Elements of a Press Kit: The Executive Photo

I’m in the process of telling the story of my second company to the world.

To do this, I’ve hired a publicist and worked with her to create a press release. She distributed it and now the dialogue with the media is open.

Would I like to do an interview? Can we have your bio? Do you have a photo?

As a matter of fact, I do (<- that's me).

Thanks to Daniel Payne, I have a professional corporate portrait for my web site, executive bio and press kit.

I met Daniel at an OEN event over the summer and we discussed high-tech start-ups and marketing. Later that month, he was kind enough to make an electronic introduction for me to a marketing and PR firm that might need contract copywriters. In his email introduction, I saw that his signature line said he was a photographer. Knowing I might need a photographer someday in the near future, I checked out his web site and liked the quality of the corporate portraits he included in his portfolio.

So when the time arrived for me to get my picture taken, he was top of mind. I called him two weeks ago and arranged for him to meet me at my house for the sitting.

It was easier than I could have imagined! Daniel brought and set up all the equipment he needed while I touched up my make-up. We talked about backgrounds and looked at the design of my new web site and the clients of my copywriting business to pick the look that would best match both of my companies.

Then, in the matter of only a few minutes, he shot about two dozen pictures of me. At his laptop, we looked at them, rotated some, and picked the one that fit best. In less than 90 minutes from beginning to end, I had exactly what I needed for my web site, my press kit, and my bio.

If you’re like me, you might balk at the idea of having your professional portrait done for small business promotion. I assumed it would take a long time to get the proofs and final images and I expected it to be expensive and inconvenient to arrange.

I can’t say enough how happy I am that Daniel made it so easy, affordable, and convenient!

Think about the benefits to your small business. It is a reflection of you, after all, isn’t it? Why not personalize some of your promotional materials with your face? People like to buy from people; they like to know who it is who will be on the other end of the phone when they call.

And besides, when the hot moment hits and a newspaper or trade magazine wants to feature your business, you’ll be ready.