Work In Professional Services? You Need an Executive Headshot
Offering professional services can be a complex challenge, no matter the industry. Lawyers, advertising professionals, architects, accountants, financial advisers, engineers, and consultants can find it challenging to create engaging and meaningful relationships with both existing and prospective clients.
But how do you get started on that? Is there a fast-track way to speed up client relationships and get their business? Yes, and no.
Unfortunately there is no magic formula, but there is one secret weapon you have at your disposal: Your brand. This is the essence of your business, and what your reputation is built on. While there are many ways to go about building your brand, one of the strongest tools at your disposal is your executive headshot.
Here are a few reasons how headshots can build your brand:
Your clients are happy…but you are hungry for more
Your business is doing reasonably well, but you are not quite hitting the mark. You have plenty of satisfied customers, but where are the new ones? Is business not coming through the doors as fast as you would like? If that is the case, it is time to take stock of your brand and reevaluate your existing assets – like photography.
Believe it or not, a well-executed executive headshot can make a significant difference in how people perceive you. If you are hungry for more business, but your branding is inconsistent, think about the best ways to mitigate that issue.
You want to show why you are unique
Professional services are all about relationships and your reputation. Is your headshot communicating this? If your photography is not up to scratch, you are missing a key way to communicate with clients and show them why they should choose you.
Your wardrobe, pose, background, and other elements can help create a subtle message to show exactly who you are, and why you are right for the job. Think about what kind of message you want to show clients, and work with your photographer to ensure your headshots say just that. Visual cues are a large part of branding and reputation, so it is essential that your headshots are consistent with the rest of your brand.
A high-quality executive headshot is more professional
If your website is filled with low-quality headshots and lots of stock photography, you might need to refresh your brand. Bringing in clients in the professional services industry is built on authority and trust (more on the latter below). But how do you become an authority in your industry? Do your photos really matter?
Yes, they do. Think about how visual customers have become – and photography is incredibly impactful when it comes to first impressions. The first step is to have professional, high-quality photography that conveys your expertise. Well-executed photography can really help build your brand, and convey your professionalism in a subtle, yet powerful way.
You aren’t communicating your brand well
Speaking of consistency, does your website bio say one thing but your headshot says another? It is one thing to focus on you on the headshot, but what about your larger brand? If your headshot is all about casual, relaxed fun but your website text is the exact opposite…which one is more reflective of your brand?
This is about communication but from a broader perspective. Your headshot helps clients get to know more about both you and your business – think of it as two for the price of one. If you struggle with maintaining consistency across your brand assets, start with your photography. Once you have established a theme and message for your headshots, it can help inform the rest of your content strategy and brand presentation.
You need to show credibility, fast
Ultimately, the goal is for your business to be the best in the market – credible, resourceful, and trustworthy. Does your photography communicate that? These are hard to establish and maintain for businesses, but they do not need to be.
Your executive headshots can help speed up the process. Work with your photographer to create more nuance to these photos to convey credibility and trust from the start.
To learn more about the professional service industries I work with, and how executive headshots can improve your business, please contact us today.
