ugly, ugly headshots - aec marketing · ugly, ugly headshots the debate has been going on as long...

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www.blustonemarketing.com | Vancouver, BC | Savannah, GA | ((912) 721-8655 Ugly, ugly headshots The debate has been going on as long as I can remember – should we use headshots in our resumes? The answer is a loud and confident, “PERHAPS!” But before we talk about when you should and should not include a headshot, let’s set down a really strict rule: Pay a professional photographer to take HIGH QUALITY portraits. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen those really awful headshots included in proposals. You know them – the snapshots in which the subject was told to stand, facing the camera, back against a wall in a poorly lit hallway. Now smile! The results make drivers license and passport photos look downright flattering! The poor quality of these photos subconsciously translates to a poor perception of your firm, removes any sense of personality or intelligence from the individual and, one more time, looks just like the photos in your competitor’s proposal. If your headshots look anything like these, they need to be thrown out and re-shot. A talented portrait photographer can create a photo in which the unique personality of the subject shines through. With creative lighting and non-traditional poses they can show anyone to be a fascinating individual that you’d like to meet. Ask them to be creative and don’t be afraid of using the eye-catching results.

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Page 1: Ugly, ugly headshots - AEC Marketing · Ugly, ugly headshots The debate has been going on as long as I can remember – should we use headshots in our resumes? The answer is a loud

www.blustonemarketing.com | Vancouver, BC | Savannah, GA | ((912) 721-8655

Ugly, ugly headshots The debate has been going on as long as I can remember – should we use headshots in our resumes? The answer is a loud and confident, “PERHAPS!” But before we talk about when you should and should not include a headshot, let’s set down a really strict rule: Pay a professional photographer to take HIGH QUALITY portraits. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen those really awful headshots included in proposals. You know them – the snapshots in which the subject was told to stand, facing the camera, back against a wall in a poorly lit hallway. Now smile! The results make drivers license and passport photos look downright flattering! The poor quality of these photos subconsciously translates to a poor perception of your firm, removes any sense of personality or intelligence from the individual and, one more time, looks just like the photos in your competitor’s proposal. If your headshots look anything like these, they need to be thrown out and re-shot.

A talented portrait photographer can create a photo in which the unique personality of the subject shines through. With creative lighting and non-traditional poses they can show anyone to be a fascinating individual that you’d like to meet. Ask them to be creative and don’t be afraid of using the eye-catching results.

Page 2: Ugly, ugly headshots - AEC Marketing · Ugly, ugly headshots The debate has been going on as long as I can remember – should we use headshots in our resumes? The answer is a loud

Now that we have decent photos, when should you use them? If the photos are high quality like we’ve just discussed, you can use them pretty much all the time. But there are two situations in which you should pause to consider. If  the  client  knows  and  has  worked  with  the  team  members  before  and  is  likely  to  recognize  the  photo,  by  all  means  include  the  photos.  The  client  will  see  the  photo,  recognize  ‘Bob’  for  the  great  Project  Manager  he  is,  and  not  even  bother  to  read  the  profile.   But if the client isn’t going to recognize the faces, you might want to consider leaving the photos out. Why? To avoid any risk that someone’s facial features – the moustache, the long blond hair, the dark rimmed glasses – will remind the client of someone they don’t particularly like. Yes, fair or not, we all make those instantaneous, subconscious connections that lead to preconceived notions. Do yourself and the client a favor by avoiding any chance of that happening. Headshots can add some life and personality to an otherwise dull personal profile. But only if that photo has some life and personality in it. © blüStone Marketing Inc.