Keep holiday/wedding profile shots of you for other social media channels such as Facebook, unless of course, you do meet contacts in holiday/wedding attire!

7

8

Standard unengaging blue LinkedIn background For those who use LinkedIn, another tip. To make your profile more engaging, personalise the generic blue cover/background. The standard one is very ‘dry’ and uninspiring. Use a photo that’s relevant to you and your business. It gives your prospect a greater sense of your context from the outset. NB a stock photo of skyscraper buildings comes across as cold and non-people focused. Unless you’ve designed or built them, find something more engaging.

9

LinkedIn cover background. A blank generic cover shot is very unengaging. Add a photo that is rele-vant to you, your role and personality.


PART 3

2

These are just a few of the classic errors. There are many more aspects to taking and having a good engaging profile photo, especially for business.

“But why wouldn’t I just use the office DLSR or my cameraphone?”If you haven’t already worked out there’s a lot more to taking a professional-looking business photo than pressing a cameraphone or shutter button on a real camera.

Selfie shots – funhouse mirrorsI’ll just leave this here.

10


A leading plastic surgeon has reported that young people are asking him for rhinoplasties, because their noses look big in selfies. Boris Paskhover, co-author of a study in an American medical journal, said patients are failing to realise that a smartphone selfie is a “funhouse mirror” that distorts their face, making their nose look 30% wider.

The Week, 10 March 2018

PART 3

ATTRACT

GOALS

PREPARATION

ASSESSTALK

TRA

NSITIO

N

RELAX

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

CONFIRM

THE CLIENTS YOU SEEKTR

AN

SFO

RMAT

ION

TRANSFO

RMATIO

N

Insightful Images’ clients include Heathrow Airport Limited, Guidant Group, Impellam Group, Oracle Corporation UK Limited, West London Business, Invest Hounslow, ACCA, Konetic, Institute of Directors, Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 45 Degrees North, Dynami Career Transition Consultancy, Red Trouser Day, Short Walks London, Horton & Garton, Disabled Ramblers’ Association, Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, British International Studies Association, 9MM PR, Rebalancing Life, PodFitness, as well as a substantial number of business individuals and owners, and senior executives.

Using my unique ATTRACT methodology, I work with you to understand who you are, what you’re aiming to get across about yourself and your business, what’s different about you and your business, who your target clients are. And we chat through the images that really bring this to life and tell an engaging story, to attract the clients you seek.

We also provide the all-important, guided preparation, specialised skill and experience to help you feel super at ease during the shoot; and light direction for the most flattering results.

In concluding, when you want to increase your sphere of influence or increase your client attraction rate, a good profile photo is a MUST-have not a nice-to-have.

A poor photo is unwittingly preventing potential prospects for gaining that great first trust-building impression. How many prospects are you unwittingly turning away? How much business are you missing out on? You’ll only find out when you portray yourself and your business much more engagingly.

Stand out professionally, with impact. Stay away from the sea of bland, same-as-everyone-else photos. And you’ll be ahead of your competition!

3

“Denise, thanks for a great workshop that brought home some psychological facts about human behaviours that anyone with any kind

of visual presence simply cannot afford to ignore.” MARTIN ADAMS, Business Development Director

Hate having your photo taken?I have a specialised approach to address this when it’s getting in the way of your business. And I’ve also teamed with sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry.

• Josie highlights techniques used in the sports and stage performance worlds that will help you become more comfortable with having your photo taken. https://insightfulimages.co/confidence/

PART 3


07774 613224

[email protected]



@Insightfulimages

@insightfulphoto

Denise Quinlan

• Book your 30 min discovery session where we’ll review your LinkedIn or website profile with your target audience in mind.

• And discuss the most effective way forward for you to achieve your business goals.

Book yourself onto a Lunch ’n’ Learn

Discover more

• At these Lunch ’n’ Learns, Denise will step you through the key visual ingredients to get your business ready for the year ahead with top tips to attract your target clients, using a blended knowledge of human behaviours, neuroscience and visual techniques.

A good example of a secondary shot. See point 6.

Review of your current business profile

For upcoming dates visit https://insightfulimages.co/boostyourbusiness2019/







https://insightfulimages.co/boostyourbusiness2019/

10 profile mistakes that turn your prospects away...

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