CHAPTER 10 The Persuasive Power of Storytelling in Selling THE BATTLE OF PLAYLAND (OR A "TALE OF TWO KIDDIES") . . . . I've collected more than 600 hilarious sales stories about blunders commit- ted by our peers. The sheer volume alone of my work writing magazine columns, publishing books, keynoting, and training has forced me to attain a level of expertise in storytelling. Even though I have boatloads of business tales, I'll start this chapter with a personal story. Rebekah (or Bekah, as she's nicknamed) is four years old, and she's a really good kid. Never does anything wrong, a precious write-off . . . I mean, treasure. And I'm not just saying that because she's my kid. She's never been arrested or anything. Her twin, Abbie, is equally angelic. One of the reasons our kids are pretty good is that we have a family mission statement: Be a Blessing American Management Association / www.amanet.org