Headshots – Why your trustworthiness matters

One question we ask every headshot client is how they would like to come across. Specifically, we ask them to list a few adjectives that they would hope people would use to describe them. And we often hear answers like: competent, confident, capable, skilled, expert. That sort of thing. Those are all positive qualities. Or so you would think. In fact, if your headshot projects you as competent but does not convey your trustworthiness, it may actually be doing more harm than good.

Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions for well over a decade. In her book, Presence, Cuddy relates that her research has revealed that people judge us on two criteria when they first meet us: whether they can trust us, and whether they can respect us. That makes sense, of course, and it would be easy to believe, especially in a business setting, that being respected is the more important factor and that respect is earned through competence. That appears not to be the case. Cuddy found that in the absence of trustworthiness, competence can be perceived as threatening.

If your headshot shows you to be trustworthy, it establishes an inherent warmth in your relationship with a new contact. And when someone feels they can trust you, your competence and confidence become assets again. In the absence of trust, those same qualities could come across as cold or arrogant. So, yes, we will craft a headshot for you that conveys your expertise and confidence. But we will always make sure the first thing people notice is your trustworthiness.