Engaging Call To Action

Your brilliant idea means nothing if no one listens. 5 years at McKinsey taught me one important truth: It's not the winning idea that wins. It's the winning idea COMPELLINGLY PRESENTED. Master these 4 frameworks to transform how your ideas land: 1️⃣ The Pyramid Principle (go-to storytelling technique at McKinsey #1) Communicate efficiently: → Lead with your main point first → Support with structured reasoning → Back it up with relevant data 2️⃣ SCR Framework (go-to storytelling technique at McKinsey #2) Craft a convincing storyline: → Situation: Establish clear context → Complication: Highlight why action is needed → Resolution: Recommend the solution 3️⃣ The Golden Circle (Simon Sinek) Inspire action with the WHY: → Start with purpose (why you exist) → Explain your approach (how you deliver) → End with what you actually do (what you do) 4️⃣ Story of Self/Us/Now (Marshall Ganz) Mobilize collective action: → Share your personal values journey (self) → Create unity around shared goals (us) → Drive urgency through compelling vision (now) How you FRAME your message is the difference between ignored and influential. What storytelling frameworks do you most often use in your own work? ♻️ Find this valuable? Repost to help others. Follow me for posts on leadership, learning, and excellence. 📌 Want free PDFs of this and my top cheat sheets? You can find them here: https://lnkd.in/g2t-cU8P Hi 👋 I'm Vince, CEO of Sparkwise. I help orgs scale excellence at a fraction of the cost by automating live group learning, practice, and application. Check out our topic library: https://lnkd.in/gKbXp_Av

Want your words to actually sell? Here’s a simple roadmap I've found incredibly helpful: Think of crafting your message like taking someone on a mini-journey: 1. Hook them with curiosity: Your headline is the first "hello."  Make it intriguing enough to stop the scroll.  Instead of just saying "Email Marketing Tips," try something like "Want a 20% revenue jump in the next 60 days? (Here's the email secret)."  See the difference? Promise + Specificity = Attention. 2. Tell a story with a villain: This might sound dramatic, but hear me out.  What's the problem your audience is facing?  What's the frustration, the obstacle, the "enemy" they're battling?  For the email example, maybe it's "wasting hours on emails that no one opens."  Giving that problem a name creates an instant connection and a sense of purpose for your solution. 3. Handle the "yeah, but..." in their head: We all have those internal objections.  "I don't have time," "It costs too much," "Will it even work for me?"  Great copy anticipates these doubts and addresses them head-on within the message. 4. Show, don't just tell (Proof!): People are naturally skeptical.  Instead of just saying "it works," show them.  Even a simple "Join thousands of others who've seen real results" adds weight. Testimonials, even short ones, are gold. 5. Make it crystal clear what you want them to do (CTA):   Don't leave them guessing!  "Learn the exact steps in my latest guide" or "Grab your free checklist now" are direct and tell them exactly what to do and what they'll get.  Notice the benefit in the CTA example: "Get sculpted abs in just 4 weeks without dieting." And when you're thinking about where you're sharing this (LinkedIn post, email, etc.), there are different ways to structure your message. The P-A-S (Problem-Agitate-Solution) or A-I-D-A (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) frameworks are classics for a reason. The core difference I've learned? Good copywriting isn't about shouting about your amazing product. It's about understanding them – their challenges, their desires – and positioning your solution as the answer in a way that feels like a conversation, not a sales pitch.

The way most leaders end their high-stakes presentations (sales calls, keynotes, product launches) is COMPLETELY sabotaging them... ...and most of them don't even know it. They put together a great presentation. They build tension throughout, they tell compelling stories with their data, they create “aha” moments… Then they end with “thank you for your time” or “let’s discuss next steps”. And the air is sucked out of the room. All the great momentum they built is gone in about 5 seconds. What's missing? The two crucial elements that turn a “good presentation” into one that actually drives change. 1. Tailor your call-to-action to the four types of decision-makers in every room: - For the "Doers" (your action-takers who execute day-to-day): Ask them to implement, assemble, or respond. Be specific about exactly what steps they should take first. - For the "Suppliers" (those controlling budgets and resources): Request they fund, allocate, or provide what's needed. Quantify exactly what you need and by when. - For the "Influencers" (those who sway opinions): Ask them to advocate, promote, or champion your idea to specific people or groups who need convincing. - For the "Innovators" (your creative thinkers): Invite them to enhance, develop, or expand on your core idea in concrete ways. 2. Don't stop at the ask (here’s where most calls to action go wrong): After your call-to-action, paint a vivid picture of what I call the "new bliss"–the specific, tangible results that will exist after your audience takes action. This isn't just about painting a rosy picture…it's about creating clarity around exactly why your ask matters. No one gets excited about being handed a to-do list. They get excited about the specific outcomes those actions will create. #executivecommunication #businessstorytelling https://drte.co/4ePSFhI

The CTA is dead. Don't ask one more person to "Contact us." Or "Sign up now." Or "Learn more." Or "Get started." They don't want to hear it. They're going to ignore you, and keep ignoring you, until you turn those calls to action into Calls to Value — CTVs. Calls to Value are carrots in our brand messaging, not sticks. Instead of begging your audience to like you or trying to entice them to "Act now!", CTVs put the benefit of engagement for the audience front and center: 👉 "Start saving today." 👉 "Get the answers you need." 👉 "Book your next unforgettable trip." 👉 "Find the therapist that's right for you." 👉 "Take control of your journey to better health." Carry your value proposition all the way to the ask, brand leaders. Create value in every step of engagement — even the last one. Put the customer benefit you deliver right in the button. Turn your CTAs into CTVs. Stop asking. Start serving. #branding #messaging #leadership #brandstrategy

Most LinkedIn outreach dies at the Call to Action (CTA). Not because people aren't interested. But because you asked the wrong way. Here are 10 high-converting CTA styles I’ve tested across 10,000s of cold outreach messages: (1) Direct CTA “Do you have 15-20 mins this week to see how we could turn LinkedIn into a top revenue channel?” → Works best when the value is clear and the timing feels right. (2) Soft CTA “Would it be alright if I shared a few ideas for how you can [solve X problem]?” → Low friction. Great for cold prospects. (2) Interest-Based CTA: “Want to see how [X competitor] boosted close rates by 28%?” → Curiosity > pressure. (3) Content CTA “Would it be alright if I sent over a Loom showing how this would work for [Company Name]?” → Offer value before asking for time. (4) Strategic Question CTA “How are you currently using LinkedIn to bring in new revenue?” → Turns your CTA into a conversation starter. (5) Calendar Link CTA “Feel free to find a time that works best for you here: [link]” → Easy, but only use when they’ve shown interest. (6) Exit CTA “If not relevant, no worries at all.” → Decreases pressure. Increases replies. (7) Referral CTA “Is there someone else on your team I should speak with?” → Great when messaging larger orgs. (8) Hypothetical CTA “If I could show you how to use LinkedIn to bring in new revenue, would that be worth a convo?” → Pattern interrupt magic. (9) Micro-Yes CTA “Okay if I send a few bullet points on how we could help?” → Small yes = Big opening. Your CTA is arguably one of the most important things to turn a positive reply into actual revenue. 👉 If you’re not testing 3–5 CTA styles, you’re probably leaving money on the table. Shoot me a DM if you want help turning LinkedIn into a top revenue channel for your company this year.

The Outbound Equation: R=CRM Here's how to use this framework to land more meetings 👇 Let's start by breaking the equation down: Response = Call-To-Action + Relevance + Medium ✅ Response This is what we want at the end of the day. A sign that there's another human on the other end of our call, email, or DM. ✅ Call-To-Action This is the "ask" of our outreach. The CTA is a combination of: - Effort: How much effort it takes for the prospect to comply with the ask - Value: How much value the prospect will receive in return for their time Most reps make the mistake of asking for a lot and providing very little. This part of the equation is all about providing a ton of value in return for spending time with you. Examples of bad CTAs: - Can we schedule a 30 min. demo? - Can I share more about how our solution can help you? - Do you have an hour to chat so I can learn more about your business? Examples of great CTAs: - We mystery-shopped 300 of your competitors. Interested in seeing how your customer experience compares? - I ran a site audit and found three opportunities to increase conversion rates. Can I share them with you? ✅ Relevance What everyone and their grandma is talking about these days. Relevance is a combination of the three Ps: - Priorities: Does this align with my current priorities? - Problems: Will this help with a problem I'm having? - Peers: What are my best in class peers doing? Ideally, you incorporate elements of all three into your messaging. Most common mistake: Talking all about your solution, and nothing about your prospective buyer's world. ✅ Medium It's 2024. Everything is multi-channel. Your contact rate increases by nearly 3x when you use 3 channels instead of 1 (Salesloft). The most common mistake: Channel neglect. Favoring passive channels like email/social and completely neglecting the phone. ~~~ Here's how to put this framework into action 1) Come up with a sick CTA/offer Make prospects feel stupid for not spending time with you. Use free audits, run mystery shopping campaigns, create a "state of" report, share executive briefings, etc. 2) Upgrade messaging Stop talking about your solution in outbound messaging. And talk only about how you can align with your prospect's priorities & problems. And don't forget to incorporate social proof. 3) Invest in multi-channel Train reps on how to master every channel. And be deliberate about making channels work better together. ~~~ How can you use this model to improve your outbound results? #sales #outbound #pickupthephone

How Can You Take a Simple Step Toward Fighting #ClimateChange? ➤ Imagine a world where each household contributes significantly to combating climate change. What if I told you that a straightforward action like installing a heat pump could be your starting point? ➤ As homeowners, we're often overwhelmed by the magnitude of systemic change required to address environmental issues. However, there's one impactful step we can take: adopting heat pumps. These devices not only reduce our carbon footprint but also optimize energy use in our homes. 💡 Why Heat Pumps? Heat pumps are efficient and sustainable alternatives to traditional heating and cooling systems. They use electricity to transfer heat rather than generating it from fossil fuels, which means less carbon dioxide emissions from our homes. This shift could dramatically lower household energy consumption and contribute to a healthier planet. ➤ The Power of Community Action But the impact doesn't stop with individual action. When entire communities embrace heat pumps, the cumulative effect is profound. By encouraging neighborhood programs or company initiatives, we amplify our efforts. Collaborative action is key, and together, we can create a ripple effect of positive environmental change. ➤ Our Role in the Movement Let's start by exploring how a heat pump could benefit our home. Then, engage our network. Share our experiences and insights. Inspire others by demonstrating that small changes can lead to significant results. → Let's lead by example and make sustainability a shared journey. 👉 What steps are you taking to make your home more eco-friendly? → Share your thoughts and inspire others to join the movement. ♻ Repost to raise awareness about #Sustainability and #ClimateChange #Sustainability #ClimateChange #HeatPumps #CommunityAction #EcoFriendlyLiving

"For many companies, employee engagement means individual actions: planting trees; recycling; even making green-friendly 401(k) investments. This is all valuable, of course, but these individual actions, even taken together, do not begin to address the scale and urgency of the climate crisis. To achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, we need the strongest federal, state and local public policy possible to drive change at the speed and scale required. Companies and their employees can lead this much-needed charge, calling for strong climate policy leadership and making public statements in support of local and federal climate policy solutions." Check out this great piece on the role employees can play in advocating for pro climate policies with their employer, via ClimateVoice and GreenBiz Group. And if you're interested in taking action at your company, check out ClimateVoice’s new Climate Action at Work employee toolkit (link in first comment.) Here are four steps you can take to ensure your company's lobbying and policy positions match their sustainability commitments: 1. Get the facts: Understand your company’s stance on climate.  2. Find your influence: Take advantage of your insider access to connect with colleagues who are key influencers and decision-makers (government affairs teams); map your connections and define the case for change. 3. Engage your co-workers: Host climate-advocacy events or start a working or employee resource group. 4. Advocate for action: Craft an effective action proposal, draft an advocacy letter, make the pitch and set goals on specific outcomes desired. Get clear on each next step and take each action one step at a time. #employeeengagement #employeeadvocacy #climateaction #climatechange #climatecrisis #employeeorganizing

Communities are the new webinars. Crowded. Passive. And everyone's quietly disengaging. We joined for connection. But we ended up in a chat thread with 2,000 strangers and a few fire emojis. The truth? Transformation rarely happens in broadcast mode. It happens in tiny, high-trust groups where people 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 show up for each other. The kind where someone follows up and says: "Hey, you said you'd launch that landing page last week—what's the status?" That's where real progress happens. When we turn 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 into 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Because most people don't need another community group. They need a pod of 4 who hold them to their word—and help them move forward. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀? 1. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 — Groups small enough where everyone has a voice and absence is noticed. Where "community" isn't just a euphemism for "audience." 2. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 — Regular check-ins with consequences (even if just social pressure) for missed commitments. Praise for execution, not just intentions. 3. 𝗣𝗲𝗲𝗿-𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 — Members who understand your challenges because they've recently overcome them, not beginners or gurus too removed from your reality. 4. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 — Specific, measurable milestones that members work toward, not just endless discussion or consumption of content. 5. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 — Real examples of members who entered with specific challenges and emerged with concrete results, not vague promises.

Stop leaving money on the table. 🛑 Every piece of content needs a purpose—and that purpose is to move your audience toward action. A strong Call to Action (CTA) is the bridge that turns attention into action and curiosity into measurable results. 🎯 But here’s the catch: Too many brands settle for weak, generic CTAs like “Learn More” or “Sign Up.” That’s not enough. 💡 Here’s how to make your CTAs work harder for you: ✨ Be Specific: “Start your free trial” is good. “Get 14 days free to simplify [specific problem]” is better. 💫 Make It Relevant: Match the CTA to your content. Sharing a resource? Use “Download your guide today.” Hosting a webinar? Use “Save your spot now.” ⏰ Add Urgency: “Act today—this offer ends Friday!” gives your audience a reason to take action now. 💥 Did you know? Descriptive CTAs convert 62% higher than generic ones. Small changes can lead to big results. ✅ Example for SaaS: Instead of “Sign Up,” say: “Try our platform free for 14 days and streamline your workflow effortlessly.” A CTA isn’t just about clicks—it’s about creating a connection and showing your audience the next step in their journey. 🧳 Now it’s your turn: What’s the best CTA you’ve ever used or seen? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear what’s working for you! #digitalmarketingtips #SaaSTips #AI #MarketingTips #Conversions #socialmediatips #Contentstrategy