A CTA is a statement or question that encourages your prospect to take action and commit to your offer. Without one, you risk leaving them confused, uncertain, or indifferent. A CTA helps to reinforce the value and benefits of your solution, create a sense of urgency and scarcity, overcome any remaining doubts or fears, build trust and rapport, and make the buying process easy and simple.
A CTA is so important because of the simple fact that a prospect does not always know what they need. Even good change can be uncomfortable, and without structure...they may never make a change. A well-inserted CTA reinforces you as the guide in the process, giving you credibility and the prospect comfort.
A call to action can often seem very obvious as a tactic - and is trumped many times over by a properly qualified sales cycle , based on trust , value and clear definition of compelling event (and timescale ) . Why tie a cheap bow around a well wrapped present ?
Creating a clear, confident, and compelling CTA is essential. It should not be a suggestion, request, or wish, but rather a direct and assertive statement or question that conveys your confidence in your solution and respect for the prospect's time and needs. To achieve this, use action verbs that convey what you want the prospect to do, such as sign, buy, order, book, enroll etc. Specify the timeframe and details of the action - today, now, before the end of the month, with this link, by calling this number etc. Highlight the benefits and incentives of taking action - saving money, getting a bonus, solving a problem, achieving a goal etc. Anticipate and address any objections or concerns that might prevent your prospect from taking action - offering a guarantee, a testimonial, a discount, a free trial etc.
A good CTA should be natural and is simply the by-product of a valuable follow up or pitch that already did the work for you. The issue is most people write follow ups that sound a lot like “hey! Did you get my last email!” Or worse. And then they fret about the CTA. That won’t work anyway. But if the follow up email gives them something they can use right then and there AND piques their interest to learn more, the CTA is causal and basic. For example, if I tell a potential client that I have a similar company that just got a Forbes feature this week that landed 2M views and we have a killer press strategy for them as well - you can bet your bottom dollar they won’t care what the CTA is lol. They are asking me for the call.
When delivering a CTA, you should speak with confidence, enthusiasm, and conviction. Avoid being timid or apologetic. Instead, use a confident and friendly tone of voice to express your belief in your solution and respect for your prospect. Additionally, use powerful words that convey your excitement about the offer. Incorporate pauses and emphasis to draw attention to the benefits of your CTA. Utilize body language and eye contact to reinforce your message and build rapport with your prospect. Lastly, use open-ended questions to engage your prospect and confirm their interest and agreement.
Ask them how will their life or situation improve by implementing the solution. You have now put it in their mind. Not hard now to ask for the business.
A CTA is not the end of the sales process, but the beginning of the closing process. Therefore, it's vital to follow up on your CTA and ensure that your prospect completes the purchase. To do this, confirm the action and details with your prospect, such as sending an email confirmation or a contract. Additionally, thank your prospect for their trust and business, expressing your appreciation and gratitude. Furthermore, provide additional value and support to your prospect, such as a welcome message or a free resource. Lastly, stay in touch and nurture the relationship with your prospect by sending a follow-up message or a feedback request.
A CTA is not a universal solution, but a personalized message tailored to your offer, prospects, and situation. To ensure you get the best results, it’s important to test and improve your CTA. Experiment with different words, phrases, formats, and styles of your CTA to see which ones generate more responses and conversions. Additionally, track and measure the results of your CTA to see which ones perform better in terms of clicks, calls, orders, bookings, enrollments, etc. Finally, seek feedback from prospects, customers, colleagues, and mentors on how to make your CTA more clear, confident, and compelling.
Perfect practice makes perfect! You have to show the activities to show that you are getting better and the only way to do that is to practice.
Closing a sale requires clarity and confidence. Present a concise call-to-action that highlights the benefits of moving forward. Say something like, “Let’s take this step towards your success today.” Express assurance in the value they will receive and guide them through the decision-making process. Keep your communication assertive but respectful, ensuring they understand the positive impact of their decision. Display genuine confidence, which will help instill trust and encourage the client to take action.
No one wants to feel herded or directed on what to do next with their time. If Sales and Marketing teams can offer a CTA that gets the reader closer to a goal that they already know is important and more importantly -- they independently want to make progress on -- then it will have a higher success rate.