3 reasons why your body language might be scaring off clients and employers!
There are 4 main things I talk about with my clients – location, wardrobe, hair & makeup, and body language.
Today I want to talk a little bit about body language, and it’s role in a successful profile pic (or “about me” image)
Not to be confused with posing, body language is far more subtle, and involves all the non-verbal cues your body is giving off without you even realizing it. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to researching things, and this is one that endlessly fascinates me – I gobble up any new research I see.
One of the questions I get asked a lot by clients when we’re starting to shoot is, “Should I smile?”. My answer? Yes – absolutely….if it’s genuine. When we try to suppress a smile, it just ends up looking like tension in the face. So if you feel a smile coming on – don’t fight it! Sometimes we might try to look more serious in order to convey professionalism or competence, but it never seems to work when you are “trying” to appear a certain way.
Instead, (because of the prep we’ve done together beforehand) I have a good idea of what my clients need to project to connect with their ideal clients…and I use prompts or scenarios to more naturally elicit a subtle change in body language. I’m constantly engaging and talking to my clients as I shoot so they don’t get too much in their head and overthink what would otherwise come naturally.
While I start them with posing that will flatter, it’s the intentional engagement that results in a genuine smile, a subtle engaging head tilt, an empathetic gaze, or an enthusiastic expression.
Take a look at your bio or “about me” pic for example. Remember that you only get a fraction of a second to make an impression that literally can cost you a client or a job. In studies, employers have admitted to frequently rejecting applications based solely on the profile pic. This is also true for clients! I know I reject doing business with someone based on the images they’ve chosen to represent themselves. Again – these decisions are often made before we are even conscious of it.
So what is your bio image or profile pic saying about you?
And what do you want the reaction of your viewer to be?
One of the most fascinating things about research in this area is that body language is contagious. We literally “catch” what the other person is giving off. We not only mirror it, but we feel it.
Think about how important this is when it comes to communicating who you are to potential clients. Why is a genuine smile still a winner? Because it’s warm and inviting. It garners trust. Can you still be professional while smiling? Yes! This is where other factors in your images come into play; curated wardrobe choices, having a location and background that speaks to your brand, personality and vocation, and camera ready hair & makeup all support and convey competence and confidence.
That said, there’s plenty of times when a full on smile isn’t the right message – there’s a whole range of emotions or cues you may want to be sending to the viewer. Just be sure you’re thinking about the viewer’s experience during that split second you have to connect.
What you do with your arms, hands, feet, face, eyes etc all have an effect on the viewer. Connection is key, and your body language is the fastest way to communicate and connect…or to repel and lose credibility.
Some quick tips for profile pics:
Don’t:
Use a badly lit, poor quality image
Wear sunglasses
Use an image with a photoshopped blurred out background (same goes for Zoom calls folks!) or a busy, cluttered background
Use a side view/profile
Be looking away from the camera
Do:
Have a well lit, good quality image without other distractions
Use a clean, simple background
Look directly at the lens of the camera
Lean in a bit, allow a slight natural tilt of your head.
Bring hands into the shot if you can (there are good and bad ways to do this!)
Make sure you fill the frame – platforms like LinkedIn and others have a very small thumbnail and you want the visitor to be able to see you!
So go check out your profile pics and “about me” images and make sure they are communicating what you want the viewer to feel. What are the 3 most important things you want the viewer to experience when they see an image of you?
And remember – no single image can tell the whole story. Having a library of images that show different aspects of you is so important! Once again (sorry, can’t help myself) research shows that 6 different images of the same person get 6 very different responses, depending on the posing/posture, the colors, the expression, the wardrobe, and so on. Make sure you give them a full picture!
Thanks for visiting, and if you have any questions or thoughts leave a comment – I’d love to hear from you!
