One of the key objectives of any business is to call your audience to action. If you run a business – not a hobby – you need to get your audience to become clients, customers, investors, patrons, donors, or something else that involves material contribution. This may happen in stages, and each stage requires a call to action for it to happen. So let’s talk about making an effective call to action.
I notice that, for a lot of business owners, networking and sales are some of the most uncomfortable parts of operating a business. Years ago I observed a business class for eight weeks for a nonprofit where I am now a Board member (the wonderful organization Ventures). Each of the eight weeks was themed around a different topic of business planning. There were two classes of the series where the anxiety level in the room was palpable. One was the one themed around networking and sales.
I get it. But at the same time, I find it strange. I find it strange, because business owners are often the most passionate people in the room. They believe so strongly in what they do, that they are willing to put themselves out on a limb to do it. If you get a business owner going, they’ll engage you and fascinate you. If that business owner would be willing to open up like this to their target market, they’re halfway there!
There is a lesson to be learned in this. The call to action you make is actually the end point of a process. It is not something you need to jump into straight away, and on average it is not effective to do it that way even if you are comfortable.
The call to action you make is actually the end point of a process. #sales #business #smallbiz #smb Share on XAn effective call to action starts with the set-up. It starts with sharing your passion. It starts with sharing what you do all day. It starts with having a conversation – on whatever medium – and finding the people who connect to what you are saying.
If you have found your target market and you have found someone who is engaged in what you are saying, you are already doing the set-up to the call to action. So, if you get to this point and suddenly find that it feels unnatural to make a call to action, consider this: it might be unnatural not to! Everything has led to this moment, and you are going to walk away from the moment?
Think of a time when you sold someone else’s product. You were so excited about something or happy with a purchase you made that you raved about it to a friend. After hearing how excited you were, they got excited about it too. How would you close that conversation? “It’s amazing! You would love it.” “You should check it out next time you’re downtown.” “I’m going back next month if you want to join in.” Maybe they even closed themselves and told you they want to check it out. Now all of you have to say is, “You should! You’d love it. It’s exactly what you need.”
An effective call to action starts with the set-up. #sales #business #smallbusiness #smallbiz #smb Share on XSo why does it change things so much when it’s our own product or service? You don’t have to brag. You just need to open with the passion and enthusiasm you already have about your business, see if they’re interested, and close exactly the same way you might for someone else’s business. If they were listening to you for the whole conversation to this point, the next step is to make a call to action that makes sense to you and see if they’re interested.
If you are finding that you are uncomfortable with the calls to action you are making, maybe you are making too big a leap in your ask. Maybe the first thing you need to invite them to do should be smaller. Think about what that could be. It may be the intermediate step you need to build your confidence and to serve them better.
Remember that if you want your business to be successful, people have to take you up on your offers. For people to take you up on your offers, you have to make the offers. Hopefully this starts getting you into the mindset so you can approach with confidence the next time a call to action is needed. And come back next week for part 2 of this Marketing Tip of the Week to get some examples of calls to action that could work for your business!