Overcoming Common Objections to Getting Company Headshots

This article is part of our Team & Company Headshots collection.

Results based on research.

Are professional headshots still necessary in 2024? 

You bet they are. 

Our research shows that professional headshots can elevate your LinkedIn engagement rates by 24% and your online conversion rate by 28%.

We tested 20 business profiles on LinkedIn and five business websites, comparing those with and without professional, consistently styled headshots. 

The results were clear: professional headshots make a significant difference.

Yet, there are some common objections to getting company headshots.

Let's explore these concerns and how you can address them effectively.

1. Cost Concerns

Professional photography can be pricey for even a smaller team, especially if you're on a tight budget. 

However, the investment often pays off with increased trust, engagement and conversions. 

Additionally, AI headshot generators creating virtual headshots for remote teams like BetterPic, offer affordable, high-quality alternatives to fit even the most constrained budgets.

2. Time Commitment

Coordinating a photo shoot for your team is time-consuming and can be disruptive to your employees' workflow. 

There's rarely a time that fits everyone's schedules and even when you miraculously manage to get all to agree on a day, it's unlikely they'll all love to get their photos taken.

But with AI-generated company headshots, the process can be managed individually, with a few casual photos or selfies from your team members. 

This method is quick, efficient, and can be done without significant disruptions.

3. Employee Reluctance

Going back to my previous point for a second, some employees might feel uncomfortable or self-conscious about having their photos taken. 

But AI headshot generators offer a solution for the less camera happy people.

Employees can take their casual photos in their own time and comfort (which is usually way less anxiety-inducing), reducing the pressure and reluctance associated with traditional photo shoots - where they'd have to face a professional with a huge camera.

4. Perceived Unimportance

Some businesses may not see the immediate value in professional headshots, believing that casual snapshots are sufficient.

Our data, however, shows a clear advantage in having professional headshots. They enhance your team's professional image (literally and figuratively as well), which can be crucial for client impressions and networking.

Even without any data, think about someone with a blurry, badly angled casual shot, compared to someone with a well-lit, pro picture. It's not hard to decide which one of them will look more professional.

5. Frequent Turnover

In industries with high turnover, investing in professional headshots might seem futile. After all, why would you spend on a studio photo for someone who might not stay with you?

But, AI-generated headshots are cost-effective (at around the price of a lunch) and quick to produce (~60 minutes), making it easier to update your team photos regularly without breaking the bank.

How much do professional company headshots cost?

Here's a brief breakdown of costs in 4 countries for a team of 20:

• USA: $2,000 - $6,000 (additional costs for retouching and licensing)
• Canada: CAD 5,000 - CAD 15,000
• Australia: AUD 3,000 - AUD 10,000
• UK: £2,000 - £6,000

How much time do professional company headshots take?

Let’s stay with calculating for a medium-sized team of 20.

A 20-person headshot session typically takes 5 to 8 hours, including setup, individual sessions, and breaks. 

Which will look something like this:

1. Review & Selection (1-2 hrs Optional):* Review photos with team members on-site or schedule a separate session for photo selection.

AI-generated headshots, on the other hand, require minimal time investment from your team (couple of minutes to upload their pictures - if necessary a few minutes long shooting a few well-lit, casual pictures if they don't have at least 8), with results delivered in under an hour.

How do virtual headshots work for remote teams?

AI headshot generators like BetterPic have created a straightforward, cost-effective solution for professional team headshots. 

By using casual photos, AI can create professional team headshots that meet high standards of quality and consistency.

How do you choose the right AI headshot generator?

When selecting an AI headshot generator, consider the following:

• Price: We all want affordable options, especially when they need to fit your budget.
• Quality of Results: Make sure the headshots meet industry standards as well as your personal standards for professional use. You should be able to select your favourite shots from a variety of pictures.
• Refund Policy: Check for a satisfaction guarantee and/or refund policy.
• Production Time: Consider how quickly you need the headshots delivered and check delivery times.

What are the best virtual headshot generators for remote teams?

Based on our research, here are the top options:

1. BetterPic

• High-quality 4K images
• Fast delivery (under 60 minutes)
• Affordable pricing starts at $35
• Help in the uploading process with AI Feedback
• Customizable headshots with AI Studio

What could be improved:

• Their cheapest package takes up to 2 hours
• They don’t have as many reviews online so we had to see the results for ourselves

2. The Multiverse AI

• Widely adopted by industry leaders
• Money-back guarantee
• Pricing begins at $35

What could be improved:

• Results take more time to be delivered
• Image quality could be better

3. Aragon

• Personalized headshots
• Strong refund policy
• Pricing starts at $35

What could be improved:

• Takes a few steps to get to the actual order
• Not as clear how you are ordering for the team members
• Results can sometimes be inaccurate

4. HeadshotPro

• Wide range of styles and backgrounds
• GDPR-compliant data protection
• Pricing starts at $39

What could be improved:

• Styles can be a bit confusing, differences are somewhat unclear
• It takes about 2 hours to deliver the results

5. Try It On

• Best price among all options
• Simple process with comprehensive support
• Pricing starts at $21

What could be improved:

• Their reviews are pretty horrible and the results are seemingly in par with the lower price point.
• Some of the options could be explained better.

Why BetterPic Stands Out

BetterPic offers a unique combination of speed, quality, affordability, and AI-powered optimization, not to mention their customer service.

It provides a user-friendly admin platform, ensuring smooth coordination for teams, and guarantees satisfaction with their results.

Company Headshot Options at a Glance

Not every approach is the right fit for every team. Here's how the main options stack up for a team of 20, based on the cost and time figures discussed above.

The numbers make the tradeoff clear. Traditional photography delivers great results but front-loads cost, scheduling effort, and physical presence. AI-generated headshots close the quality gap at a fraction of the price while solving the remote-team coordination problem entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do company headshots cost per employee?

It depends heavily on the method. A traditional studio photographer in the USA typically charges $100 to $300 per person when booking a team session, so a team of 20 lands somewhere between $2,000 and $6,000 before retouching or licensing fees. AI generators like BetterPic bring that down to around $35 per person. For most companies, especially those with distributed teams or regular staff turnover, the AI route is the more sustainable choice financially.

Can AI headshots match the quality of professional photography?

For the majority of business use cases - LinkedIn profiles, team pages, email signatures, press kits - yes. Modern AI generators produce 4K images with consistent lighting, background, and framing that holds up well across all of those contexts. Where traditional photography still has an edge is in highly art-directed editorial work or large-format print campaigns. For everyday professional use, the quality difference is no longer meaningful enough to justify a 10x cost difference.

How do you get consistent headshots for a remote team?

This is exactly where AI headshot generators earn their keep. Instead of flying everyone to a studio or booking a photographer for multiple office locations, each team member uploads a set of casual photos on their own schedule. The AI applies uniform lighting, background, and style settings across all submissions, so the final set looks cohesive even if people shot their source photos weeks apart and in different countries. Consistency is baked into the process rather than dependent on a single shoot day.

What if employees don't like their AI headshots?

Most reputable AI headshot services, BetterPic included, generate a batch of images per person rather than a single output, so employees can pick the shot that works best for them. BetterPic also offers a satisfaction guarantee. If someone is genuinely unhappy with the results, it's worth checking that their source photos met the upload guidelines - good lighting and a neutral background in the originals make a significant difference in output quality. The AI feedback tool in BetterPic flags issues before you even start the generation.

How often should company headshots be updated?

A reasonable rule of thumb is every two to three years, or any time there's a noticeable change in appearance. For companies with regular hiring, a better frame is to treat headshots as an ongoing operational process rather than a periodic project. AI headshots make this practical - onboarding a new hire can include a headshot as part of day one tasks, costing the company about $35 and less than an hour of the employee's time, rather than waiting for the next scheduled studio session.

Are AI-generated headshots appropriate for all industries?

For most industries, yes. Corporate, tech, finance, healthcare, real estate, legal, and creative services teams all use AI headshots without issue. The main consideration is whether your industry has specific expectations around photography formality - a law firm pitching institutional clients may want to review the output against those standards before rolling out across the team. That said, the style and background options available through AI tools have expanded significantly, and it's straightforward to dial in a look that fits a more conservative professional context.

In conclusion, while traditional objections to professional headshots are valid, modern solutions like AI headshot generators can effectively address these concerns.

Investing in professional headshots, whether traditional or AI-generated, can boost profile views by 14x and increase brand recognition by up to 33% for your business’s professional image and online presence.

You just have to make sure you are not making your job more difficult than it should be when it comes to getting quality headshots for your team.

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