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Call to Action
by Barbara Mencer
I have a mystery for you.
I've been working with a lot of professionals lately who want to do teleclasses or speak to live audiences as a way to build business, but they tell me they've never had success in gaining clients from these events. Why do you think that is?
And the problem isn't only around speaking. I've notice a distinct lack of effectiveness from all types of marketing efforts and materials ... websites, blogs, etc. The reason is the same. Why can't these folks seem to generate business from the very methods that have proven to work for others?
The answer is simple, yet profound. Care to dive in? Okay, then I have a question for you.
Do you know the difference between convincing someone and persuading them?
It can be summed up in one word.
Action.
When you convince someone of something, you affect the way they think and what they believe.
When you persuade someone, you change that person's behavior. There's a world of difference between the two ... and therein lies the answer to our mystery.
In business, nothing of substance happens until someone decides to take action. And that's where these folks are coming up short. They aren't providing their readers and listeners easy and safe ways to take action.
They either don't include a call to action in their marketing or the calls to action they do include are inappropriate. And that leaves people feeling incomplete with no easy, clearly identified way to follow up if they're excited by what they've just heard or read.
Can we all agree you aren't likely to get too much business unless you actually ask for it?
Sure, but it's not enough to just ask. How you do it is important.
Making a buying decision is a process. The key is to make the steps in that process easy and safe. But what does that mean exactly?
Well, easy means you do things like providing a link people can click on that sends them directly to the place they can sign up for your newsletter ... or you pass around a sign-up sheet where people who have just heard you speak can sign up for a complimentary consultation with you.
Don't make the prospective client work too hard. Simple enough.
But wait a minute, how does someone signing up for your newsletter or a complimentary consultation get you new clients? It doesn't ... directly. Remember, making a buying decision is a process. That brings us to the second piece of the buying decision ... making it safe.
"Safe" means the would-be client is able to move forward deliberately, one step at a time, at a pace they feel comfortable with until they're ready to commit.
Think about it. How many people are likely to commit to ponying up hard earned money based solely on a speech they've heard? Some will, but not that many. It's too risky.
But what about signing up for a newsletter, or downloading an ebook, or signing up for a no-obligation complimentary session? Those things are safe, and they definitely get you new clients. It just takes a little longer ... often with as little as one additional step.
You can't hurry love and you can't hurry decision-making. People have to take things at a pace that's comfortable for them. You can't ask them if they'd like to "buy" until they're ready.
That's why we invite them to do a complimentary session with us, so they can know what they're getting into and have come to appreciate more fully the promise coaching holds for them. It's much like a retail business offering a product sample.
The bottom line: People buy in bite-sized pieces. Expecting someone to go from being mildly interested to firmly committed in one big step is like expecting someone to sign the papers to buy a million dollar house after seeing only one house ... from a picture. It ain't gonna happen.
So, your call to action has to be a first step that the prospective client feels comfortable taking.
Lastly, we think it's important to focus on one call to action at a time. We sometimes do two ... like asking people to sign up for "comp sessions" and our newsletter at the same time, but it's best to keep it simple and focused.
Just remember, one important way you serve people is to give them a way to channel their enthusiasm for what you have to offer. It's just the polite thing to do, as well as being good business.
Warmest Regards,
Barbara
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