I don't need salesmanship for business. All you need to know is everything about a camera and everything about editing. Yeah Right!
Sales use to feel shady or dishonest. Then I was educated on what salesmanship really is. According to Brian Tracy, it's a "Transfer of Enthusiasm." That's it! Think about it, when you meet a pretty girl, you don't immediately start sharing bank account information or share embarrassing moments. It takes time to build value to earn the trust of another.
With salesmanship, you transfer your enthusiasm in whatever you're passionate about and a lot of times that means educating a person on what you're really trying to convince them of. Whether it be to buy your product, book your service or trust in your idea.
Salesmanship is building value in whatever your selling so the price begins to shrink and makes sense for that customer. Mercedes and RED Cameras aren't for everybody, but neither is a MINI Cooper or a DSLR. You need to know who your customer is and your customer needs to know the value of what you're offering. Once they know the value, then you must be brave and ask for the sale.
Tons of competitor and amatuers will be cheaper, but not everyone will want a cheap photographer or videographer. Especially a cheap tattoo. Yikes! If your clients still thinks you're to expensive, then you haven't built enough value in what you're offering. Take a step back, breath, and then ask then find out the real concern as to why they're not using your service or buying your product.
My background has always been sales or video production. Sales started when I was in Film School, studying at Utah Valley University. I was recruited to go door to door selling Home Security System with no base salary. Yep! None! Zip! After I was taught the value of the experience and that I would get to live in Cleveland, Ohio all summer and make as much as I wanted, that's when the light went on. I had the potential for a paid for adventure, limitless income potential to pay for school, and to hang out with my friends that were going. I was in.
Cleveland didn't pan out the way I had hoped, but I still made some pretty good money. One day I made $2500 in a day and I was hooked. 4 years of knocking doors later, in a variety of states, and it was graduation time. I had learned film and sales. Two killer combinations.
Today I'm selling for myself and selling for my business. So, the "I don't need salesmanship for business" is a saying that will hurt you. Learn sales, read a book, get a sales job, and find training. You can be honest, easy going, non-pushy, and still be able to sell. Anybody can learn to sell, it just takes the desire to learn and do.
Justin