What is My Next Step? Creating a Compelling Call to Action for Your Audience

Why Are You Speaking in the First Place?

Speaking to an audience without a goal and speaking to an audience without knowing what you want them to do next are both common reasons why speakers fail to engage their audience and achieve the outcomes they are looking for.

Successful speakers always keep the next step they want the audience to take in their mind and build in hints, clues, and motivations throughout their presentation. This does two things: –

Creates a sense of anticipation in the audience; and
Creates momentum towards the desired action;

You can probably think of presentations where, as a member of the audience, the sense of anticipation, the question “What is this person going to ask us to do?” is almost palpable. Equally, you can probably think of speakers where that sense of momentum and anticipation was missing and (no matter how interesting the speaker was) you wondered, “What will this do for me?”

Using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques including an understanding of different language patterns, buying strategies, and presentation structure, you can learn to ensure that your audience is filled with a sense of pleasurable anticipation and building momentum as you lead them inexorably to that next step, which might be to: –

Set an appointment;
Sign a contract;
Make a purchase;
Request more information;
Attend the next meeting,

The possibilities are almost endless. The important thing is that you your call to action should be both clear and compelling, and it should also be a logical next step from the material you have just spoken about.

How Can I Appeal to Different Types of People in a Single Presentation?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) recognizes that there are many different types of buyer and many different communication styles. In a live one-to-one presentation, you can modify your presentation to fit the buyer who is in front of you. You can add information that they are interested in or that you think is relevant, and you can subtract information or change your presentation style when you recognize that their interest is waning.

When you are presenting remotely via online webinar, or podcast, or when you are speaking to a group of any size it is much more difficult to gauge all the different buying styles and communication preferences within your group. Therefore, it is particularly important for you to understand the range of different styles of communication and buying criteria to address each of them in turn.

Does My Call to Action Really Matter?

Your call to action (or offer) also needs to be carefully designed to attract a relatively broad range of people and even to suggest different possible pathways without being too complicated or confusing. Experienced speakers and webinar presenters have already created a ˜hunger’ for the next step by using NLP techniques to appeal to the emotions and reason, well before they have communicated exactly what they are offering. In webinars, there is often a ˜Buy Now’ button well before the speaker has provided details about price and content for those who make quick decisions, and there is continuing information and more details provided both to confirm the buying decision and to convince those who need more facts before making their decision.

Structuring Your Presentation to Maximize Response

The structure of your presentation is almost as important as its content, when it comes to generating response. As a speaker, your goal is to appeal to the largest possible proportion of your audience. As you know, some people make decisions quickly, others need time to decide. Some decide on the basis of what they hear, others need to see a visual depiction of what they are going to get before they make the actual decision. Some people base their decisions on what other people think, some make decision based on gut feeling.

The most effective Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) courses enable you to ensure that your presentation and call to action resonates with a large proportion of the audience. You may decide that you prefer to work with people who follow a particular buying strategy or who prefer one communication style and that other people are simply not your target audience. This is your choice to make, but you should make that decision with full awareness of its implications.

When you design your ˜buyers’ journey’ you are at liberty to choose the process that fits your desired outcome. However, you should also be aware of the cost of that decision in terms of influence as well as income and your motivation for making that decision. If you want to be successful as a speaker, you should not simply follow popular trends without question.

Designing an Effective Call to Action

At the end of your presentation the call to action should be both inevitable and yet surprising. It should exceed the audience’s hopes and should be virtually irresistible for all your qualified prospects no matter what their preferred communication style or buying strategy is. This takes thought and effort, as well as a deep understanding of human psychology and behavioral triggers.

One of the reasons that Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is so widely studied by speakers, coaches, influencers, as well as motivational and religious figures is that it provides practical tools for understanding and implementing theories of change. Why not come along and see for yourself how you can transform your outcomes in just a few days?