I know I was.

For as long as I could remember, the thought of selling just made me feel icky.

“Selling” meant sleaze.

It meant used car salesmen with wolf grins.

It meant the cutest Girl Scout on the block standing on your porch and giving you pouty eyes until you caved and ordered a box (or 10) of Thin Mints.

I told myself I would do something better. That I would never resort to such shameful tactics!

It took me awhile to realize how stupid this was…

You know what snapped me out of it?

It was an audio recording by Earl Nightingale called “The Strangest Secret in the World.” Definitely check it out.

Anyways, something he said in that recording struck me:

Each of us succeeds in life to the extent of our ability to sell. Selling our families on our ideas, selling education in schools, selling our children on the advantages of living a good and honest life…

Hmm…

I was in denial at first, but eventually it sunk in: I’d been selling all along!

Ever try to convince a friend to see a certain movie? You’re selling.

Persuade your significant other to cook you dinner? Selling.

Get your kid to brush her teeth before bedtime? That’s selling too.

You aren’t allergic to selling itself. You’re allergic to the sleazy tactics people use to do it.

Storytelling is like the raw honey can make your sales allergy go away. It’s ethical and effective. Your audience will actually look forward to your marketing messages instead of dashing to the nearest shower to wash off the regret.

Every business has a story…

What’s yours?