That’s what I told my husband Ron when he was talking to exterminators about our ant problem. He seemed to have a problem believing our rough around the edges, Harley-driving (yes, one day he drove up to our house on a Harley) exterminator when the guy said the ants were dying off it would just take time.

So I told him to call a few exterminators in the phone book and get a second opinion. They affirmed what the Harley exterminator said only they also gave a sales pitch on how they could do better. I listened to Ron talk to the first gal and she bugged him for the name of the exterminator we were currently questioning.

It seemed all she was more concerned with the name of her competitor. Then Ron called another exterminator. This time it was a guy. The guy seemed to do most of the talking and Ron immediately started making obscene gestures at the phone. When he hung up he said both exterminators confirmed what Harley guy said.

Except, “That one guy was a jerk. He was just trying to sell me on his own company. The girl was cool though, but the guy I talked to was just a typical salesman.”

Whether you have a vagina or a plunger you are a salespersonWhy the long story about my exterminator? Because aside from the fact that men will tolerate a sales pitch better when it comes from a woman, have you ever thought about an exterminator as a salesman? A plumber as a salesman? How about a dentist? They are all salesmen. Let me convince you with another, ha ha ha, example. This time a short one.

I recently took my kids to the dentist. As I sat in the waiting room I was asked if I wanted to be squeezed in for a cleaning. Then they told me how my kids were tartar producers and would only have great teeth with a special electric toothbrush. Then they sold me the special toothbrushes. Then they called the next day because they had an opening and wanted to see if they could fit me in for that cleaning.

You know why?

Because the dentist’s office is into sales. A hole in the schedule means a gazillion dollars that they are missing out on.

Whatever your business, don’t kid yourself, you are first and foremost a salesperson. You can package your sales-self into any creative concept you can imagine but when it comes down to it your business is sales.

• That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care about your customer
• That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create relationships with clients
• That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be passionate about what you do
• That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be striving to create change or do good

But to do any of those things you have to sell people on you, sell people on your story, sell people on your brand.

If you are an entrepreneur you are in sales. Don’t apologize for it. Just work it with positive intention and watch your business grow.