A call to action (CTA) is a crucial element of any sales email. It tells your prospects what you want them to do next, and why they should do it. But how do you write a compelling CTA that motivates your prospects to respond? Here are some tips to help you craft effective CTAs that drive action and engagement.
The first rule of writing a CTA is to make it clear and specific. Avoid vague or generic phrases like "click here" or "learn more". Instead, use action verbs that describe the benefit or value of your offer, such as "download", "register", "schedule", or "request". Also, include details that make your CTA relevant and personalized, such as the name of your product, service, or solution, the deadline or urgency of your offer, or the problem or pain point of your prospect.
I've found the best way to provoke a response is to engage using a question that requests more info. Asking questions is always the sure way find a prospects pain point.
The second rule of writing a CTA is to create a sense of urgency. You want your prospects to feel that they need to act now, or they will miss out on a valuable opportunity. You can do this by using words that convey scarcity, exclusivity, or timeliness, such as "limited", "today", "now", or "before". You can also use numbers or percentages to quantify the impact or outcome of your offer, such as "save 50%", "increase your conversions by 25%", or "join 10,000 happy customers".
The third rule of writing a CTA is to align it with your goal and value proposition. Your CTA should match the purpose and stage of your sales email, and communicate the main benefit or solution that you are offering to your prospect. For example, if your goal is to generate leads, your CTA might be to offer a free ebook, webinar, or consultation. If your goal is to nurture leads, your CTA might be to share a case study, testimonial, or demo. If your goal is to close deals, your CTA might be to ask for a referral, a meeting, or a purchase.
My CTA is to request a meeting. In reality, what I'm requesting is a sales conversation with the decision maker. I prefer using informal, laid back language when referring to a "meeting request". I like using phrases like "find some time to have a brief conversation. Do you have some time tomorrow at 11 am?" Whether or not, the conversation is brief, I am not proposing a pitch fest to potential client or prospect.
The fourth rule of writing a CTA is to make it stand out. You want your CTA to be visible and noticeable in your sales email, and not buried in a long paragraph or a cluttered design. You can do this by using formatting techniques, such as bold, italic, underline, or color, to highlight your CTA. You can also use whitespace, bullet points, or separators to create contrast and focus. You can also use a button, an image, or an icon to make your CTA more clickable and attractive.
This is something I should definitely be better about. Typically, my CTA is the ending of a paragraph. It's hard finding the balance of what seems professional but is not "deadly serious". ????
The fifth rule of writing a CTA is to test and optimize it. You should not assume that your CTA is perfect or effective without measuring its performance and impact. You should use tools and methods, such as A/B testing, analytics, or feedback, to compare and evaluate different versions of your CTA. You should also experiment with different elements of your CTA, such as the wording, the placement, the size, the shape, or the color, to see what works best for your audience and your offer.
The sixth rule of writing a CTA is to follow up with your prospects. You should not expect that your CTA will automatically generate the desired response from your prospects. You should monitor and track the actions and behaviors of your prospects after they receive your sales email. You should also send follow-up emails, calls, or messages to remind, persuade, or assist your prospects to take the next step in your sales process. You should also thank, reward, or celebrate your prospects when they complete your CTA.
Sometimes, if giving the prospect an ego boost doesn't work, I actually do the opposite and it gets me a response. When the prospects are 'cold' and not responsive to emails, I tend to use this CTA "if removing {pain point} or reaching {insert KPI} is not important let me know and I will ask {insert direct colleague or managers name} if they can assist me." This often triggers them to give you a reply, it's not always a positive reply and approach but at least you can get them talking and they respond.