Let us tell you a little story about Kevin and Tracy.
They went to the same junior high school in southern Illinois, just a couple of shy kids. Kevin had a crush on Tracy. Tracy liked him, too. But neither of them ever acted on it. Their friends could see it. They commented on it, but Tracy and Kevin were just too shy.
It went on like this through high school. He never even asked her on a date. Somewhere in there, he got involved with preparing for college and that took up a lot of his attention…but the crush remained.
After graduation, he went off to school at M.I.T. and nearly forgot about Tracy…but not quite. A couple years later, on a visit back home, he discovered she’d gotten married to another guy they’d both gone to school with. It hurt. It was only 20 years later, after Kevin was married (he’s somehow become a bit more assertive) that he found Tracy on social media and they both had a laugh about it.
Cute story—like something from a romantic comedy, right?
Your business is not a comedy but “The Story of Kevin and Tracy” is a strong lesson for any business.
Have you guessed what it is?
You Must Always Ask
It’s your call to action. Businesses do this in different ways, from the crude-but-sometimes-effective “Buy Now!” to these more refined calls:
- “A 15-minute call could save you 15% on your car insurance”
- “Call now for a free quote”
- “Order now to receive a free gift”
- “Call before June 3rd for a 10% discount”
We are frequently blown away by how many businesses don’t include a call to action on their marketing. Some people think that calls to action are “salesy”–uncool or cheesy. Truly, there are some cheesy and corny calls to action out there. Some people just neglect to include a call to action because they don’t think it’s necessary or they don’t recognize its importance.
Call to Action = Results
There is a huge difference in results between marketing that includes a call to action and marketing that doesn’t.
For instance, WordStream reported that having a single, strong call to action in your marketing can increase sales by more than 1,600%.
The results-boosting power of a call to action applies, regardless of how you market. For instance, posting a call to action button on your Facebook page can increase click-through rate by 285%.
Kevin and Tracy, Again…
There is no guarantee that Tracy would have said “yes” to Kevin if he’d asked her out—or asked him to marry her. But it’s a sure bet that neither “yes” would have happened if Kevin hadn’t given Tracy his “call to action.”
You miss 100% of the responses/sales that you fail to ask for.
Always include a call to action!
And here’s ours: Log on to www.prospectsplus.com/pei right now and design your next post card (and remember your call to action). You can also create a mailing list and handle the mailing, all in one sitting!
If you need some help with your call to action, give Opportunity Knocks a call at 1 (866) 319-7109. We have lots of experience and success and will design a card that will improve your response.