Having a good portrait of yourself makes good business sense

~ First posted June 25, 2011, updated October 3, 2011.

Having a good, up-to-date portrait of yourself is important no matter what profession you are in or ambitions you have.

First, you never know when the media might come a-calling wanting to feature you in an article. You’re doing yourself a favor, and the media outlet, by having a photo on hand. Because deadlines and budgets are tight, editors and producers don’t always have the resources for getting an image made for their stories quickly. Then if by chance they are able to assign a photographer to make a picture of you, there’s no guarantee you’ll like the image.

Second, as you probably already know, to help maintain your professional reputation, having a strong, smart online presence is crucial. If you are using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites, you’re expected to include a picture of yourself. If you're ever asked to speak at a conference, someone will ask you for a picture for their website and materials.

You’ll want to use an image that communicates the qualities you want the public to know about you. Depending on the nature of your work, you might want to have more than one portrait so that each can be in sync with a different aspect of who you are and what you do. How to keep your identities from sending conflicting messages is a conversation for another time.

And third, as the old adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but who's got time to read a thousand words? Reading a picture is faster. Portraits communicate in seconds qualities of a person words can't. They transcend language. Images are more show and less tell, which is what effective communication is about.

Hmm. Yes. While this is all true, what about cost? Getting a portrait made that works can be pricey. If you're needing one and cost is a concern, consider coming to my next BizPics shoot Sunday, November 20.  The shoot will include a variety of images being made, the services of a stylist and a bit of fun. Providing good portraits at a good price is just one way that Kring Lerner Group is working with individuals, entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized business and non-profits to be successful. We're currently in touch with some social service agencies who assist job-seekers to see if we can devise a plan for offering their clients' headshots at an even lower rate. Stay tuned for more on that.

Above, from left to right: Holly Rotman-Zaid (upper left) Catherine Johns, David Lindgren and Sally Chapralis (lower right) participated in the April and June shoots.

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