Capturing Trust and Value: The Importance of Professional Headshots

How long does it take for you to know whether or not you trust someone? Do you know after a conversation? A minute? The truth is much more fascinating. In 2012, the Cognition And Emotion Journal published an interesting study on facial features. Their research showed that you make the decision to trust someone within 100 milliseconds of seeing their face.

Let’s think of this in terms of attracting and signing on new clients. This study means a solid first impression takes place before you even open your mouth to say hello. A less-than-ideal first glance means potential clients could feel uneasy before you have a chance to prove your authority and expertise. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you could get that first impression out of the way before your client even walks through the door.

Smiling pictures on your website is an easy way to make clients comfortable with your business in seconds! Current, professional headshots are your first impression and introduction. Whether you’re a family law attorney or roofing company manager, there’s no better way to gain a potential client’s trust and boost your reputation than by taking professional headshots. 

As a full-service marketing agency that specializes in creating high-quality content for our clients, On The Map is able to offer professional headshot services. Let’s explore just a few of the reasons why professional headshot photography should be your next business move.

Smiling, Professional Headshots Build Trust Among Clients

Building a healthy, growing client base doesn’t always come easy, but it’s far from impossible. A few well-placed smiling pictures on your website’s company page are an easy way to make potential clients comfortable with your business in seconds. When someone browses your website and sees a row of cheerful faces, it will create a positive connection in their mind. Clean headshots show your clients who they’re supporting when they choose you over the competition. It puts a smiling face on your company name. This feels to them like a first interaction, despite the fact that your “real” introduction hasn’t yet occurred. 

Research done on first impressions emphasizes that you don’t get a lot of time to prove yourself. With the new age of social media, people are finding products online now more than ever. This means that your first impression is no longer when the client steps through the door. If they’ve been on your social media or website, it happens well before you meet face to face. 

Corporate Headshots Can Reinforce Values 

We’ve established that your potential client is attaching your face to the company’s name, so the picture they look at should exhibit your core values. Allowing employees to use selfies on your About Us page will come across as unprofessional. Another rookie mistake is cropping a vacation or family photo to feature the employee and using it as a “headshot.” This too often makes the business look cheap. You don’t want either one of these to describe your company in the mind of a potential client.

“Don’t people want to see who we really are?” you may be wondering. Perhaps your company culture aligns with a more friendly, casual vibe. That’s no problem! Headshots provide the perfect mix of highlighting the human side of your company, while at the same time maintaining an aura of professionalism. There’s no need for suits and ties if that’s not what you want to portray. Casual corporate headshots are perfectly acceptable and may even be the better option, depending on your line of work. 

Professional Headshots Reflect Well on You

As long as you go the extra mile and have your headshots taken by a professional photographer, these images on your website will reflect very well on you as a person and your company as a whole. At the end of the day, what these headshots are actually doing is selling yourself to the potential client.

Spending a little extra money to have them done right will benefit every single aspect of your company. When you truly care, clients take note. 

You Can Use These Headshots for Several Years, and in Many Places

Hang on to those photos! An added benefit of getting custom corporate headshots taken by On The Map is that you can use them more than once. Update your professional social networks, such as LinkedIn, with photos of your staff. Let your employees use these headshots as their profile photos. 

Professional headshots can also be used on signs, mailers, business cards, and hanging up in the office. The possibilities are endless!

If you’re looking to boost your first impression, and you should be, professional headshots are the way to go. These headshots will ace first impressions and earn your client’s trust before they even reach out for an initial consultation. When done correctly, they’ll boost your commitment to quality, authority in your area of expertise, overtake the local competition, and exude your core values. These photographs will demonstrate the quality that you deliver to your clients on a daily basis.

We encourage you to learn more about our headshot packages and contact our team to book your time with our professional photographer. With any additional questions or to provide a personalized quote, we’re always happy to help!