Tell Me What You Want

People want to be told what to do and what action to take. Seriously! The most common phrase I use, please don’t laugh and note: I am not downgrading anyone’s existence or supporting the philosophy of evolution when I say this; “People are like monkeys. You can train them to do whatever you want.”

That’s right, I put it out there for everyone to judge me: I have correlated the human race to monkeys. Now mind you, I think monkeys are very intelligent animals and this is not a put down in any way. It is, however, a revelation and understanding that in the current business environment, especially with social media and online marketing, people want to be told what to do. Plus, if you want to be successful in business, you’d better begin by giving people clear instructions on what action you’d like them to take.

Why are you saying this Stephanie? That might be what you’re thinking so let me dive a little deeper for you. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of instances where you are bombarded with information…every single day.

It looks a little something like this:

Email comes in; read subject and delete before opening.

Email comes in; open and begin reading before SQUIRREL…and you forget about it.

Email comes in; open, click on a link and never return to original email.

Log on to social media; scroll, like, scroll.

Log on to social media; post and anxiously wait for someone to like, react or comment.

Log on to social media; scroll, scroll, scroll, and scroll never stopping and letting anything sink it.

Log on to social media; see an ad for that gorgeous new bag you were just shopping for on Nordstrom.com, get way freaked out, log off from big brother Mark, WHEW! That was a close one.

You are constantly coming into contact with information and once contact is made, you decide how you’re going to act and respond to it. Over the past year however, I’ve learned the messages with specific instructions garner a higher response. The crazier thing, most people aren’t clearly telling their audience what desired action they want them to take. DOH!

Two quick and easy ways to get a message receiver to take your desired action:

1. Spell it out. Literally. There are so many times when I’m coaching my clients, I learn if they optimize their communication with simple and direct instructions, they will begin seeing an increase in responses. Think in terms of the “Click here” or “Add to Cart” buttons, they are bright beacons of action telling the message receiver exactly what to do. And while specific actions may have evolved over time, the instruction is essentially the same thing. Here are a few of my personal quick “spell it out” options:

• Need a reply to an email? Spell it out: “Simply reply for…”
• Want a Facebook status shared? Spell it out: “Share this post”
• Looking for comments on your LinkedIn update? Spell it out: “Comment Below.”
• Have a great article you want others to read? Spell it out: “Read this to learn…”
• Ready to move the sale forward with a new customer? Spell it out: “If this sounds great, simply reply YES and {insert next steps}”

I currently use all of the above in some form/variation. Why? They work! Want proof? For all my fellow analytic geeks (I love success by numbers!), check this out:

One of the non-profit boards I serve on is AMRAP 4 Autism. I’m doing all of their marketing. Specifically on Facebook, by usingthe word “SHARE” in one of my recent posts, it ended up with 15 shares compared to the previous ten posts, which only averaged 1.7 shares per post!

2. Space it out. Literally. In the fast and furious age of information, adding white space is a good thing. What do you do when you view, what looks like a novel, either in your inbox, on your social feed or as a text message? Right! You decide if you have the “time” to read it now or if it needs to wait until later. Hello, get an information clue people: later almost always means never, just like maybe almost always means no. Do not lead a person to later. Lead them to read a lengthy message by making it more easily digestible, like a high-fiber diet. Here are a few of my personal “space it out” besties you should use:

• Short paragraphs with a full line space between
• Bullet points or numbered lists
• Bolded call-to-action
• Re-read and remove unnecessary words and duplicate information.

Let me back up just one minute. Before you can spell or space it out, you have to be ready and able to stand out. While I whole heartedly believe you can train your prospects, customers, fans and followers to take your desired action, it won’t happen until AFTER they are already attracted to you. In order for the attraction to happen, you must stand out. How? It’s simple. Be yourself and deliver your message in a creatively different way that allows you to shine like the bright, unique diamond you are.

I’m not perfect and my writing sure isn’t perfect, but you always know it’s me, Stephanie, here saying my peace in my signature double-tall, non-fat, no-whip, and straight-talk kind of way.

Stephanie Melish is an Inspirational Speaker and Certified Business Coach who works with all levels of entrepreneurs to improve their businesses and life while increasing their bank accounts. Stephanie offers her insights in the same style as her favorite coffee: bold, inspirational, honest, and with the goal of energizing her clients and their businesses while providing them proven methods to boost productivity, profits, and success. To Book Your FREE Exploratory Coaching Call, Go Here. 

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