Almost nobody wants to be a salesperson. The stereotypical salesperson is pushy and annoying.

So it will probably be disappointing when I tell you that If you don’t sell, then your startup will fail. And really this is true for any ambitious person in any profession – even if you work in a big company, government, non-profits – to have an impact anywhere you have to sell yourself and your ideas.

The good news is that sales can be fun. And you can do it in a way that feels authentic and honest. To me it’s just a big scavenger hunt, where you’re looking for clues and trying to find the person who wants to buy your product. And the skills to get very good at this are available to anyone.

Ted Dacko was a math major who has spent his career in sales – you’re going to hear Ted explain why that isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

Ted is best known as the CEO who helped Ann Arbor-based HealthMedia exit for $185M. He is the founder of Arbor Dakota, and the Director of the Blue Ocean Pitch Competition.

Ted has been very influential in helping me think about my career as a founder and startup CEO. We met to record these stories at Ann Arbor SPARK, where he teaches and mentors. I hope you enjoy Ted’s stories as much as I do.