Numbers can be a compelling sales motivator. No matter what we’re buying, as consumers we like to see some data. It validates our choice and helps us feel we’re either part of the crowd — “4 out of 5 dentists recommend Trident” — or a member of an elite group of special customers — “only one in every 2,000 applicants will be invited to join.”

But use them with caution because numbers alone don’t persuade most people to actually buy. They need something else. They need the story.

When you show consumers a bunch of number or a comparison chart, they see the data, but they don’t always see the relevance to their life or needs. But when your marketing materials tell a memorable story and put the numbers into a rich context, your potential buyer understands why the numbers matter.

By wrapping the numbers into a testimonial or a before-and-after story, you’re bringing whatever you sell to life. You tap into the emotional needs or wants of your potential customer by helping them envision just how your product or service will help them. You paint a picture that makes them want what you’re selling. Then the numbers validate their desire. It turns a want into a smart buying decision. You have now appealed to both sides of the buyer’s brain. And each side can see, in the way it processes information best, the value of your product or service.

Next time you’re writing copy for any of your marketing materials, make sure you blend the power of numbers with some good old-fashioned storytelling.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.