Are Investors Betting on CEOs with Big Smiles?
“Successful people always have two things on their lips: Silence & Smile.”
Your headshot is crucial for establishing authority and communicating power, confidence, authenticity, and creativity on your website. Adding a smile increases your likeability and exhibits friendly, competent, and trustworthy qualities that can attract investors. A study by Priceonomics using a content creation app called Snappr evaluated the headshots of leading CEOs from each of the 2020 Fortune 500 companies. They found that CEOs of companies experiencing positive revenue growth were more likely to have better smiles, showing a smile score 8% higher than those with negative or stagnant revenue. Similarly, CEOs with positive profit growth had smile scores 6% higher than their profit-shrinking counterparts.
It raises the question: Are investors betting on CEOs with big smiles?
The top-rated photo stands out with a well-cropped composition, capturing a pleasant smile and emphasizing the jawline. The bright background, subtly infused with a splash of color, adds to its appeal. Conversely, the lowest- rated photo falls short in several aspects. It suffers from an awkward crop, lacks a smile and is presented in black and white.
Numerous studies have shown that smiling not only influences our psychological well- being, but also has physiological and medical implications on others. When someone smiles at us, it activates the part of our brain responsible for experiencing feelings of reward. This activation triggers a sense of fulfillment and contentment and leads to a cascade of positive sensations.
Tips For Taking Better Headshots
Choose a background that compliments your complexion
Wear solid colors
Use natural light/consider the direction of your light
Showcase emotion
Use a tripod in place of a photographer (if necessary)
Now is a great time to revamp your headshot while crickets sing during the dog days of summer. It’s worthwhile to experiment with different backgrounds, color schemes and poses- —and don’t forget your signature smile (an investor won’t).
Speaking of revamping...Harbor Access has a new (and improved) logo that better represents our brand! Check it out and, as always, reach out to Graham Farrell (Graham.Farrell@Harbor-Access.com) or Jonathan Paterson (Jonathan.Paterson@Harbor-Access.com) for all your IR needs.