Light A Fire Under Your Customers

By Karon Thackson
Posted Monday, August 23, 2004

Developing an effective ad takes a lot of steps. Most of them are pretty well known. Develop an interesting headline, support your headline with benefit-filled copy, close with an offer they can't refuse, etc. Rarely, however, do I see mention of a very
important item. The call for action statement.

Call for action statements are those quirky little phrases that most of us make fun of. You've heard them a thousand times before - "Sale ends Saturday" and "Call now, this offer won't last"! What is so special about these statements? Why do we need to include them in our ads? What happens if we don't?

AN INSPIRATION TO MOVE
Call for action statements give our ads urgency. They are the inspiration for customers to get a move on and purchase now, before they get sidetracked. By telling the customer when a promotion ends, or that they will save by acting now rather
than later, we encourage an immediate response.

How many times have you laid an ad down and walked away to take care of other priorities? You meant to call the company in "just a minute" but it didn't happen. What causes us to make the call or visit the business right away? The fact that if we don't we'll lose out on something.

GIVE YOUR AD PRIORITY
When you include a call for action statement, your ad becomes time sensitive. Your ad takes priority over others the customer might encounter. To tell a prospect who is looking for a dishwasher that your appliance sale ends Tuesday will cause that customer to visit your store prior to another who might advertise "Everyday Low Prices". They'll want to see your selection and pricing before they see the competition's. They know if they don't visit you first, they might lose out on a deal.

DON'T POSITION YOURSELF AS LAST
So what happens if we choose not to include call for action statements in our advertising? I'll give you a prime example. Many years ago Sears (a United States department store) decided it was tired of the Ad Game. They decided they would
no longer run specials or have sale pricing. Sears announced it would offer everyday low prices. It told it's customers they could visit at any time and receive its best cost on any item Sears sold.

Almost immediately, Sears suffered a severe loss in business. Why? They still advertised. Customers still knew they existed. They still carried quality merchandise. What happened?

Sears discovered that, by removing the time sensitivity associated with call for action statements, they had - in effect - positioned themselves last. When a customer decided to make a purchase, they began looking for those who had both the selection and price they wanted. Of course, sales and promotions played a big role in the purchasing decision.

Customer would visit those who had time sensitive offers before going to Sears. Most often, the customer would purchase from a retailer who they visited first or second. They would never make it to Sears. Because there was no rush to get to Sears, that store was pushed to the bottom of the shopping list and the retailer with the time sensitive advertisement got the business.

DO CALL FOR ACTION STATEMENTS EQUAL A SPECIAL OR SALE
No. These phrases should be included in all advertisements. Even if you don't offer a discount, even if you aren't a retailer, you can include call for action phrases.

A seminar leader might announce, "Call today. Seating is limited." A consultant could state, "Free 30 minute consultation is you schedule before June 5th." A hairdresser could say, "Clairol's new line of hair coloring-only available through July."

Here are some other call for action phrases to entice your customers:
Call while space is still available
Call today
Click Here
You can't afford to wait
___% discount if purchased before Jan. 31st
You'll notice changes as soon as you make the call
No interest until 2001
You'll see immediate results if you act now
Limited time offer
Don't Delay, offer ends May 1st

When you think you've completed the perfect ad, go back and read it again. Find a way to make customers act now by including a call for action in your copy. You'll create a sense of urgency and position yourself at the top of their priority list.

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