Whether you’re selling carpet to new homeowners, coffee for busy moms on the go, or tech software for the scaling entrepreneur, the best storyteller will always get the job. While expertise and experience are strong indicators of whether a product or service will be successful, people don’t buy into things; they buy into feelings. 

People buy into stories that they can see themselves in. A compelling story creates a connection, evokes emotion, and paints a vision that they want to be a part of. 

When your audience sees your product or hears about your service, what emotion do you want to invoke within them? How do you want them to react or feel? Can they picture their lives improving because of what you’re offering? 

Meet Our Guest, Michael Cheek 

That’s exactly where Michael Cheek excels. Michael Cheek is a visionary marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience transforming strategy into execution and storytelling into market leadership. A proven architect of downstream marketing strategy, Michael focuses on elevating B2B brands across safety equipment, technical fabrics, and industrial manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on within fire/EMS, government, and high-accountability sectors. 

Skilled at translating market intelligence into clear, revenue-driving plans, Michael brings a history of developing omnichannel campaigns, guiding cross-functional teams, and delivering immersive brand experiences that resonate with both buyers and end users. 

From award-winning experiential marketing to P&L-impacting demand generation, he builds marketing engines that grow awareness, loyalty, and the bottom line. He is deeply passionate about brand clarity, sales enablement, and maintaining strategic agility in complex business ecosystems.

But before stepping into marketing, Michael began his career as a journalist, covering everything from politics to human-interest stories. That foundation sharpened his ability to find the human angle in any situation, teaching him that the most powerful way to communicate isn’t by sharing facts; it’s by shaping them into narratives people can relate to. 

Listen to the full conversation here.

Why Storytelling Drives Emotional Buying Decisions 

Here’s the truth: Your ability to tell a story that resonates with your target audience can be the difference between being overlooked and being chosen. 

Storytelling bridges the gap between features and benefits, transforming lifeless facts into tangible experiences. The features of what you’re selling may explain what something is, but your story? It reveals why it matters. 

That’s because buying decisions are rarely driven by logic alone. People don’t want the quick bullet-point topics that anyone can spout off, nor do they want the salesy PowerPoint that talks at them rather than speaking to them. They want a decision-making guide that feels personal to them. They want to be drawn into a narrative that feels authentic, relatable, and tailored to their own challenges and desires. 

Your audience doesn’t want to be saved; They want to be the hero in their own story. But your product or service can simply act as a guide that helps them succeed. That’s the magic of storytelling. It doesn’t just inform the audience, it inspires them. 

So as an entrepreneur, the question becomes: how are you weaving your customer into the narrative? Are you showing them a clear future they want to step into? 

Start by identifying the transformation your product delivers, then craft a story where your audience can see themselves at the center of that change. Because when they feel like the hero, choosing you becomes the obvious next step.