After setting up your Synchestra Attract profile, you might be thinking of using your most recent photo. Well, the task of selecting a good photo is not easy, because of the number of things financial sales professionals have to portray! So if you’re taking a headshot soon, perfect. If you’re selecting photos (which is slightly harder), you’ll know what to look out for, so read on!
To be fair, the content for this post was originally found here: and I realised that there were no actionable points for anyone! While we’ve written posts on this topic before, we are always pursuing perfection. That’s why this post is going to help you craft the perfect profile photo.
Making your photo a science
The source article breaks the impression of the photo into 3 main dimensions: Competence, Likability, and Influence. Of course, that’s what we’re going to use for this article. At the end of this post, you’ll find the main things you need to do, to create that perfect photo!
Competence
Let’s start by extracting what makes you look competent. According to the survey on the source site:
- Make eye contact
- Sunglasses are fine
- Wear eyeglasses
- Don’t hide your eyes (take note of your hair and angle)
- Squinch! (That means slightly closing your eyes)
- Smile with your teeth visible
- Stick that jaw out to show your jawline
- Don’t show your whole body
- Dress formally (Suit up, ladies and gentlemen)
- Don’t overedit your photos
Likability
- Wear glasses
- Once again, squinch!
- Smile with your teeth showing, or even laugh for maximum likability
- Show your jawline
- Half body headshot
- Well lit photo without heavy editing
Influence
- Once again, squinch
- Smile with your teeth
- Also, once again, jawline
- Dress formally (This has a huge impact)
Conclusion
In conclusion, here are all the actionable points in one paragraph, even if you didn’t read the rest of this post. Onwards, to your perfect profile photo!
- Make eye contact with the camera
- Wear eyeglasses
- Make sure your eyes are clearly shown
- Squinch
- Smile with your teeth visible
- Make sure you have a clear jawline (make-up and shading anyone?)
- Half-body headshot
- Dress formally
- Make sure the photo is well lit without heavy editing
With this points in mind, send in your perfect headshot! We’ll be giving a year’s worth of subscription to Synchestra to one lucky winner of the best headshot contest!
