What's With That Profile Picture?

"A man without a smiling face must not open shop"  
- Chinese Proverb

We make a few new connections, and LinkedIn responds with several suggestions for "other people you may know".  Scrolling through the list, have you noticed the astounding percentage of profiles with poor quality, non-human, or non-existent photos?

Lately I've become almost fascinated by the choices so many LinkedIn members are making for this important photo: they're pixelated, out of focus, or they have other people partially cropped out. I've noticed LOTS of selfies taken in the car (?!), there are many photos with no smile- or even a scowl, often there are strange items in the background, and it seems at least 10% of profiles have no picture at all.

I feel a little guilty and judgmental, but I find myself forming opinions about the person or business before reading any of the profile- often I don't even bother to investigate at all.
I'm thinking, "If this is all the effort they're willing to put into something as simple as a photo, how will they handle a really important job?"
After all, I'm a firm believer in the adage
"How you do anything is how you do everything."

Harvard studies show that people start to form an opinion about your competence and level of success within 2 seconds of meeting you (or in this instance, your page). And then it takes 8 subsequent interactions to counteract one failed first impression.

The photo on your LinkedIn profile IS your first impression.
Don't blow it.
Here are a few simple tips for a good profile headshot.

1.  Your profile photo should show your personality and your unique style.  It should look professional, uncluttered, be well lit, and show that you put some thought into it- after all, you wouldn't show up to a business meeting in wrinkled dirty clothes, why would you present an unprofessional photo to thousands of potential business contacts?

2. When taking your headshot, let your teeth show.  With a broad smile, the upper and lower teeth are made visible. The gaze is relaxed and the smile is intended to convey joy and pleasure. This is a true smile and not one that is easily faked, and so conveys warmth and sincerity.

3. Look at the camera like you're smiling at an old friend- you want to create warmth and connection. People feel more comfortable doing business with someone they feel connected to.  They can't feel this with a faceless logo or photo of a product- or a blank square with an anonymous gray silhouette.

4. Wear a color that looks good on you and helps you feel confident. Solid colors are usually better. (Patterns and busy prints distract from your face.) No solid white shirts if you’re Caucasian or light-skinned- and bright red usually doesn’t work for anybody, it’s just too strong a color.
Fair skin and blue eyes? Try blues, pinks and grays.
Green eyes? Try browns, greens and oranges.
Medium or dark skin and brown eyes? You can probably wear most colors, but avoid those that closely match your skin tone (contrast is key).

5. Use good quality photography.  If you can't book a professional shoot, you probably have a friend with some knowledge of photography- enlist them to help you.  
Make sure you have good lighting with no harsh shadows- going outdoors on a cloudy day is an easy way to achieve this without studio lighting.  
Stand in front of a solid colored or "mottled" background - without light switches, exit signs or other distracting items.  Pick a color that contrasts with what you're wearing- the same color will make you look like a "floating head".
-- A great trick for a soft warm background is to stand several feet in front of something like a hedge, then have your photographer focus on you in a "shallow depth of field" so that the hedge appears blurry behind you.

The rest of your profile doesn't matter if people aren't taking you seriously.  
If you don't look the business you don't get the business.

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Starting her career as a contorting fire swallower, costume character, and in-house makeup artist with a circus-troupe-for-hire, Alison Kenyon has been entertaining and body painting at trade shows and corporate events since 1995.
She now heads the Body Painting Tradeshow Entertainment company BodyMasterpiece.com

Recently, Alison competed in Season 3 of Skin Wars.  Premiering in April, Skin Wars is GSN's highest rated show.         Sorry, no spoilers!