4 Tips for Putting Your Best Self Forward

You have less than a second to make a good impression!

If you want new clients as a solopreneur, you must make a good first impression. Clients hire experts who are accomplished and trustworthy, so obviously you need to convey those qualities immediately, but not just when you meet someone. You need to project confidence and professionalism well before your first conversation, like on your LinkedIn profile. Specifically, your headshot.

Everyone makes unconscious judgments when they see a photo and according to research from Cornell University, these perceptions persist even after we’ve met the person. Moreover, this lasting impact is formed in about a tenth of a second.

When people see your LinkedIn photo, what is their initial impression? Do they see a confident professional or someone who hasn’t put any thought into their image or personal brand? You may think your LinkedIn photo is fine, but is it really?  Here are four tips to make sure you’re not inadvertently turning prospects away.

Make sure it’s visible to everyone, not just your first-degree connections. In all likelihood, you are not connected to all your prospective clients, and you certainly don’t want a prospect to pull up your profile with no picture. They may assume you’re too shy, too stupid, or too ugly to upload a photo, and no one wants to hire someone like that!

Make sure it’s “on brand.”  If you offer personally guided river-rafting excursions, a photo of you wielding a paddle in a spray of water is spot-on, but action photos won’t work for most solopreneurs. You need to project confidence and professionalism. Hair blowing in the wind makes you seem carefree or flirtatious, not like someone who takes their work seriously. Also consider what’s in the background—does it show you as an animal lover, a party person, a parent? Your photo should have a plain background and only you in it (not the dog or another person obviously cropped out). Make sure you look likeable and professional, which means smiling and dressed in whatever you would typically wear to a client meeting, even though you should crop the photo to only show your head from the neckline up.

Invest in a professional headshot. Yes, mobile phones can take amazing photos but they’re never as good as a professional shoot with just the right lighting and a high-quality lens. Look for a pro in the Nextdoor app, or on Craigslist under “gigs”, or go to your local JCPenney Portrait Studio. Seriously, it’s not just for kids; they do business headshots too for less than $100. It’s even a tax-deductible business expense!

Make sure it’s the right photo. Obviously having a high-quality, professional photo matters, but other things affect someone’s impression. It’s the hair, the eyes, the smile, the posture—literally dozens of details. So how can you be sure that the photo conveys the qualities you want?  Use PhotoFeeler.com rather than asking friends and family, who know you too well to be unbiased. For just $20 or 20-minutes for the free version, you can get anonymous feedback on how competent, likable, and influential you appear. It’s easy, affordable, fun, and quite interesting. Just be sure you’re using the “business” scale and not the “social” one which rates if you’re attractive.

Remember, as a solopreneur you are the product so how you present yourself is critical. Put your best self forward!