Being The Guest Speaker On The Importance of Professional Branding Photography

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On Monday, I was the guest speaker for one of my networking groups, Moms In Business, (M.I.B.) at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ. My topic was about the importance of professional branding photography and headshots. Thanks to Maureen of Moms In Business for taking the cell phone shots of me!

I used a slideshow using Apple’s Keynote on my Macbook Pro, that I had hooked up to a monitor. The space was unusual, and the only place to put my monitor was on top of the garbage container. I made sure to emphasize saying THANK YOU and using that as a prop to get my point across. Everyone was really great and accommodating for our group.

Overall it was a success, they tried to record it and do a Facebook Live Video, but there was a technical problem, so there’s no video. It’s too bad, because I ROCKED it! LOL

This wasn’t my first time as a guest speaker, I’ve spoken before on this topic before but in a different way. Trying to get the point across to the masses just how important it is to invest in yourself and in your business with professional photography. By not doing this, you’re truly doing a huge disservice to your business and brand.

-9 out of 10 people will research you on social media before deciding to hire or work with you. (The Muse)

-1 in 5 people will ONLY look at your profile picture and nothing else on your LinkedIn Page! (HSN Beauty)

-Your are 14x more likely to be taken seriously if you have a professional headshot on your social media profiles. (LinkedIn)

Also, if you think that by using stock photos are helping, truly they’re not. Are they who you are? Are the people in those photos the ones behind the name of your business? Did you know that other websites use those same images as well? Do you want to be like them or stand apart with a customized library of photographs?

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Professional Branding Presentation at the Hotdog Stop in Windsor, NJ for Moms In Business Networking Group.

Thank you ladies and everyone on Hotdog Stop!

Now that I’ve given you some things to think about, click on the red button that says Chat Now, and let’s start a conversation about what what you want to do for your business or company that you work for.

My First Speaking Engagement

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So way back in October 2, 2015, I was part of a Business to Business Roundtable  at Mrs. G’s Appliances & Sleep Center. I spoke about the importance of professional photography for your business, Maggie VanDagens of J&M Marketing Communications and Sherry Tomaino of Women’s Healthcare of Princeton talked about good web design, Barbara Simpson of Muirhead Foods  talked  about e-commerce, and Rocky Romeo of The Romeo Group talked about turning leads into sales.

b2broundtable_OctDeirdreRyanPhotographyPresentationAtMrs.G'sOctober2,2015

DeirdreRyanPhotographyPresentationAtMrs.G'sOctober2,2015

The above and below photos were taken by Hilary Morris.

DeirdreRyanPhotographyPresentationAtMrs.G'sOctober2,2015

This was my very first speaking engagement. My friend Dolores DeGiacomo, worked with me on my presentation, helped to tighten up what I wanted to say and my delivery. Working with a slideshow was both powerful and tough at the same time. The questions during the Q&A portion were good. They were about copyrights, one was about how much I would charge for a certain type of job, (this I couldn’t/wouldn’t  answer because it requires an appointment and all jobs are different), how I prepare for what I do, and many more great questions. I got a lot of positive feedback because many in my audience had no idea what to expect or what they needed to do when hiring a professional photographer.

I had a lot of great points like:

  • When you hire a professional photographer, you’re hiring more than just someone with a camera. You are getting knowledge, skills, expertise, talent, tools, and adaptability.
  • How to best contact a professional photographer, budget, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

There was more to my talk, but one of the most important things that I did stress upon was this:

  • Like any professional you would hire for an important job you want the most bang for your buck…but you also have to bear in mind you get what you pay for.  
  • Anyone with a camera can take a picture.  But only a professional photographer has the skills and the talent to light and frame the image, to make on the spot adjustments, and to complete those adjustments behind the scenes, and still deliver on time.  

DeirdreRyanPhotographyPresentationAtMrs.G'sOctober2,2015

Thank you to everyone who spoke after I did and thank you to Mrs. G’s for hosting the event and Hilary Morris with our networking group, Coffee Talk NJ for putting it together!