How a Call To Action wins print sales (and 3 useful examples)
Have you ever had a sales person calling you “just to check in”?
This is one of the most pointless sales calls ever. It tells the prospect that you have nothing worth saying to them. It gives them no reason to buy from you. It is a waste of both your and their time.
I’ve occasionally made these calls and e-mails myself. I know that when I’ve made them it’s a sign of desperation. I’ve vowed never to make one again.
So what’s the alternative?
The most important element of any sales communication is the call to action. There’s no point contacting a prospect or client unless you are telling them what you want them to do.
People who use calls to action have a better chance of achieving the sale.
Find out how to make sure your prospects keep taking action
They are also more likely to improve their relationships with their prospects. Both sides know the next step to building a successful partnership. The sales person has a better chance of controlling the prospect’s journey.
People who avoid calls to action end up having pointless interactions with their prospects. They are very likely to annoy their prospect. They will struggle to make the sale.
What is a call to action?
A call to action is simply a clear pointer to the client of prospect as to what you want them to do next. For instance, at the end of this article I will invite you to sign up to my free “Ten Common Print Selling Errors” pdf-book and my “Views From The Buyer” newsletter.
A good call to action ensures that a prospect moves along the next stage of the buying process. Here are some examples of sales-related calls to action.
The resource call to action
A great call to action at an early stage of the sales cycle is to invite people to download or call for an information resource. It’s a great way of measuring who is engaged with you. I often use these calls to action on social media or sales e-mails. However, they can also be very useful on calls when you are just getting to know a client.
The next stage call to action
I always end a sales call with an agreed call to action. The prospect and I will always agree when and how I should contact them again. I will also have in mind what this next step should before I make contact. Do I want to set up a meeting? Or send a proposal? Or do I simply want to know how a certain project is progressing at prospect that will influence their buying decision?
The buying call to action
You may know the ABC sales mantra: always be closing. This isn’t always appropriate! However, at the right point in the sales cycle, you will definitely have making a purchase as your call to action.
Let’s see how this works in real life
Most people make contact with me because they have read an article of mine with a call to action to download a resource. I often then contact prospects by phone and ask what they need to do in order for us to progress working together. This is a call to action for them to inform me of a process. Then we create the next step call to action. Once we have cleared these issues I then ask about dates to start working together. This is the call to action to buy!
Now it’s time for you to start implementing calls to action
- Review your sales funnel and break it down into stages
- Use a call to action for each stage, using the three different types to guide you
- Brief your sales team
Make sure there are no more sales calls “just to check in”.
Finally, it’s time for my call to action!
Make sure you down load my free “Ten Common Print Selling Errors” pdf-book. You’ll also be signed up to my “Views From The Buyer” newsletter. It’s a great way to see how I use calls to action!
