A common mistake that prevents prospects from responding to your marketing message

A common mistake that prevents prospects from responding to your marketing message

by Tom Trush

Think of a number between 1 and 10.

Once you have your number, multiply it by 9. Then, if you have a two-digit number, add the two digits together and write down the number.

What I'm about to run you though is an exercise in taking direction.

It's a fact that few people make decisions without direction or some type of guidance.

To translate this truth into your promotional efforts, your writing must explain what you want your prospects to do after reading your marketing materials.

Leave the choice up to your prospects and you'll end up disappointed. That's because people need validation for even the most basic decisions.

When you give them a "call to action," you appeal to their need for guidance. This direction can be something as simple as calling your office, visiting your website or (my personal favorite) requesting a free article/report.

Now, take the number you wrote down earlier and subtract 5 from it. Once you have your new number, write down the letter in the alphabet that corresponds to that number (for example, 2 = B).

In most situations, your call to action should be easy. The simpler the process, the more likely your prospects will respond.

In the case of this exercise, the directions are simple, so there's little chance of making a mistake -- another factor that keeps your prospects from taking action.

If they have a hint of doubt about what will result from your call to action, they won't take the next step.

Remember the letter you wrote down? Spell out the name of a country that starts with that letter. Then look at the second letter of that country and write down the name of an animal that begins with that letter.

By now you've written down several letters and numbers, proving you take direction if given a chance -- just like your prospects. What you have to be careful of is assuming prospects will make a decision you view as logical.

That's why testing is so important in marketing.

Okay, finally, think of the color of the animal you wrote down and spell that word on your piece of paper.

If you made it this far, you should now have a country, animal and color listed.

Now all you need is proof that you made the right decision to follow all these steps. With your prospects, this confirmation comes in the form of valuable information that addresses their problems.

When you meet this demand, your chances of turning prospects into customers are much better than seeing a grey elephant roaming wild in Denmark.

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