Operations staff, senior management, sales people, or any staff member who is client facing can learn from something referred to as a “call-to-action”. If you’re speaking with clients or prospects and not thinking about ways to get them to make a form of commitment, you’re really missing a golden opportunity. In fact, you might be lengthening the sales cycle or missing an opportunity to take them closer to being your client. So, think of a call-to-action as a way of getting your prospects (or clients) to take a step that leads them closer to you. It’s very powerful.

A call-to-action engages the prospects/clients by making them take an action step. If they ignore your request, you might even consider that a soft refusal. A soft refusal tells you that you have a long way to go toward winning them over. It also lets you know where you should focus your energy, since a prospect or client that is open and receptive, is much more likely to become a loyal client. Also, a call-to-action will hopefully allow you to demonstrate how you would work with them as a supplier. So, be responsive and follow up as you would if it were a project related issue. Remember, you’re helping them get more comfortable with your firm. In some ways, this allows them to feel as if they’ve worked with your team already. In fact, when I was selling research services, I created several new clients by demonstrating my follow through and the fact that I was able to prove my value by asking the right questions. My clients often referred to me as “very consultative,” which is a great compliment you should strive for. Many of those opportunities existed because of the first call-to-action.

Here are some powerful examples to consider:
• Ask for a proposal on something they’ve fielded or something live and offer a sample bid.
• When you meet someone at an event or function, don’t just exchange business cards and follow up when home. Set a meeting (face-to-face, phone or web) and follow through. Get them to commit.
• When you’re on the phone, ask for the next appointment and have a good reason to take that next step.
• Uncover a problem or a challenge and get them to send you an example. Then, provide solutions, but try to be creative or different.
• If you can provide some value-added service or training, offer to present that to their team. Focus on being unique and offering them great take-away items.
• Leverage senior staff and set a new meeting to let them meet your “experts.” Make it relevant and valuable.
• Leverage a customer satisfaction survey and look for their feedback. If they are a prospect, perhaps you can leverage a survey that evaluates your efforts or the proposal process.
• Find other ways to get them to take a step to lead them to you and your firm.

A call-to-action should be on your mind whenever you talk to a client or prospect. If you can get them to take an action step, you can build rapport, engage and win.