Marketing expert Donald Miller, author of Building a Story Brand, tells the story of a time when, leading a workshop, he had the audience stand up and follow him outside. When they got there, he stood on a box and told them, "there's a reason I had you follow me out here". So what was that reason?

The reason is pretty simple: people go where you tell them to go. In other words, where you lead, they'll follow.

When it comes to marketing and sales, the same thing is true. That's why having a strong call to action is important. Want people to buy what you're selling? Well... tell them to buy!

Problem is, a lot of businesses just don't have a strong call to action. They're afraid a stong call to action sounds pushy and they don't want to sound sales-y.

However, your potential customers don't see it as pushy. In fact, the truth is just the opposite. If you don't have a call to action, you come off as weak. It's like saying, "sure, you can buy... if you really want to. But it's OK if you don't." But if that's your attitude, how much business are you really going to get?

Imagine if you had a friend who was ill, and you were a medical researcher. You've developed a cure for her illness; it works about 90% of the time and your friend is a perfect candidate for your cure. Think you'd mention it to her? Of course you would! That's exactly what you're doing when you have a strong call to action.

See, when people come to your website to find a solution to their problem, thyy actually expect you to ask for the sale. If you don't, you're really saing that you don't believe in your product or service enough to actually ask them to buy. And if you sound like you don't believe in what you do... why would they?

Now, when it comes to calls to action, there are two types. First is the "direct" CTA. This is just telling your customer the next step they need to take to do business with you. And don't use CTAs such as "learn more" or "get started" - they're vague and wishy-washy. If you want them to make a purchase, say "Buy Now". If the next step in working with you is to schedule a consultation... just say "Schedule a Consultation".

But often they're not ready to buy then and there, so you should also have a second call to action - a "Transitional" CTA. That's where you offer something of value on your website that the prospect can get in exchange for a name and email address. There are many types of transitional calls to action, and I'm not going to list them all here. The point is simply that you give value before the sale and establish yourself as the Guide.

 Here's the bottom line: stop doing wimpy calls to action and instead ask for the sale! That's how you avoid committing random acts of marketing!

This month's resource

Back in July, I told you about the Growth Mode podcast with Donnie Boivin of Success Champions. I hope you've checked it out

But what, exactly, is Success Champions? Success Champions Networking (SCN) is a B2B networking group that's changing the way networking is done. We don't just pass around businss cards - we focus on introducing each other to the right people; sometimes it's a straight referral ("I think I have something you need" but most often it's an introduction to people who know people who know people... and so on... who need what you do.

Another great part of SC is the educational aspect. No one knows everything, and we can always learn from people who are a few steps ahead and who have solved the probem you're facing. Every chapter meeting includes some sort of business development training.

And the best part? All the meetings are virtual. With gas prices the way they are these days, staying at home or in the office to attend a meeting that can get you in front of the right people is the way to go.

If you're interested in visiting a Success Champions chapter, you can find one that's regionally near you - or even a national one - at https://successchampionnetworking.com/directory. I'm the Vice President of the Domination Nation chapter, which meets Tuesdays from 10:30 am to 11:30 am, and I'd love to have you visit us!