It
takes a series of yeses
Does your call to action ask for too much? It might if it asks for the sale too early. The bigger the price and commitment, the more unknown your product or company, the longer it's going to take someone to decide to buy from you. So don’t try and sell the final product or service…yet. Simply sell the next steps. Think of it as a series of yeses, each leading to the big “yes” that you really want.
When
you can’t ask them to buy
Sometimes, you just can’t go straight to
asking a person to buy. That can be akin to asking a total stranger out on
a date. Those potential customers (and dates) need to get to know more
about you, make sure you're credible and even kick your tires.
In fact, buying a car is a great analogy for asking your series of yeses. A potential customer is thinking about a new car and sees an ad on TV. Maybe she goes to your Web site to learn more about the car. Then she visits the showroom. She’s already answered a series of yeses to get to the point. Yet the salesperson doesn't say, "Do you want to buy a car?" No, he lets her walk around and look at the car (answering more questions with yes if she likes what she sees), and then asks "Do you want to take it for a test drive?" He still hasn’t asked for the sale, and if he did right away, she’d be put off.
Think
baby steps
It’s relationship building. You have to establish a
level of trust that’s appropriate, whatever that is for what you’re
selling. It’s also educating. Your customer needs to know more. Buying
that new car is a much bigger expense—and commitment—than buying a
stapler.
Find out how your customers go through the buying cycle, and set up your calls to action as sequential next steps. You’re still asking the customer to do something, just not to buy—yet. To get you thinking, here’s a smattering of possible calls to action that ask for little yeses, not big ones:
- Read what analysts are saying
- Get a free sample
- See testimonials from satisfied customers
- Get the whitepaper
- Download a free evaluation version
- Stop by our tradeshow booth
- Read a sample chapter
- Request the information kit
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Come to an open house
- Sign up for email updates
In the end, you’re serving your customer, not just yourself, as you help them down the path to the big “yes.”
Until next month,
Sharon
