How long has it been since you updated your speaker photos? Are people still seeing a pic of you from 5 years ago? Are you wearing a different hair style nowadays? Or, perhaps you have a bit less on top than you used to, but your photos show you with a full head of hair?
Not a good idea… Why?
Well, first, it’s terribly distracting to your audience. If they’re looking at a program with your pic from 5 years ago, and you’re on stage speaking… what’s going through their minds?
Very likely, it’s NOT “Wow! This is a great speaker! I’m taking notes like crazy!” … rather, it’s PROBABLY something like “Hey, his head is shaved in this pic, but the guy on stage has a full head of hair! What’s up with that?!”
Second, old pictures can lower your credibility in the eyes of the audience AND your meeting planner. Credibility is critical. And if you can’t spend an hour or two every year updating your photos, what else are you NOT doing? Maybe you aren’t providing the audience with the most up-to-date knowledge & ideas available? Perhaps you’re over-priced? Who knows?!
A lot of interesting thoughts go through the minds of people around us. Your job, as you market your speaking business, is to be genuinely “you” and ensure that the image you’re projecting is how you want the world to see you.
I’m not telling you to be and do everything everyone else wants you to do… just be yourself.
Be the “you” of TODAY… not the “you” of yesterday!
Cynthia works closely with emerging professional speakers as they grow from speaking as a hobby to getting paid to speak full-time. In addition to creating websites exclusively for professional speakers, she consults in the areas of online presence & credibility, public relations, and content & product creation. She is passionate about helping speakers share their messages while impacting thousands of people around the world!
