The Takeaway Method

The “Call to Action” can take a well-deserved break.

It's time to face a hard truth. Even the best marketers fail to capture their audience's attention most of the time.

So what chance have you got, right?

You get one shot at this one message (email, chat, text, etc...) .

If you do things just right, and they open it, this one message you are sending has a small chance of making an impact.

You have to decide what you want your customers to take away from this.

The Takeaway Method

The Takeaway > The Call to Take Action

Sure, the call to take action is important. We, of course, want to inspire action.

But what we find over time is that the actions mostly remain the same: download the white paper, "free ebook", attend the webinar, book a demo, talk to sales, and so on.

Here's the problem. Most customers need to be educated on why they should act in the first place.

And the change in mindset can be a slow drip.

So sure, the call to action is important.

But it is better to focus on what ONE THING you want the recipient to TAKE AWAY from this message.

That's what makes “The Takeaway” the hero.

• The Takeaway defines the problem.

• The Takeaway points out the shifts in the world.

• The Takeaway inspires curiosity.

• The Takeaway inspires an Aha Moment.

Only after folks receive these insights will they be inspired to take action.

When you are designing your next campaign for one of your core segments, sequence, or drip, stay focused on The Takeaway first.

Here’s the Formula

1. The Takeaway

2. The Call to Take Action

Here it is in practice.

1. Your vote actually does count. States like Texas have a chance at flipping.

2. Go vote.

You may have seen messages like that this week. We all know we should vote, but some may not have taken the time out of their day. They need to get behind the why.

Marco Arment @marcoarment

The time has come. Vote! We need you. ALL of you, in every state. We can’t just win by a little. If we win by a little, we’ll lose. The table is tilted by massive, one-sided voter-suppression efforts. If we want to win, we need to win by a LOT. Every vote counts this time!

Michael Rogers II🏁 @ball_hard153

First time voting with my family 💙 I encourage everyone who’s registered, to go out and vote today. EVERY VOTE COUNTS‼️

Wolf Conservation Center @nywolforg

Every voice raised in support of wolves can make a difference, and when we all howl together, we can make big things happen. #StandForWolves #VOTE

The call to action really is just The Takeaway's sidekick...

Your homework now is to turn off the TV for an hour or so today and jot down 5 to 10 Takeaways that you can use for your business in your next outgoing message sequence or campaign. The key is that they educate or inspire curiosity to learn more. We’ll put them into action later in the week. See you Thursday for your Weekend Project. (I’ll be participating too, and sharing my work.)

If you found value in this, please share The Outlaws of Demand with someone who could use it in their work! Every new member helps build a community.

P.S. We’re all on the same team when you look down from space. Let’s get this.