I offer the following 9 tips for ‘profile picture perfection’. http://bphotography.net.au/?p=3453 These tips are not intended to offend anyone, but rather to encourage you to sit back and ‘take a look at yourself’ objectively. To see yourself as others may see you and make sure it is exactly what you want.
This article discusses my 7th ‘Tip to Profile Picture Perfection’ :-
7. Is Your Profile Picture Connected to the Viewer?
When you make eye contact, conversation follows in reality, why not apply that same theory to the virtual world.
The customs and significance of eye contact may vary widely between cultures, but it is a key non-verbal communication in the Western World.
Eye contact lets someone know you are ‘interested’ with the briefest of glances, even across a crowded room. On a platform with thousands and thousands of profile images, that ‘brief glance’ can make someone stop and pay attention.
While we communicate information verbally and non-verbally ‘in person’, your tone of voice, your gestures and your body language have no impact on your target audience on a business profile platform. The only non verbal communication you can establish with the viewer from an image, is eye contact. Until profile pictures become 3D and ‘interactive’ we have to grab a viewers attention with all the tools we can. Have an industry appropriate image that appears professional, motivated and establishes eye contact to engage your audience and make it meaningful.
For this reason, please don’t wear sunglasses.
I have to say a very special thank you to Grant Collins, owner of Cachet Florist Launceston, Tasmania for kindly allowing me to – in his words “exploit him”, but I promised to be kind!
Eye contact establishes an immediate connection and develops trust. While I can’t see Grant’s eyes in his profile picture on LinkedIn, I happen to know this amazing man and I trust him and his skill with floral artistry soooo much, that I have booked him to provide all the flowers for my daughter’s upcoming wedding in October!
When you walk into his boutique business, you walk into a wonderland. Huge bouquets of seasonal flowers, vases overflowing with the most spectacular array of greenery, your senses are enveloped with subtle floral perfumes and you don’t want to leave … An oasis tucked down a laneway, away from the frenzied shopping mall. A place I love to visit.
I first came across Grant through my wedding photography. His work stood out to me. Not only was it exquisitely designed, but the freshness of the flowers lasted all day, no matter what the temperature. I have recommended him as a preferred supplier to my brides, because I knew they can trust him. I know the bouquets will be of the highest quality and that the floral artistry would be second to none!
Grant has won the Interflora Florist of the Year for Vic/Tas in the last two years and placed in both the Australia Cup and the World Cup Interflora competitions many times. He demonstrates and runs workshops around Australia in the off-wedding season. Just so clever …
Despite Grant’s current LinkedIn profile picture looking a little like a time warp from the seventies and his eyes covered by sunglasses, I assure you you can trust this man! I do and now I am hoping he might trust me to provide him with a profile picture that is industry appropriate and still grabs attention; a profile picture that appears professional and establishes eye contact to engage his audience and create even more opportunities for Grant and his amazing business, Cachet Florist.
