8 Ways Your Bad Headshot Could Be Costing You

Last updated on March 27th, 2024 at 01:43 pm

Okay, your big dream is to be a successful public speaker, so what does that picture tell you about me? What words immediately pop into your mind? Stop and think about it for a minute.

I’ll tell you what words pop into mine:

Crazy, Looks Like An Idiot, Needs To Lose Weight, Funny, Fun, I Want To Play, How Hot Is She In Those Pajamas!

There is no right or wrong answer to that question. I just want to point out that pictures make you feel something about that person. If my goal was to make you think my butt is small, this picture failed.

But if my goal was to show you that I’m not afraid to have fun, I think this picture wins. If I were looking for a picture that showed me in my best light, I would not have chosen that one. If I was looking for a picture that made other women want to hang out with me, Bingo.

Photos Matter!

Selling is emotional. For those of you dreaming of a public speaking career, speakers are hired as much (if not more so) for their personality as for their content. And one way to show your personality is through your photos.

So why are you using your church directory picture?

Yuck.

Many speakers are losing out on business simply because they choose the wrong photographs. They choose canned, overly-posed fake pictures with the same background, pose, and color suit as thirty-seven thousand other speakers. The goal in public speaking business is to set yourself apart—not blend in. See what everybody else is doing and do something different.

Think Album Cover – Not Head-shot

If I had one piece of advice I would give speakers regarding headshots and any other photos they use on the website or in publicity photos; it would be to think of an “album cover,”–not a headshot. Album covers sell the band’s personality. They tell you about the style of the music. They are cutting-edge, fresh, and built upon the personality of the members.

And they get our attention. Clients don’t buy church directories; they buy album covers.

8 Ways Your Bad Head-shot Could Be Costing You

1. Your spouse took your headshot on an iPhone in your living room. 

This is not good enough and makes you look unprofessional. Get a professional to take your picture. I recommend one who doesn’t do headshots if you truly want someone who doesn’t play by the rules.

2. Your headshot could double as your church directory picture.

Get on the internet and look at a hundred speakers’ headshots, and you will quickly see what I mean. Church directory photos never show personality.  Show us your personality. You know what I mean, even if you don’t attend church.

3. Your headshot shows you in front of a big yellow wall in a conference room at the Motel 6 behind a podium, and you’re not even facing us.

I have nothing against speaking in a conference room at the Motel 6, but having this as my headshot will work against me if I want bigger gigs. My clients are getting impressions about me even when they don’t realize it, so I want them to think of me for bigger gigs in bigger venues.

I’m not telling you that you can’t market yourself in small conference rooms. I just want you to know what your picture is saying about you.

4. We can’t see your face.
The point of a headshot is to see your head. We want as much face as possible in the picture. There are exceptions to this rule. I will use photos showing me in an impressive venue, and I don’t care if you see my face. I want you to see the size of the audience I had. Sometimes, I will use a cartoon logo because I want you to have an impression of fun and funny.

I love headshots of speakers in action – sky diving, riding the bull, rowing a boat. It shows us who you are. It shows personality. And personality sells. Maybe not as your headshot, but definitely for other photos on your site and promotional and publicity purposes. Audiences want to come to see a fun speaker, not a speaker who looks good on camera.

5. Your kid, dog, or husband is in the headshot. 

I love kids, and I love dogs, and I do love my husband. But when they show up in a headshot, it screams unprofessional. I don’t mind seeing them on your website because it allows me to see you as a person. And people buy from people they like. But not in a headshot.

6. You are wearing something you would never speak in.

I used to buy a suit just for my headshot. Now, that’s just dumb. Why would I sell them something they won’t be able to get in person?

What I wear is a perfect opportunity to show them my personality and speaking style. Since my stories are folksy, I have some headshots in jean jackets and cowboy boots.

7. You’re in the same pose as forty-seven hundred other speakers.

It’s time to retire the “here’s me with my hand on my chin” pose. It’s also time to retire the “here’s me laughing at something I see in the sky” pose. And it’s time to retire the “here’s me pointing at you and laughing” pose.

I say go for relaxed and comfortable. When I look through a family photo album, it’s not the canned yearly Christmas picture I love; it’s the impromptu, spontaneous ones.

8. You look nothing like your headshot.

Your headshot is the same one you have been using for twenty years. Now, this is just sad, and I always see it. And I hear meeting planners talking about it all the time—about speakers showing up and not even recognizing them because they look nothing like their headshots.

 If you have hair in your headshot and you don’t know, it’s time to get a new picture taken.

If your photos suck, don’t worry. I’ve had plenty that did; some are probably still on my site. It’s never too late to change them – one photo at a time. And here’s the good news: You don’t have to lose ten pounds or get a new look. This isn’t about being Speaker Barbie.

This is about being YOU. Showing us who you already are.

Remember to consider the album cover; your headshots will take you out of the chorus line and into the spotlight.

Kelly Swanson