Why did it take 100 years before people smiled in photos? 🤔
When photographs were taken in the 19th century, no one smiled.
Not a single smile.
Partly because it took a long time to take a photograph. The exposure time could be several minutes.
But mostly because a smile was considered inappropriate. Even unserious.
The first picture I found where someone actually looks truly happy is from the early 1900s; “A smiling man posed eating” published in 1907 by Max Nössler. Click here to see that picture!
So, it took almost a hundred years before we dared to show joy in a picture. And when we finally did, everything changed.
The smile became a symbol of connection, humanity, authenticity.
And since then, we have never stopped smiling.
Because the smile conveys humanity, connection, and above all; an emotion.
👉 And we can take this insight with us into sales.
Every presentation, every pitch, every customer meeting is not just about what you say, but what you make people feel.
Do you want them to feel curiosity? Hope? Anticipation? Joy? Frustration? Inspiration?
When you know the emotion you want to achieve, you will find the words and the tone.
Because sales is not primarily about convincing.
Ultimately, it’s about touching the heart.
And it begins, just like the day someone dared to smile in a photograph, with the courage to awaken a genuine emotion.
The emotions I chose for this post were warmth, curiosity, and recognition.
Did I succeed?
👉 Let’s continue the discussion!
Send me an email at fredrik@pitchperfect.se and we’ll book a lunch, with a smile! 😁
Here you can read more about successful sales presentations!
